View source for Sundanese language

{{Short description|Language spoken in Indonesia}}
{{Distinguish|Languages of Sudan|Nguni languages#Zunda languages{{!}}Zunda languages|Kusunda language}}
{{Infobox language
| image            = Word Sunda in Sundanese Script SVG Version.svg
| imagecaption     = 'Sunda' in Sundanese script
| imagealt         = 
| name             = Sundanese
| nativename       = {{lang|su|basa Sunda}}<br>{{lang|su|{{Sund|ᮘᮞ ᮞᮥᮔ᮪ᮓ|باسا سوندا}}}}
| states           = [[Indonesia]]
| region           = [[West Java]], [[Banten]], [[Jakarta]], small parts of western [[Central Java]], and southern [[Lampung]]
| ethnicity        = {{plainlist|[[Sundanese people|Sundanese]]
* [[Baduy people|Baduy]]
* [[Bantenese people|Bantenese]]
* [[Cirebonese people|Cirebonese]]}}
| speakers         = {{sigfig|32.400000|2}} million
| date             = 2015
| ref              = e27
| familycolor      = Austronesian
| fam2             = [[Malayo-Polynesian languages|Malayo-Polynesian]]
| fam4             = Sundanese–[[Baduy language|Baduy]]
| ancestor         = [[Old Sundanese language|Old Sundanese]]
| ancestor2        = [[Classical Sundanese language|Classical Sundanese]]
| stand1           = [[Priangan|Priangan Sundanese]]
| dialects         = * ''[[Baduy language|Baduy]]'' (considered a separate language)
* [[Bantenese language|Banten]]
** Pandeglang
** Serang
** Tangerang
* ''Banyumas'' {{extinct}}
* [[Northern Coast Sundanese|Northern Coast]]
** [[Bekasi Sundanese|Bekasi]]
** Binong
** Bogor
** Karawang
* Priangan
** Bandung
** Ciamis
** Garut
** Sumedang
** Tasikmalaya
* Central–Eastern
** [[Brebes Sundanese|Brebes]]
** [[Cirebon Sundanese|Cirebon]]
** Indramayu
** Kuningan
** Majalengka
| script           = {{ubl|[[Latin script]] (present)|[[Sundanese script]] (present; optional)|[[Pegon script|Sundanese Pégon script]] (17–20th centuries AD, present; mostly on religious schools)|[[Old Sundanese script]] (14–18th centuries AD, present; optional)|[[Cacarakan|Sundanese Cacarakan script]] (17–19th centuries AD, present; certain areas)|[[Buda Script]] (13–15th centuries AD, present; optional)|[[Kawi script]] (historical)|[[Pallava Script|Pallava]] (historical)|[[Nāgarī script|Pranagari]] (historical)|[[Vatteluttu]] (historical)}}
| nation           = 
| iso1             = su
| iso2             = sun
| lc1              = sun
| ld1              = Sundanese
| lc2              = bac
| ld2              = [[Baduy language|Baduy Sundanese]]
| lc3              = osn
| ld3              = [[Old Sundanese language|Old Sundanese]]
| glotto           = sund1252
| glottorefname    = Sundanese
| lingua           = 31-MFN-a
| notice           = IPA
| map              = Sundanese_language_distribution_map.svg
| mapcaption       = {{legend|#0000FF|Areas where Sundanese is a majority native language}}
{{legend|#0080FF|Areas where Sundanese is a minority language with >100,000 speakers}}
{{legend|#00FFFF|Areas where Sundanese is a minority language with <100,000 speakers}}
| agency           = {{lang|su|Lembaga Basa jeung Sastra Sunda}}
| pronunciation    = {{IPA|su|basa sʊnda|}}
}}

{{Contains special characters|Sundanese}}

[[File:Sundanese language distribution.svg|thumb|Location where Sundanese language spoken.]]
[[File:WIKITONGUES- Yusuf speaking Sundanese.webm|thumb|A Sundanese speaker, recorded in [[Indonesia]].]]

'''Sundanese''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|s|ʌ|n|d|ə|ˈ|n|iː|z}} {{respell|SUN|də|NEEZ}};<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Linguistics Student's Handbook |last=Bauer |first=Laurie |date=2007 |publisher=[[Edinburgh University Press]] |location=Edinburgh}}</ref> {{langx|su|label=[[endonym]]|basa Sunda}}, [[Sundanese script]]: {{lang|su|{{Sund|ᮘᮞ ᮞᮥᮔ᮪ᮓ}}}}, {{IPA|su|basa sunda|pron}}) is an [[Austronesian languages|Austronesian]] language spoken in [[Java]], primarily by the [[Sundanese people|Sundanese]]. It has approximately 32 million native speakers in the western third of [[Java]]; they represent about 15% of [[Indonesia]]'s total population.<ref name=e27/>

==Classification==
According to American linguist [[Robert Blust]], Sundanese is closely related to the [[Malayic languages]], as well as to language groups spoken in Borneo such as the [[Land Dayak languages]] or the [[Kayan–Murik languages]], based on high lexical similarities between these languages.{{sfn|Blust|2010}}{{sfn|Blust|2013}}

