The Use of 'Deh' and 'Dong' in Colloquial Jakartan Indonesian

The Use of 'Deh' and 'Dong' in Colloquial Jakartan Indonesian



Written by James Neil Sneddon in Colloquial Jakartan Indonesian. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics. 2006. pp.118-119.




1. Deh
This occurs with statements as an emphatic particle urginghe listener to believe what is being said: ‘I’m telling you; that’s certainly the case’:

Nggak tau deh.
I don’t know, I tell you.

Gua udah bilang ama elu berkali-kali, deh.
I’ve told you (about it) repeatedly, haven’t I.

It frequently follows adjective predicates, emphasising thequality:

Lagi gua SMA tuh Inggris gua tu jelek. Jelek deh.
When I was in senior high school my English was dreadful. I was just dreadful.

Pasti gendut deh anaknya.
His kids are sure fat.
In an imperative structure deh strongly urges the listener to do something: ‘why don’t you; do it!’, or, with a negative, ‘don’t do it!’:

A: Elu belum nonton, yah?
B: Belum.
A: Nonton deh!
A: Haven’t you seen it yet?
B: Not yet.
A: Then go and see it!

Jangan pacaran lama-lama deh!
Don’t have a long-term relationship!


2. Dong
This occurs in statements to give strong emphasis, with a suggestion that the listener should already know that what is said is the case:

A: Itu kira-kira berapa rupiah? Sekitar dua puluh delapan ribu,mungkin, yah?
B: Lebih dong!
A: That’s about how many rupiah? About 28,000, perhaps?
B: Oh, more than that!
A: Maksudnya diiket pita merah jadi aneh.
B: Loh, enggak dong! Ijo, merah, biasalah!
I mean, if it’s tied with red ribbon it looks strange.
What! Oh, no! Green and red are the usual colours.

It occurs in imperatives, making them more emphatic. Here too there is a suggestion that the listener should know this is what to do or believe:

Kencengan dikit dong!
Speak a bit louder!

Eh, jangan manggil ‘Om’, dong!
Hey, don’t call me ‘Uncle!’

Although dong usually follows the statement or command it is also sometimes inserted within the proposition:

Jadi enggak mungkin dong kalo dia bilang uda tiga taon enggak make.
So it’s impossible you see if he says he hasn’t been using it for three years.

Kalo mau lewat-lewat bilang dong ‘misi’.
When you’re going to pass someone say ‘excuse me’.