Ada is one of the highest-frequency words in Indonesian and one of the last that beginner courses get round to. It covers there is, there are, they have, it exists, and it’s available, all with one unchanging form.
Asking whether something exists
Ada kamar? ‘Do you have a room?’
Ada wifi? ‘Is there wifi?’
Ada yang bisa bahasa Inggris? ‘Is there anyone who speaks English?’
Notice there is no verb for “to have” in any of these. Indonesian asks whether the thing exists in this place, not whether the person possesses it.
The answer
Ada. ‘Yes, there is.’
Tidak ada. ‘No, there isn’t.’
Both work as complete sentences. In speech the negative becomes nggak ada, and often just nggak with a small shake of the head.
Habis, the other no
Habis. ‘Finished, sold out.’
Tidak ada can mean we never had it. Habis means it existed this morning and it is gone. In a warung after two in the afternoon you will hear habis a great deal.
Ada yang, the shopping phrase
Put yang after ada and follow it with an adjective, and you have asked for a different version of something.
Ada yang lebih murah? ‘Is there a cheaper one?’
Ada yang lebih besar? ‘Is there a bigger one?’
Ada yang tidak pedas? ‘Is there one that isn’t spicy?’
This one pattern covers most of what you need in a market, and it works for price, size, colour, material and heat.
Ada with people
Ada orang? ‘Is anyone there?’
Bapak ada? ‘Is he in?’
Said at a door or on the phone. Ada here means present rather than existing.
What you’ll actually hear
What the book says: Apakah ada kamar yang tersedia?
What you’ll hear: Ada kamar?
Two words instead of six, and the second is what everyone says.