Halo semuanya. Apa kabar? Ketemu lagi sama saya, Iman Prabawa. In this article, I want to talk to you about the meaning of [ini], [ni], and [nih] in Indonesian. As always, we will watch cut scenes from movies and whatnot where those words are spoken by Indonesians to better understand them.
Nih in Bahasa Indonesia
The word [ini] literally means [this] in English. [Ni] and [nih] are informal variations of [ini], and they generally have the same meaning.
Let’s take a look at how [ini], [ni], and [nih] are used in everyday Indonesian.
1. To point to something or someone close to the speaker
Just like the English word this, [ini], [ni], and [nih] can be used to point to something or someone that’s physically close to the speaker.
Examples:
1. Tas ini punya siapa? (Whose bag is this?)
2. Ni dia orangnya! Loe tadi katanya nyariin dia? (Here he is! Weren’t you looking for him earlier?)
3. A: Eh, tadi pulpen gue di mana ya? (Hey, where’s my pen?)
B: Nih! Ada di sini. (Here! It’s right here.)
2. To refer to something or a situation that has just been mentioned
You can also use [ini] to refer to a particular thing, problem, or situation that has already been mentioned in the conversation.
Example:
A: Masalah ini sudah kamu beritahukan kepadanya? (Have you told her about this problem?)
B: Sudah, tadi pagi. (Yes, I told her this morning.)
3. To add emphasis
In everyday conversational Indonesian, [ini], [ni], and [nih] can also be used to add emphasis to what you’re saying.
Examples:
1. Ini nih makanan yang gue bilang kemarin sama loe. (This is the food I was telling you about yesterday.)
In this sentence, [ini] is used to point to the food, while [nih] adds emphasis. If you leave out [nih], the basic meaning of the sentence stays the same, but you lose that extra emphasis.
2. A: Eh, loe udah selesai ngerjain soal nomor 1 belum? (Hey, have you finished answering question number 1 yet?)
B: Udah ni. (Yeah, I have.)
3. A: Eh, ngga bisa ini! Loe tadi bilang katanya bisa? (Hey, this isn’t working! You said it would work!)
Here, [ini] is used for emphasis. If you leave it out, the basic meaning of the sentence doesn’t really change, but the emphasis is gone.
B: Masa sih? Tadi sih gue bisa. (Really? It worked just fine when I tried it earlier.)
4. To describe or add more information about the subject
[Ini], [ni], and [nih] can also be used after a subject to add more information about that person or thing. In some contexts, this construction is a little like using the linking verb is or are in English.
Examples:
1. Dia ini anak orang kaya di daerah sini. (He is the son of a wealthy family around here.)
2. Dia ni suka banget makan es krim. (She really loves eating ice cream.)
5. When giving or handing something to someone
You can also use [ini], [ni], or [nih] when handing something over to someone. In this context, they can be translated as Here! or Here you go!
Examples:
1. Nih! Buat loe! Makanan kesukaan loe tuh! (Here you go! This is for you! It’s your favorite food.)
2. Ini! Mohon diterima kadonya. Semoga suka ya. (Here you go! Please accept this gift. I hope you like it!)
One distinction worth keeping in mind is that [nih] often sounds more conversational and expressive than [ini].
How to Pronounce Nih
Here is how you pronounce [ini] in Bahasa Indonesia.
And here is how you pronounce [ni] in Bahasa Indonesia.
And here is how you pronounce [nih] in Bahasa Indonesia.
Now, let’s look at examples from movies and other media where Indonesians use this.
Example of Nih in Use
The first example is from Di Bulan Suci Ini..., Season 1, Episode 1 (2023). Let’s watch the clip below.