Depends on regional context. I don't know about the rest of the country, but I learnt from experience that in Central Java aku, in spoken Indonesian, still retains its Javanese nuances for many if not most Javanese and thus should be avoided in favour of saya when addressing someone to whom you would not use 'aku' if speaking Javanese. So in that respect, it is not interchangeable with saya, not in Central Java anyway. In pure, non-regionalised bahasa baku, aku seems most prevalent in poetry and popular lyrics. http://www.ausdag.blogspot.com.au/search/label/Aku%20dan%20Saya

DavidG





From: Jody Diamond <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Tuesday, 30 July 2013 5:21 AM
Subject: saya vs. aku

Is there a general rule or preferred practice for using either saya or aku as the first person pronoun? I have heard many opinions on this. Is one better for writing, another for conversation?

Pendapat welcome.
jody diamond