Son of a Javanese schoolteacher, he excelled in languages, mastering Javanese, Sundanese, Balinese, and modern Indonesian, which he did much to create.

• 父为爪哇教师，在语言方面表现杰出，精通爪哇语、巽他语、巴里语和现代印尼语，并对现代印尼语的发展作出了贡献。