== History and distribution ==
{{Main|History of Sundanese language}}
{{See also|Old Sundanese language}}{{Refimprove section|date=May 2025}}
Sundanese is mainly spoken on the west side of the island of [[Java]], in an area known as Tatar Sunda ([[Parahyangan|Pasundan]]).<ref>[https://doi.org/10.15144%2FPL-D65 Hardjadibrata (1985)], p. 1.</ref> However, Sundanese is also spoken in the western part of [[Central Java]], especially in [[Brebes Regency|Brebes]] and [[Cilacap Regency]], because these areas were previously under the control of the [[Galuh Kingdom]]. Many place names in Cilacap are still Sundanese names such as [[Dayeuhluhur]], Cimanggu, Cipari, even as far as [[Banyumas Regency|Banyumas]], such as Cilongok, Cingebul, Gumelar, and others.

Until 1600 AD, Sundanese was the state language in the kingdoms of [[Salakanagara]], [[Tarumanagara]], [[Sunda Kingdom|Sunda]], [[Galuh Kingdom|Galuh]], [[Pakuan Pajajaran|Pajajaran]], and [[Sumedang Larang Kingdom|Sumedang Larang]]. During this period, Sundanese was heavily influenced by the [[Sanskrit|Sanskrit language]] as seen in the [[Ciaruteun inscription]] written at the time of [[Purnawarman|King Purnawarman]], using the [[Pallava script]].<ref>[https://archive.org/details/in.gov.ignca.13301/page/n19/mode/2up?view=theater Shell character rock inscription at Ci-Auroton Java], EI Vol. XXII, p. 4-5</ref> Sundanese at that time was used in the fields of state, art, and daily life, many religious books were written in Sundanese and used [[Old Sundanese script]] such as the ''Sanghyang Siksa Kandang Karesian'' Manuscript, ''Carita Parahyangan'', ''Amanat Galunggung'', and ''Guru Talapakan''.

In addition, according to some Sundanese language experts until around the [[6th century]], the area of speech reached around the [[Dieng Plateau]] in [[Central Java]], based on the name "Dieng" which is considered the name Sundanese (from the origin of the word ''dihyang'' which is an [[Old Sundanese language|Old Sundanese]] word). Along with transmigration and immigration carried out by the Sundanese ethnics, speakers of this language have spread beyond the [[Java|island of Java]]. For example, in [[Lampung]], [[South Sumatra]], [[Bengkulu]], [[Riau]], [[West Kalimantan]], [[Southeast Sulawesi]], and even outside the country of Indonesia, such as [[Taiwan]], [[Japan]], [[Australia]], and other countries, a significant number of ethnic Sundanese live in areas outside the [[Parahyangan|Pasundan]].

==Dialects==
Sundanese has several dialects, conventionally described according to the locations of the people:<ref>{{Cite web |last=Aldita Prafitasari |date=2022-05-17 |title=''Daftar Dialek atau Basa Wewengkon Bahasa Sunda'' |url=https://adjar.grid.id/read/543284171/daftar-dialek-atau-basa-wewengkon-bahasa-sunda?page=all |website=Adjar.id |language=id}}</ref>

[[File:Sundanese_dialects_distribution_map.svg|thumb|right|Linguistic map of [[West Java]], [[Banten]], [[Central Java|Western part of Central Java]], and [[Jakarta]].]]

*[[Bantenese language|Western dialect]], spoken in the provinces of [[Banten]], the western part of [[Bogor Regency]] (especially in Greater Jasinga area), and some parts of [[Lampung]].
*[[Northern Sundanese|Northern dialect]], spoken in [[Bogor Regency]], and northwestern coastal areas of West Java.
*[[Priangan Sundanese|Southern or Priangan dialect]], spoken in [[Sukabumi]], [[Sumedang]], [[Cianjur Regency|Cianjur]], [[Bandung]], [[Garut Regency|Garut]], and [[Tasikmalaya]].
*[[Cirebonese Sundanese language|Mid-east dialect]], spoken in [[Cirebon]], [[Majalengka]], and southern part of [[Indramayu]].
*[[Brebes Sundanese|Northeast dialect]], spoken in [[Kuningan]] (West Java) and [[Brebes]] (Central Java).
*[[Ciamis Sundanese|Southeast dialect]], spoken in [[Ciamis]], [[Pangandaran Regency|Pangandaran]], [[Banjar, West Java|Banjar]], and [[Cilacap]] (Central Java).

The Priangan dialect, which covers the largest area where Sundanese people lives (''Parahyangan'' in Sundanese), is the most widely spoken type of Sundanese language, taught in elementary till senior-high schools (equivalent to twelfth-year school grade) in West Java and Banten Province.

