What is Gih in Indonesian?

[Gih] is a word commonly used in casual Indonesian to add emphasis when encouraging or urging someone to do something. It usually comes at the end of a sentence or phrase.

Here are some examples:

1. Tidur, gih! Udah malem. (Why don’t you go to sleep? It’s late.)

2. Makan, gih. Nanti kamu sakit lho kalau ngga makan. (Why don’t you eat? You’ll get sick if you don’t eat.)

3. Duluan aja, gih. Nanti aku nyusul kalian kelar aku nyelesaiin ini. (You guys go ahead. I’ll catch up with you after I finish this.)

In the first sentence, [tidur] means [to sleep]. By adding [gih], the speaker is encouraging the other person to go to sleep. It doesn’t have a direct English equivalent here, but it adds an extra sense of emphasis or encouragement.

In the second sentence, the speaker is encouraging someone to eat. The [gih] makes the suggestion sound more urging, especially because the speaker is concerned that the person might get sick if they don’t eat.

In the third sentence, [duluan aja] means [go ahead] or [you guys go first]. Adding [gih] makes it sound a little more like the speaker is encouraging them to go ahead rather than wait for them.

Depending on the context and tone of voice, [gih] can sound gentle, encouraging, persuasive, or slightly insistent. It’s mostly used in casual conversation.

There isn’t always one specific English word that translates [gih]. Its meaning is often conveyed through the speaker’s tone or through expressions such as [come on], [go ahead], [why don’t you...], or [you should...]

How to Pronounce Gih

Here is how you pronounce [gih] in Bahasa Indonesia.

Moving on, let’s look at examples where Indonesians use the word [gih].

Example of Gih In Use

The first example is taken from a movie called Cek Toko Sebelah 2 (2022). Let’s watch the clip below.

Below is the transcript from the clip, along with the English translation:

Natalie: Ada keinginan tapi belum dapet. (There’s something I want, but I haven’t gotten it yet.)

Erwin: Ha? (Huh?)

Natalie: Ada keinginan tapi belum dapet. (There’s something I want, but I haven’t gotten it yet.)

Erwin: Ngomong apa sih? (What are you talking about?)

Natalie: Ada keinginan tapi belum dapet. (There’s something I want, but I haven’t gotten it yet.)

Erwin: Oooh. Maksudnya gimana, ya? (Ohhh. Wait! What do you mean?)

Natalie: Makan sayur, gih! (I think you need to eat vegetables!)

Erwin: Rumput sayur, kan? Rumput.. rumput sayur lah, ya? Sayur lah! Kan ijo, daun. Gitu, kan? (Grass is a vegetable, right? Grass... Grass counts as a vegetable, doesn’t it? Yeah, vegetables! It’s green, it’s got leaves. That’s a vegetable, right?)

In this clip, Erwin asks Natalie whether she has a boyfriend because he likes her and wants to know if she is single. Natalie simply answers, [ada], which literally means [there is] or [I have], and then goes silent.

Natalie actually doesn’t have a boyfriend at the moment. She deliberately answers [ada] and then stays quiet because she wants to see how Erwin will react. She then continues by explaining that she does have a desire to have a boyfriend, but she doesn’t have one yet.

When Natalie says, “Ada keinginan tapi belum dapet,” she means that she wants to have a boyfriend, but she hasn’t found one yet. In other words, she is still single.

When Erwin finally understands what she means, he says, “Oooh,” showing that he gets it. But then he asks, “Maksudnya gimana, ya?” which means something like, “Wait, what do you mean?”

Natalie then tells Erwin to eat vegetables. This is related to an earlier dinner scene in which they go out to eat, and Erwin orders Indomie noodles without any vegetables because he doesn’t like vegetables.

By saying, “Makan sayur, gih!” Natalie is playfully encouraging Erwin to start eating vegetables. She jokes that maybe eating vegetables will make him smarter and help him understand what she just said.

So, this whole exchange is playful and flirtatious. Natalie is indirectly telling Erwin that she is single and interested in having a boyfriend, while teasing him because he doesn’t immediately understand what she means.

Vocabulary From the Clip

[Ada] means there is. For more about this, you can read my article: Ada in Indonesian.

[Keinginan] comes from the base word [ingin] with an added affix [ke-an]. [Keinginan] = wishes, intentions, hopes.

[Tapi] = but.

[Belum] = not yet.

[Dapet] is informal for [dapat] = able, get.

[Ngomong] = [berbicara] = to speak.

[Oooh] is a word that you use when you start to understand something that has just been explained to you.

[Maksudnya gimana, ya?] is a sentence you say when you don’t understand someone’s explanation.

[Makan] = eat.

[Sayur] = vegetables.

[Kan] is used when you are sure about something. For more about this, you can read my article: Kan in Indonesian.

