Learning pronouns in Javanese, an Austronesian language spoken primarily on the island of Java in Indonesia, is crucial for mastering both spoken and written communication. Javanese pronouns are characterized by their forms according to person, number, and level of politeness or respect, known as the speech level system. This guide covers personal, possessive, demonstrative, reflexive, and interrogative pronouns, providing detailed explanations and examples for each.

Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns in Javanese replace nouns referring to people or things and vary based on the speech level: Ngoko (informal), Krama (formal), and Krama Inggil (very formal). Here, we’ll focus on the Ngoko and Krama levels for simplicity.

Subject Pronouns:

Ngoko Level:

• Aku (I): “Aku lunga.” – I am going.
• Kowe (You – singular, informal): “Kowe mangan.” – You are eating.
• Dheweke (He/She): “Dheweke dolan.” – He/She is visiting.
• Kita (We, inclusive): “Kita padha dolan.” – We are visiting together.
• Kowe kabeh (You – plural): “Kowe kabeh mangan.” – You all are eating.
• Dheweke kabeh (They): “Dheweke kabeh lunga.” – They are going.

Krama Level:

• Kula (I): “Kula badhe tindak.” – I am going to go.
• Panjenengan (You – singular, formal): “Panjenengan nedha.” – You are eating.
• Piyambakipun (He/She): “Piyambakipun kondur.” – He/She is going home.
• Kita (We, inclusive): Uses the same form as in Ngoko.
• Panjenengan sedaya (You – plural): “Panjenengan sedaya nedha.” – You all are eating.
• Piyambakipun sedaya (They): “Piyambakipun sedaya tindak.” – They are going.

Object Pronouns:

Object pronouns in Javanese often follow the verb, and like subject pronouns, they vary by speech level.

Ngoko Level:

• Aku (Me): “Dheweke weruh aku.” – He/She saw me.
• Kowe (You): “Aku tresna kowe.” – I love you.
• Dheweke (Him/Her): “Aku weruh dheweke.” – I saw him/her.

Krama Level:

• Kula (Me): “Piyambakipun priksa kula.” – He/She checked on me.
• Panjenengan (You): “Kula tresna panjenengan.” – I love you.
• Piyambakipun (Him/Her): “Kula priksa piyambakipun.” – I checked on him/her.

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns in Javanese indicate ownership and are formed by adding “pun” to the personal pronouns.

• Puniku (Mine): “Buku puniku.” – My book.
• Punkowe (Yours – singular, informal): “Motor punkowe.” – Your motorcycle.
• Pundheweke (His/Hers): “Omah pundheweke.” – His/Her house.

Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns in Javanese point to specific nouns and vary based on distance.

• Iki (This): “Iki enak.” – This is delicious.
• Iku (That): “Iku apik.” – That is good.

Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns in Javanese are used when the subject performs an action upon itself. The term “dhewe” is commonly used across speech levels.

• Dhewe (Myself/Yourself/Himself/Herself): “Aku mangan dhewe.” – I eat by myself.

Interrogative Pronouns

Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions about people, places, or things.

• Sapa (Who): “Sapa iki?” – Who is this?
• Apa (What): “Apa iki?” – What is this?
• Endi (Where): “Kowe lunga endi?” – Where are you going?

Understanding and correctly using Javanese pronouns is vital for navigating conversations across different levels of formality and respect. Practice forming sentences with each type of pronoun, and try to engage in conversations to apply these concepts actively. Remember, the context, relationship between speakers, and the nuances of Javanese culture play a significant role in choosing the correct pronoun form.