Tau-tau Meaning In Indonesian

Halo semuanya. Apa kabar? Ketemu lagi sama saya, Iman Prabawa. In this article, I want to talk to you about the meaning of the phrase [tau-tau], and as always, we will watch cut scenes from movies where this phrase is spoken to better understand this. 

If you have any questions regarding the Indonesian language, you can ask me directly. You can see how to do that on my About Me page. 

If you are a beginner in the Indonesian language, you can learn step by step with My Lesson Here.

So, without further ado, let's dive in.

Meaning of Tau-tau in Bahasa Indonesia

Formally, it will be written [tahu-tahu], but we don't pronounce the letter [h] in there. That's why many Indonesians write it as [tau-tau].

Which one you see whether it is [tahu-tahu] or [tau-tau], it all refers to the same thing. [Tau-tau] is the informal way of writing [tahu-tahu].

[Tau-tau] or [tahu-tahu] means in a sudden way and very unexpectedly.

How to Pronounce Tau-tau

This is how you pronounce [tau-tau] in bahasa Indonesia.

Remember! You don't pronounce the letter [h], even though you see it written as [tahu-tahu].

Video Examples of Tau-Tau In Use

The first clip we are about to watch is from Dating Queen, Episode 1 (2022). Let's watch the clip below.

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Below is the narration from the scene with English translations.

Dina: Tau-tau aku ngga punya pegangan. Tau-tau aku ngga bisa lihat apa yang ada di depanku. (Out of the blue, I don't have something to hold onto. Before you know it, I can not see what's in front of me.)

Susan: Kak Dina! Kak Dina! (Sister Dina! Sister Dina!)

In this scene, Dina is engaged to Adrian, but all of a sudden, Adrian wants to break up with her. Dina is shocked by Adrian's decision, and then she says that.

Vocabulary From the Scene

[Aku] is informal for [saya] = I. For more about this, you can read my article here: Aku In Indonesian.

[Ngga punya] = don't have.

[Pegangan] = something to hold onto.

[Lihat] = see.

[Di depanku] = in front of me.

[Kak] is short for [kakak], and it is an honorific title to address someone older than you. Susan is Dina's little sister, so that's why Susan calls Dina with an honorific title [kak]. For more about this, you can read my article, Kakak Meaning In Bahasa Indonesia.

     Read also: Teteh In Indonesian

I guess this wraps up this article. If I find another scene where the phrase [tau-tau] is spoken, Insha Allah, I will update this article again. Thank you for reading my article, and I'll see you soon. Bye now.