==Writing==
{{main|Sundanese script}}
The language has been written in different [[writing system]]s throughout history. The earliest attested documents of the Sundanese language were written in the [[Old Sundanese script]] ({{lang|id|Aksara Sunda Kuno}}). After the arrival of Islam, the [[Pegon script]] is also used, usually for religious purposes. The [[Latin script]] then began to be used after the arrival of Europeans. In modern times, most of Sundanese literature is written in Latin script. Meanwhile, the regional governments of [[West Java]] and [[Banten]] have been actively promoting the use of Standard [[Sundanese script]] ({{lang|id|Aksara Sunda Baku}}) in public places and on road signs. Although Pegon script is now mostly used in [[pesantren]]s (Islamic boarding schools) and Sundanese Islamic literature,<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9eou96EnD2gC&q=huruf+pegon+sunda&pg=PA375|title=Mengenang hidup orang lain: sejumlah obituari|last=Rosidi|first=Ajip|date=2010|publisher=Kepustakaan Populer Gramedia|isbn=9789799102225|language=id}}</ref> it can still occasionally be seen in public places and on road signs in certain areas, such as [[Lembang]] and [[Tasikmalaya]].<ref>{{cite web|language=id|access-date =2024-11-25|date=2015-08-15|url=https://travel.detik.com/cerita-perjalanan/d-5397801/bahasanya-sunda-tapi-tulisannya-arab|first=Fajr|last=Muchtar|publisher=Detik Travel|title=Bahasanya Sunda, Tapi Tulisannya Arab}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|language=id|access-date =2024-11-25|date=2023-04-17|url=https://mojok.co/terminal/tasikmalaya-tampil-beda-daerah-sunda-tapi-pakai-papan-nama-arab-pegon|first=Mohammad Ilham |last=Ramadhan|website=mojok.co|title=Tasikmalaya Tampil Beda: Daerah Sunda, tapi Pakai Papan Nama Aksara Jawa dan Arab Pegon. Kok Bisa?}}</ref>

==Phonology==
Sundanese orthography is highly phonemic (see also [[Sundanese script]]).

=== Vowels ===
There are seven vowels: a {{IPA|/a/}}, é {{IPA|/ɛ/}}, i {{IPA|/i/}}, o {{IPA|/ɔ/}}, u {{IPA|/u/}}, e {{IPA|/ə/}}, and eu {{IPA|/ɨ/}}.<ref>{{cite book|last=Müller-Gotama|first=Franz|title=Sundanese|date=2001|publisher=LINCOM Europa|series=Languages of the World. Materials|volume=369|place=Munich}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
!
![[Front vowel|Front]]
![[Central vowel|Central]]
![[Back vowel|Back]]
|- align="center"
![[Close vowel|Close]]
|{{IPA link|i}}
|{{IPA link|ɨ}}
|{{IPA link|u}}
|- align="center"
![[Mid vowel|Mid]]
|{{IPA link|ɛ}}
|{{IPA link|ə}}
|{{IPA link|ɔ}}
|- align="center"
![[Open vowel|Open]]
|
|{{IPA link|a}}
| colspan="2" |
|}

=== Consonants ===
According to Müller-Gotama (2001) there are 18 consonants in the Sundanese phonology: {{IPA|/b/}}, {{IPA|/tʃ/}}, {{IPA|/d/}}, {{IPA|/ɡ/}}, {{IPA|/h/}}, {{IPA|/dʒ/}}, {{IPA|/k/}}, {{IPA|/l/}}, {{IPA|/m/}}, {{IPA|/n/}}, {{IPA|/p/}}, {{IPA|/r/}}, {{IPA|/s/}}, {{IPA|/ŋ/}}, {{IPA|/t/}}, {{IPA|/ɲ/}}, {{IPA|/w/}}, {{IPA|/j/}}; however, influences from foreign languages have introduced several additional consonants such as {{IPA|/f/}}, {{IPA|/v/}}, {{IPA|/z/}} (as in ''fonem'', ''qur'an'', ''xerox'', ''zakat''). The consonantal phonemes are transcribed with the letters p, b, t, d, k, g, c {{IPA|/t͡ʃ/}}, j {{IPA|/d͡ʒ/}}, h, ng ({{IPA|/ŋ/}}), ny {{IPA|/ɲ/}}, m, n, s {{IPA|/s/}}, w, l, r {{IPA|/r~ɾ/}}, and y {{IPA|/j/}}.
Other consonants that originally appear in Indonesian loanwords are mostly transferred into native consonants: f/v {{IPA|/f/}} → p, sy {{IPA|/ʃ/}} → s, z {{IPA|/z/}} → j, and kh {{IPA|/x/}} → h.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! colspan="2" |
![[Bilabial consonant|Bilabial]]
![[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
![[Palatal consonant|Palatal]]
![[Velar consonant|Velar]]
![[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|-
! colspan="2" |[[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]
|{{IPA link|m}}
|{{IPA link|n}}
|{{IPA link|ɲ}}
|{{IPA link|ŋ}}
|
|-
! rowspan="2" |[[Plosive]]/<br />[[Affricate]]
!<small>voiceless</small>
|{{IPA link|p}}
|{{IPA link|t}}
|{{IPA link|tʃ}}
|{{IPA link|k}}
|
|-
!<small>voiced</small>
|{{IPA link|b}}
|{{IPA link|d}}
|{{IPA link|dʒ}}
|{{IPA link|ɡ}}
|
|-
! colspan="2" |[[Fricative consonant|Fricative]]
|
|{{IPA link|s}}
|
|
|{{IPA link|h}}
|-
! colspan="2" |[[Lateral consonant|Lateral]]
|
|{{IPA link|l}}
|
|
|
|-
! colspan="2" |[[Trill consonant|Trill]]
|
|{{IPA link|r}}
|
|
|
|-
! colspan="2" |[[Approximant consonant|Approximant]]
|{{IPA link|w}}
|
|{{IPA link|j}}
|
|
|}

