panjangnya

Panjangnya is a word in Indonesian formed by the adjective panjang with the clitic -nya. The combination commonly conveys the idea of “its length” or “the length of [something]” and is used to create a nominal phrase that can function as subject or object in a sentence. In general, -nya serves as a reference marker that points back to a previously mentioned noun, making panjangnya a concise way to refer to the length of that noun.

Grammatically, panjangnya behaves like a noun phrase rather than a simple adjective. It can appear as the subject of a sentence, as in Panjangnya dua meter, meaning “Its length is two meters,” or as the object, in sentences such as Saya mengukur panjangnya, meaning “I measure its length.” The exact meaning is determined by context and the accompanying verbs or numerals. The form pan-jangnya also illustrates how Indonesian attaches possessive or referential markers to adjectives to produce new nominalized phrases.

Usage notes and variants: The same pattern applies to other adjectives, producing phrases like tingginya (its height) or lebarnya (its width). Panjangnya is most common in factual or descriptive passages, measurements, product specifications, and scientific or technical writing where a precise dimension is required. When the referent is clear from context, panjangnya can stand alone as a concise reference to the length of the known object.

See also: panjang (length), -nya (pronominal suffix), Indonesian grammar on nominalization.