ada apa — meaning & examples

Meanings:

• 1.

  Indonesianeutralliteral
  • A literal question meaning 'is there anything?' or 'is something the matter?' used to ask whether something exists or is wrong.

  Examples

  Beta

  • Tadi aku telepon Ayu, tapi dia bilang ada apa tidak, sepertinya ada yang mengganggu pikirannya.

    Earlier I called Ayu, but she asked if there was anything wrong; it seems something was bothering her mind.

  • Ketika saya masuk ke ruangan itu, saya langsung bertanya, 'Ada apa?' karena semua orang terlihat cemas.

    When I entered the room, I immediately asked, 'Is there something?' because everyone looked anxious.

  • Pak Budi sering bertanya, 'Ada apa di rumah?' kalau pulang kerja dan melihat keadaan berbeda.

    Mr. Budi often asks, 'Is there anything at home?' when he comes home from work and notices something different.

  • Saat telepon berdering, aku bertanya, 'Ada apa?' berharap mendengar kabar baik dari keluarga.

    When the phone rang, I asked, 'Is there anything?' hoping to hear good news from family.

• 2.

  Indonesiainformalcolloquialidiomatic
  • An expression of concern or request for explanation meaning 'what's going on?' or 'what's the matter?' used to prompt someone to explain a situation or their feelings.

  Examples

  Beta

  • Ketika melihat Rina murung, aku mendekat dan berkata, 'Ada apa? Ceritakanlah kalau kamu mau.'

    When I saw Rina looking gloomy, I approached and said, 'What's going on? Tell me if you want.'

  • Budi tiba-tiba diam saja di rapat, lalu Ani bertanya, 'Ada apa? Kok kamu seperti ada masalah?'

    Budi suddenly stayed silent in the meeting, then Ani asked, 'What's the matter? You seem to have a problem?'

  • Jangan pendam sendiri, kalau ada apa-apa, bilang saja supaya kita bisa bantu.

    Don't keep it to yourself, if something's wrong, just say it so we can help.