Epenthetic semivowels {{IPA|/w/}} and {{IPA|/j/}} are inserted after a high vowel immediately followed by another vowel, as in the words:
* kuéh – {{IPA|/ku'''w'''ɛh/}}
* muih – {{IPA|/mu'''w'''ih/}}
* béar – {{IPA|/be'''j'''ar/}}
* miang – {{IPA|/mi'''j'''aŋ/}}
* euweuh – {{IPA|/ɜ'''w'''ɜh/}}

==Register==
Sundanese has an elaborate system of [[Register (sociolinguistics)|register]] distinguishing levels of formality.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Anderson |first=E. A. |title=Papers in Southeast Asian Linguistics No. 16 |publisher=Pacific Linguistics |year=1997  |editor-last=Clark |editor-first=M. |location=Canberra |pages=1–45 |chapter=The use of speech levels in Sundanese |doi=10.15144/PL-A90.1 |doi-access=free }}</ref> At the beginning of speech level development, 6 levels of Sundanese register were known: ''basa kasar'' (rough), ''sedeng'' (medium), ''lemes'' (polite), ''lemes pisan'' (very polite), ''kasar pisan'' (very rough), and ''basa panengah'' (intermediate). But since the 1988 Congress of Sundanese Language in Bogor, the speech level has been narrowed to only two parts: ''basa hormat'' (respectful) and ''basa loma'' (fair). Besides that, the term was changed to "''tatakrama basa''" ({{lit|language manners}}), although the substance remained the same. The ''hormat'' variant is a subtle language to respect, while the loma variant is fair, neutral and familiar use. This variety of ''loma'' language is then used as a kind of "standard" variety of written languages in Sundanese society. Sundanese magazines, newspapers, literary books and theses, mostly using the ''loma'' variant.

Apart from the two previous levels, there is actually one more lowest level, namely ''cohag'' (rough). This level is only used when angry or just to show intimacy between speakers. This register can only be found in the [[Priangan|Sundanese Priangan]] dialect, while other dialects such as [[Bantenese language|Bantenese Language]], generally do not recognize this register.

For many words, there are distinct ''loma'' and ''lemes'' forms, e.g. ''arék'' (loma) vs. ''badé'' (lemes) "want", ''maca'' (loma) vs. ''maos'' (lemes) "read". In the ''lemes'' level, some words further distinguish humble and respectful forms, the former being used to refer to oneself, and the latter for the addressee and third persons, e.g. ''rorompok'' "(my own) house" vs. ''bumi'' "(your or someone else's) house" (the ''loma'' form is ''imah'').

Similar systems of speech levels are found in [[Honorific speech in Japanese|Japanese]], [[Korean honorifics|Korean]] and [[Thai language#Register|Thai]].

== Basic vocabulary ==

=== Personal pronouns ===
{| class="wikitable"
!Glos
!''Lemes''
!''Loma''
!''Cohag''
|-
|{{gcl|1SG}}<br />'I'
|''abdi'' (informal)
''simkuring'' (formal)
|''urang'' (informal)
''kuring'' (formal)

''kami'' (non-formal,

expressing speaker's superiority)
|''aing''
|-
|{{gcl|2SG}}, {{gcl|2PL}}<br />'you'
|''anjeun''
''hidep'' (for younger)
|''manéh''
''silaing''
|''sia''
|-
|{{gcl|3SG}}, {{gcl|3PL}}<br />'he, she'
|''mantenna'' (to be respected)
''anjeunna''
|''manéhna''
|''si éta''
|-
|{{gcl|1PL.EXCL|first person, exclusive plural}}<br />'we'
|''abdi sadayana'' (informal)
''simkuring sadayana'' (formal)
|''kuring saréréa''
| ''aing kabéhan''
|-
|{{gcl|1PL.INCL|first person, inclusive plural}}<br />'we'
|''urang samudayana''
|''arurang/urang''
|''-''
|-
|{{gcl|2PL}}<br />'you all'
|''aranjeun''
''haridep'' (for younger)
|''maranéh''
|''saria, sararia''
|-
|{{gcl|3PL}}<br />'they'
|''aranjeunna''
|''maranéhna''
|''-''
|}

