Javanese Verbs
Welcome to the 10th lesson about verbs in Javanese. We will first learn about the present tense, followed by the past tense, and future tense. We will also analyze some grammar rules, and finally practice how to ask for direction in Javanese.
Verbs are used to express an action (I swim) or a state of being (I am). The present tense in Javanese conveys a situation or event in the present time. Here are some examples:
| Present Tense - Javanese |
|---|
| I speak English aku bisa ngomong cara Inggris |
| you speak French kowe ngomong cara Prancis |
| he speaks German dheweke ngomong cara Jerman |
| she speaks Italian dheweke ngomong cara Italia |
| we speak Arabic kita ngomong cara Arab |
| they speak Chinese dheweke ngomong cara Cina |
The past tense in Javanese conveys a situation or event in the past time. Here are some examples:
| Past Tense - Javanese |
|---|
| I visited France aku ngunjungi Prancis |
| you visited Italy kowe ngunjungi Italia |
| he visited Morocco dheweke ngunjungi Maroko |
| she visited China dheweke ngunjungi Cina |
| we visited Mexico kita ngunjungi Meksiko |
| they visited Kenya dheweke ngunjungi Kenya |
The future tense in Javanese conveys a situation or event which is anticipated to happen in the future. Here are some examples:
| Future Tense - Javanese |
|---|
| I will drink milk aku bakal ngombe susu |
| you will drink coffee kowe bakal ngombe kopi |
| he will drink tea dheweke bakal ngombe teh |
| she will drink water dheweke bakal ngombe banyu |
| we will drink apple juice dheweke bakal ngombe jus apel |
| they will drink tea dheweke bakal ngombe teh |
Now let's take a break and refresh our vocabulary by learning the body parts.
ear kuping |
eye mata |
mouth cangkem |
nose irung |
hair rambut |
face rai |
head sirah |
heart ati |
hand tangan |
fingers driji-driji |
leg sikil |
feet sikil |
Travel Phrases in Javanese
Imagine yourself in some Javanese speaking country. The following travel phrases are highly important and can help you avoid misunderstanding. Try to memorize them and practice!
| English - Javanese |
|---|
| Can you help me? Bisa mbantu aku? |
| Can I help you? Bisa tak bantu? |
| Where is the airport? Ing ngendi bandarane? |
| Go straight Mlaku kenceng |
| Then Terus |
| Turn left Menggok kiwa |
| Turn right Menggok tengen |
I hope this lesson about the verbs in Javanese was not hard for you. Please check out our main menu here for more lessons: homepage. To see the full menu, you can also click on the "Menu" icon on the left side.
Inspirational Quote: Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do. Goethe |