keberapa

Keberapa is an Indonesian interrogative expression used to ask about ordinal position within a sequence. It is formed by the prefix ke- attached to the word berapa, and it functions to query “which number” rather than simply “how many.” The construction is common in everyday speech and in formal Indonesian, and it often appears before a noun to specify the item’s order.

Etymology and structure: The prefix ke- is a productive marker for ordinals in Indonesian, while berapa asks for a number or amount. When combined as keberapa, the phrase asks for the specific position in a known sequence. The noun that follows or that is implied (such as anak, halam an, lantai) clarifies the domain of the order.

Usage and examples: Keberapa is frequently used in questions about birth order, location within a sequence, or positional ranking. Examples include: “Kamu lahir keberapa?” (Which child are you in the family order?), “Halaman ini keberapa?” (What page is this?), and “Lantai keberapa rumah ini?” (Which floor is this house on?). The expected answer is typically an ordinal numeral or a noun phrase describing the position, such as “kelima” (the fifth) or “anak keempat” (the fourth child).

Relation to other terms: Keberapa is a specific interrogative form within Indonesian’s system of ordinal expressions. It contrasts with berapa, which asks about quantity, and dengan angka baku seperti pertama, kedua, ketiga, which are explicit ordinal words. Understanding keberapa helps clarify precise position in a sequence rather than mere quantity.

In summary, keberapa enables speakers to pinpoint exact order in various contexts, reflecting Indonesian’s flexible use of the ke- prefix to signal ordinality.