== Numeral ==
{{Main|Sundanese numerals}}
{| class="wikitable"
!Number
![[Sundanese script]]
!Sundanese
|-
|1
|<nowiki>|</nowiki>{{Sund|᮱}}<nowiki>|</nowiki>
|hiji
|-
|2
|<nowiki>|</nowiki>{{Sund|᮲}}<nowiki>|</nowiki>
|dua
|-
|3
|<nowiki>|</nowiki>{{Sund|᮳}}<nowiki>|</nowiki>
|tilu
|-
|4
|<nowiki>|</nowiki>{{Sund|᮴}}<nowiki>|</nowiki>
|opat
|-
|5
|<nowiki>|</nowiki>{{Sund|᮵}}<nowiki>|</nowiki>
|lima
|-
|6
|<nowiki>|</nowiki>{{Sund|᮶}}<nowiki>|</nowiki>
|genep
|-
|7
|<nowiki>|</nowiki>{{Sund|᮷}}<nowiki>|</nowiki>
|tujuh
|-
|8
|<nowiki>|</nowiki>{{Sund|᮸}}<nowiki>|</nowiki>
|dalapan
|-
|9
|<nowiki>|</nowiki>{{Sund|᮹}}<nowiki>|</nowiki>
|salapan
|-
|10
|<nowiki>|</nowiki>{{Sund|᮱᮰}}<nowiki>|</nowiki>
|sapuluh
|-
|11
|<nowiki>|</nowiki>{{Sund|᮱᮱}}<nowiki>|</nowiki>
|sabelas
|-
|12
|<nowiki>|</nowiki>{{Sund|᮱᮲}}<nowiki>|</nowiki>
|dua belas
|-
|20
|<nowiki>|</nowiki>{{Sund|᮲᮰}}<nowiki>|</nowiki>
|dua puluh
|-
|21
|<nowiki>|</nowiki>{{Sund|᮲᮱}}<nowiki>|</nowiki>
|dua puluh hiji
|-
|30
|<nowiki>|</nowiki>{{Sund|᮳᮰}}<nowiki>|</nowiki>
|tilu puluh
|-
|31
|<nowiki>|</nowiki>{{Sund|᮳᮱}}<nowiki>|</nowiki>
|tilu puluh hiji
|-
|40
|<nowiki>|</nowiki>{{Sund|᮴᮰}}<nowiki>|</nowiki>
|opat puluh
|-
|50
|<nowiki>|</nowiki>{{Sund|᮵᮰}}<nowiki>|</nowiki>
|lima puluh
|-
|60
|<nowiki>|</nowiki>{{Sund|᮶᮰}}<nowiki>|</nowiki>
|genep puluh
|-
|70
|<nowiki>|</nowiki>{{Sund|᮷᮰}}<nowiki>|</nowiki>
|tujuh puluh
|-
|80
|<nowiki>|</nowiki>{{Sund|᮸᮰}}<nowiki>|</nowiki>
|dalapan puluh
|-
|90
|<nowiki>|</nowiki>{{Sund|᮹᮰}}<nowiki>|</nowiki>
|salapan puluh
|-
|100
|<nowiki>|</nowiki>{{Sund|᮱᮰᮰}}<nowiki>|</nowiki>
|saratus
|-
! colspan="2" |hundreds
|ratusan
|-
|1000
|<nowiki>|</nowiki>{{Sund|᮱᮰᮰᮰}}<nowiki>|</nowiki>
|sarébu
|-
! colspan="2" |thousands
|rébu
|}

==Grammar==
{{cleanup rewrite|section=yes|date=February 2020}}

===Root word===

====Root verb====
{|  class="wikitable" 
! English !! Sundanese <br />(formal) !! Sundanese <br />(polite)
|- 
| eat || dahar || tuang (for other)<br />neda (for myself)
|- 
| drink || inum || leueut 
|- 
| write || tulis || serat 
|- 
| read || maca || maos 
|- 
| forget || poho || lali (for other)
hilap (for myself)
|- 
| remember || inget || émut 
|- 
| sit || diuk || linggih (for other)
calik (for myself)
|- 
| standing || nangtung || ngadeg
|- 
| walk || leumpang || nyacat 
|}

====Plural form====
Other Austronesian languages (especially those in western Indonesia) commonly use [[reduplication]] to create plural forms. However, Sundanese inserts the ''ar'' infix into the stem word. If the stem word starts with ''l'', or contains ''r'' following the infix, the infix ''ar'' becomes ''al''. Also, as with other Sundanese infixes (such as ''um''), if the word starts with vowel, the infix becomes a prefix. 
Examples: 
#''Mangga téh, t'''ar'''ahuna haneut kénéh''. "Please ma'am, the bean curds are still warm/hot." The plural form of ''tahu'' 'bean curd, tofu' is formed by infixing ''ar'' after the initial consonant. 
#''B'''ar'''udak leutik l'''al'''umpatan.'' "Small children running around." ''Barudak'' "children" is formed from ''budak'' (child) with the ''ar'' infix; in ''lumpat'' (run) the ''ar'' infix becomes ''al'' because ''lumpat'' starts with ''l''.
#''Ieu kaén batik '''ar'''alus sadayana''. "All of these batik clothes are beautiful." Formed from ''alus'' (nice, beautiful, good) with the infix ''ar'' that becomes a prefix because ''alus'' starts with a vowel. It denotes the adjective "beautiful" for the plural subject/noun (batik clothes).
#''Siswa sakola éta mah b'''al'''ageur.'' "The students of that school are well-behaved." Formed from ''bageur'' ("good-behaving, nice, polite, helpful") with the infix ''ar'', which becomes ''al'' because of ''r'' in the root, to denote the adjective "well-behaved" for plural students.

