tangannya

Tangannya is an Indonesian noun phrase formed by the noun tangan (hand) combined with the genitive suffix -nya. The suffix -nya marks possession and can refer to a third-person possessor (he, she, it) or to a definite antecedent, depending on context. The result is a compact way to say “his/her/its hand” without naming the owner.

In use, tangannya functions as a possessed noun within a sentence. The owner is usually clear from context, and the phrase acts like a typical noun phrase referring to the hand belonging to that owner. Because -nya is a clitic, it attaches directly to tangan and does not involve a separate possessive pronoun in the sentence. The same possessive logic appears with other nouns, such as rumahnya (his/her/its house) or bukunya (his/her/its book).

Tangannya can be contrasted with other ways to express possession. Using milik or punya clarifies ownership more explicitly, as in tangan miliknya or tangannya, depending on emphasis; however, in everyday Indonesian, tangannya is widely understood and commonly used. The form also shows that -nya does not indicate number; it denotes possession for a singular possessed noun, while plural references require different constructions (e.g., tangan mereka for their hands).

Examples:

- Tangannya sakit. (His/Her hand hurts.)

- Tangannya kuat. (His/Her hand is strong.)

- Tangannya bisa melukis. (His/Her hand can paint.)

Tangannya thus exemplifies Indonesian possessive morphology, offering a concise way to refer to ownership tied to a body part or other noun, with context guiding the specific owner.