However, it is reported that this use of ''al'' instead of ''ar'' (as illustrated in (4) above) does not to occur if the 'r' is in onset of a neighbouring syllable. For example, the plural form of the adjective ''curiga'' (suspicious) is ''caruriga'' and not *''caluriga'', because the 'r' in the root occurs at the start of the following syllable.<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Phonology of Consonants: Harmony, Dissimilation, and Correspondence |last=Bennett |first=Wm G. |date=2015 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge |pages=132 |language=en}}</ref>
 
The prefix can be reduplicated to denote ''very-'', or the plural of groups. For example, "b'''arar'''udak" denotes many, many children or many groups of children (''budak'' is child in Sundanese). Another example, "b'''alal'''ageur" denotes plural adjective of "very well-behaved".

===Active form===
Most active forms of Sundanese verbs are identical to the root, as with ''diuk'' "sit" or ''dahar'' "eat". Some others depend on the initial phoneme in the root:
# Initial {{IPA|/d/}}, {{IPA|/b/}}, {{IPA|/f/}}, {{IPA|/ɡ/}}, {{IPA|/h/}}, {{IPA|/j/}}, {{IPA|/l/}}, {{IPA|/r/}}, {{IPA|/w/}}, {{IPA|/z/}} can be put after prefix ''nga'' like in ''ngadahar''.
# Initial {{IPA|/i/}}, {{IPA|/e/}}, {{IPA|/u/}}, {{IPA|/a/}}, {{IPA|/o/}} can be put after prefix ''ng'' like in ''nginum'' "drink".

===Negation===
There are several words to negate a statement in Sundanese. These are also different by the polite (''lemes'') and casual (''loma'') registers, as well as dialect.

====Polite====
In Priangan Sundanese, Polite negation is done by adding a '''henteu''' (the shorter form, '''teu''' is also commonly used) to negate most verbs (akin to adding a "not" to English "do" or "does"). To negate clauses where the subject is linked to adjectives or nouns (where, in English, it would normally require a linking verb like "be"), '''sanés''' is used.

* ''Abdi '''teu''' acan neda''. "I have not eaten yet."
In this sentence, "acan" is used to signpost that the speaker has not done something, but they will do it in a short notice.
* ''Buku abdi mah '''sanés''' nu ieu''. "My book is not this one."

Other words that can be used to negate clauses are '''moal''' (to signpost that the speaker is not going to do something) and '''alim''' (to show that the speaker does not want to do something). Other Sundanese dialects may have different ways to negate statements.

====Casual====
There are a wide range of casual negation helper words. In Priangan Sundanese, this can be done with a number of words.

* ''Urang '''acan''' dahar''. "I have not eaten yet."
The shorter version, ''can'', is also commonly used especially in spoken speech.
* ''Buku Urang mah '''lain''' nu ieu''. "My book is not this one."
The word ''lain'' can be used as a casual variant of ''sanés''.

'''Moal''' and its longer variant '''moal waka''' can also be used casually. Other words include ''teu hayang'' (which can also sound aggressive depending on context) and '''embung''' (which is somewhat a casual counterpart of ''alim'').

===Question===
{{Expand section|date=August 2015}}

Dupi ''(for polite situation)''/Ari ''(for formal situation)''-(question)

example:

Polite:

* ''Dupi Tuang Rama nyondong di bumi?'' "Is your father at home?"
* ''Dupi bumi di palih mana?'' "Where do you live?"
Formal:

*''Ari Bapa aya di imah?'' "Is your father at home?"
* ''Ari imah di beulah mana?'' "Where do you live?"

===Interrogatives===
{| class="wikitable" 
! English
! Sundanese<br />(formal)
! Sundanese<br />(polite)<br />
! Indonesian
|-
| what
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center; vertical-align:middle;  " | ''naon''
| ''apa''
|-
| who
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center; vertical-align:middle; | ''saha''
| ''siapa''
|-
| whose/whom
| ''nu saha''
| ''kagungan saha''
| ''punya siapa''
|-
| where
| ''(di) mana''
| ''(di) manten''
| ''(di) mana''
|-
| when
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center; vertical-align:middle; | ''iraha''
| ''kapan''
|-
| why
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center; vertical-align:middle;  | ''naha, kunaon''
| ''kenapa''
|-
| how
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center; vertical-align:middle; | ''kumaha''
| ''bagaimana''
|-
| how many
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center; vertical-align:middle; | ''sabaraha''
| ''berapa''
|}

===Passive form===
{{Expand section|date=August 2015}}

Polite:
*''Buku dibantun ku abdi.'' "The book is brought by me." ''Dibantun'' is the passive form ''ngabantun'' "bring".
*''Pulpén ditambut ku abdi.'' "The pen is borrowed by me."
*''Soal ieu dipidamel ku abdi.'' "This problem is done by me."
*''Kacasoca dianggo ku abdi.''  "Glasses worn by me."
Formal:
*''Buku dibawa ku urang.'' "The book is brought by me." ''Dibawa'' is the passive form ''mawa'' "bring".
*''Pulpén diinjeum ku urang.'' "The pen is borrowed by me."
*''Soal ieu digawékeun ku urang.'' "This problem is done by me."
*''Tasma dipaké ku urang.''  "Glasses worn by me."

===Adjectives===
{{Expand section|date=August 2015}}
Examples:

''teuas'' (hard), ''tiis'' (cool for water and solid objects), ''tiris'' (cool for air), ''hipu'' (soft), ''lada'' (hot/spicy, usually for foods), ''haneut'' (warm), etc.

===Prepositions===

====Place====
Sundanese has three generic prepositions for spatial expressions:{{sfnp|Hardjadibrata|1985|p=30}}
* ''di'': 'in', 'at' etc., indicating position
*''dina/na:'' 'on', 'at' etc., indicating specific position
* ''ka'': 'to', indicating direction (from places like city, country, buildings, rooms, street, human, entities, etc. and treating the noun as a place where something happens)
* ''kana'': 'to', indicating specific direction (from things, tools, containers, plants, organs or parts of body, etc. and treating the noun as an object)
* ''ti'': 'from', indicating origin
*''tina'': 'from', indicating specific origin
*
*h
*
*
*

Using different type of prepositions can result in different meanings.

di cai: at the bathroom/toilet

dina cai: inside of water 

ka cai: going to a bathroom/toilet

kana cai: into water

ti cai: (someone) comes from the bathroom/toilet

tina cai: (something) made of water, or (something) comes from water

ka mobil: going inside a car

kana mobil: something is done/happened to a car


To express more specific spatial relations (like 'inside', 'under' etc.), these prepositions have been combined with locative nouns:{{sfnp|Hardjadibrata|1985|p=72–74}}

{|  class="wikitable" 
! Formal !! Polite !! Gloss
|- 
| ''di jero''|| ''di lebet''|| inside 
|- 
| ''di luar''|| ''di luar''|| outside 
|- 
| ''di gigir''|| ''di gédéng''|| beside
|- 
| ''di luhur''|| ''di luhur''|| above
|- 
| ''di handap''|| ''di handap''|| below
|- 
| ''di tukang''|| ''di pengker''|| behind
|- 
| ''di hareup''|| ''di payun''|| in front
|}
''Di gigir/luhur/handap/tukang/hareup'' (also ''ka gigir'', ''ti gigir'' etc.) are absolute adverial expressions without a following noun. To express relative position, they have to add the suffix ''-eun'', e.g.:

Polite:
*''di luhur bumi'' – 'on top of the house'
*''dina luhur lomari'' – 'on top of the cupboard'
*''ti pengker bumi'' – 'from behind the house', alternative version: pengkereun bumi
*''tina pengker lomari'' – 'from behind the cupboard'
Formal:
*''di luhureun imah'' – 'on top of the house'
*''dina luhureun lomari'' – 'on top of the cupboard'
*''ti tukangeun imah'' – 'from behind the house'
*''tina tukangeun lomari'' – 'from behind the cupboard'
''Di jero,'' ''di luar'' and the polite forms ''luhur'' & ''pengker'' can be used both with and without a following noun.

====Time====
{|  class="wikitable" 
! English !! Sundanese <br />(formal) !! Sundanese <br />(polite)
|- 
| before || ''saacan/saméméh''|| ''sateuacan''
|- 
| after || ''sanggeus''|| ''saparantos''
|- 
| during || ''basa''|| ''nalika''
|- 
| past || ''baheula''|| ''kapungkur''
|}

====Miscellaneous====
{|  class="wikitable" 
! English !! Sundanese <br />(formal) !! Sundanese <br />(polite)
|- 
| from || ''tina/ti''|| ''tina/ti''
|- 
| for || ''jang, paragi''|| ''kanggo/kanggé''
|}

==Sample text==
The following texts are excerpts from article 1 of the [[Universal Declaration of Human Rights]] in Sundanese, along with the original declaration in English.

;Sundanese in Latin script
{{lang|su-Latn|Sakumna jalma gubrag ka alam dunya téh sipatna merdika jeung boga martabat katut hak-hak anu sarua. Maranéhna dibéré akal jeung haté nurani, campur-gaul jeung sasamana aya dina sumanget duduluran.}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Pernyataan Umum Ngeunaan Hak-hak Asasi Manusa |url=https://www.ohchr.org/en/human-rights/universal-declaration/translations/sundanese |website=United Nations OHCHR|language=su |trans-title=Universal Declaration of Human Rights|access-date=21 May 2024}}</ref>

;;Sundanese in [[Sundanese script]]
{{lang|su|{{Sund|ᮞᮊᮥᮙ᮪ᮔ ᮏᮜ᮪ᮙ ᮌᮥᮘᮢᮌ᮪ ᮊ ᮃᮜᮙ᮪ ᮓᮥᮑ ᮒᮦᮂ ᮞᮤᮕᮒ᮪ᮔ ᮙᮨᮁᮓᮤᮊ ᮏᮩᮀ ᮘᮧᮌ ᮙᮁᮒᮘᮒ᮪ ᮊᮒᮥᮒ᮪ ᮠᮊ᮪-ᮠᮊ᮪ ᮃᮔᮥ ᮞᮛᮥᮃ. ᮙᮛᮔᮦᮂᮔ ᮓᮤᮘᮦᮛᮦ ᮃᮊᮜ᮪ ᮏᮩᮀ ᮠᮒᮦ ᮔᮥᮛᮔᮤ, ᮎᮙ᮪ᮕᮥᮁ-ᮌᮅᮜ᮪ ᮏᮩᮀ ᮞᮞᮙᮔ ᮃᮚ ᮓᮤᮔ ᮞᮥᮙᮍᮨᮒ᮪ ᮓᮥᮓᮥᮜᮥᮛᮔ᮪.}}}}
;Sundanese in [[Pegon script]]
{{lang|su|{{Script/Arabic|«ساكومنا جالما ڮوبراڮ كا عالم دنيا تَيه سيڤاتنا مَيرديكا جۤڠ بَوڮا مرتبة كاتوت حق۲ أنو سارووا. مارانَيهنا ديبَيرَي أكال جۤڠ هاتَي نورانی، چامڤور-ڮأول جۤڠ ساسامانا أيا دينا سوماڠَيت دودولوران.»}}}}

;English
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.<ref>{{cite web |title=Universal Declaration of Human Rights - English |url=http://www.ohchr.org/EN/UDHR/Pages/Language.aspx?LangID=eng |website=United Nations OHCHR |publisher=United Nations Department of Public Information, NY |access-date=21 May 2024}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Sundanese alphabet]]
* [[Sundanese (Unicode block)]]

== References ==
{{reflist|25em}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book |last=Hardjadibrata |first=R.R. |year=1985 |title=Sundanese: A Syntactical Analysis |series=Pacific Linguistics |location=Canberra |publisher=Australian National University |doi=10.15144/PL-D65}}
* {{cite news |last1=Kurniawan |first1=Eri |last2=Davies |first2=William D. |year=2015 |title=Finiteness in Sundanese |pages=1–16 |work=University of Hawai'i Press |volume=54 |publisher=Oceanic Linguistics |url=https://muse.jhu.edu/article/586707 |doi=10.1353/ol.2015.0010 |doi-access=free}}
* {{Cite thesis |last=Eri Kurniawan |title=Sundanese complementation |degree=Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) |publisher=University of Iowa |url=https://iro.uiowa.edu/esploro/outputs/doctoral/Sundanese-complementation/9983777099002771 |doi=10.17077/etd.09n28b9j |year=2013 |doi-access=|url-access=subscription }}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite book|last=Rigg|first=Jonathan|title=A Dictionary of the Sunda Language of Java|year=1862|publisher=Lange & Co.|location=Batavia}}
* {{cite book|author=S. Coolsma|title=Tata Bahasa Sunda|year=1985|publisher=Djambatan|location=Jakarta|url=http://repositori.kemdikbud.go.id/2645/}}
* {{cite journal |last=Blust |first=Robert |year=2010 |title=The Greater North Borneo Hypothesis |journal=Oceanic Linguistics |publisher=University of Hawai'i Press |volume=49 |issue=1 |pages=44–118 |doi=10.1353/ol.0.0060 |jstor=40783586 |s2cid=145459318 }}
* {{cite book |last=Blust |first=Robert |year=2013 |title=The Austronesian languages |series= Asia-Pacific Linguistics 8 |location=Canberra |publisher=Asia-Pacific Linguistics, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, The Australian National University |edition=revised |isbn=9781922185075 |hdl=1885/10191 |hdl-access=free }}

==External links==
{{InterWiki|code=su}}
{{Wiktionary|Appendix:Sundanese Swadesh list}}
{{Wikivoyage|Sundanese phrasebook|Sundanese|a phrasebook}}
{{commons category}}
* [http://www.kamusbahasasunda.com/ Sundanese-Indonesian and Indonesian-Sundanese Dictionary]
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20100907014837/http://sabilulungan.org/aksara/ Sundanese converter Latin-Sundanese script (Aksara Sunda)]}}
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20110826135535/http://sabilulungan.org/tarjamah/ Indonesian-Sundanese Translator]}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HD7lvNuipQs Sundanese Christian song – an example from Sanggar Mekar Asih]

{{Languages of Indonesia}}
{{Austronesian languages}}
{{Sundanese language}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sundanese Language}}
[[Category:Sundanese language| ]]
[[Category:Subject–verb–object languages]]
[[Category:Greater North Borneo languages]]
[[Category:Agglutinative languages]]