[Ijo] is the colloquial way of saying [hijau] = green.

The second example is taken from a Twitter post by Fiersa Besari. Let’s look at the picture below.

Here is what he wrote in his Twitter post using the word [gih], along with the English translation:

“Tidur, gih, udah malam. Nanti sakit,” ucap seseorang yang belum tidur. (Why don’t you go to sleep? It’s already late. You might get sick if you don’t get enough sleep,” says someone who is still awake.)

As we can see from the sentence above, [gih] is used when someone encourages or urges another person to do something. In this case, the speaker is encouraging the other person to go to sleep.

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Jeng in the Indonesian Language

[Jeng] is short for [diajeng]. It comes from Javanese, one of the indigenous languages of Indonesia. [Jeng] is an honorific used to address a woman, somewhat like [mbak], but [jeng] can sound more intimate or affectionate.

When a woman is addressed as [jeng], it can indicate that the person addressing her feels close to her while still showing respect. [Jeng] is generally used by women when addressing other women. In Jakarta, it has traditionally been associated with upper-class women addressing other women from a similar social background.

[Jeng] should not be confused with [jeng jeng], as in the comic below.

[Jeng] and [jeng jeng] have completely different meanings. [Jeng jeng] is often used to add dramatic effect when telling a story, especially when you are building up to an important or surprising moment.

It is similar to the sound of a guitar being strummed, like the clip below.

In this short clip, you can hear three jengs, but they are all basically the same sound. That’s what [jeng jeng] sounds like, and it is different from the pronunciation of the honorific [jeng].

How to Pronounce Jeng

Here is how you pronounce [jeng] in Bahasa Indonesia.

Next, let’s look at examples of how Indonesians use the word [jeng].

Examples of Jeng In Use

In this section, I gathered examples from movies, YouTube videos, comics, and whatnot where the word [jeng] is spoken.

The first example we are about to watch is taken from Devil On Top (2021). Let’s watch the clip below.

Below is the transcript from the clip, along with the English translation:

Waitress: Silakan. Pesen apa? (Here you go. What can I get you?)

Rudi: Bentar ya, mba. (Give me a second, mba.)

Waitress: Mba? Kuno! Kurang milenial. Panggil jeng. (Mba? So old-fashioned! That’s not very millennial. Call me Jeng.)

Rudi: Iya, jeng. (Okay, jeng.)

Boni: Aku kek biasa, ya. (I’ll have the usual.)

Richard: Nasi goreng satu ya, mba. (One nasi goreng, please.)

Waitress: Iya. (Okay.)

Angga: Aku bebek bakar, ya. (I’ll have the grilled duck.)

Waitress: Oke, mas. (Okay, mas.)

Rudi: Saya sama kaya Boni aja. (I’ll have the same as Boni.)

In this scene, the waitress wants to be called with an honorific title [jeng] because she likes Rudi. It’s unusual and rare for a man to call a woman with an honorific title [jeng]. Usually, men just use [mba] instead of [jeng] to address women.

Vocabulary From the Clip

[Silakan] is used when you want to let somebody do something politely.

[Pesen] is the colloquial form of [pesan] = to order. [Pesen apa] is short for [mau pesen apa?]. [Mau pesan apa?] is usually asked by waiters or waitresses in a restaurant.

[Panggil.. ] is usually used when you want someone to call you something. For example: My name is Iman Prabawa, and I want other people to call me [iman]; then I will say, [panggil saya Iman]. [saya] = I.

The second example is from Wedding Proposal (2021). Let’s watch the clip below.

Below is the transcript from the clip, along with the English translation:

Sari: Jeng Hesti. Apa kabar, jeng? (Jeng Hesti. How are you, jeng?)

Mr. Pras’s Wife: Baik. Sendirian? (I’m good. You here by yourself?)

Sari: Ya, gini lah jeng. Namanya juga ndak punya pasangan. (Yeah, well... what can I say? I don’t have a partner.)

Mr. Pras’s Wife: Kalah dong sama truk gandengan? (Even a truck has a trailer!)

Mr. Pras: Ibu. (Honey...)

Sari: Ya udah kalo gitu, permisi dulu ya. (All right, then. I’ll leave you two alone.)

In this scene, Sari addressed Mr. Pras’ Wife with the honorific title [jeng]. In Jakarta, women who use [jeng] to address other women are usually from high-class society. But that’s not the case in Jogjakarta.

Vocabulary From the Clip

[Apa kabar?] is used to ask about someone’s health or situation. The most common reply for this type of question is [baik], like in this scene.

[Sendirian] = alone.

[Ya, gini lah] in literal translation is [yeah, just like this].

[Ya udah kalo gitu] is usually used to end a conversation.

[Kalo] is the colloquial way of saying [kalau] = if.

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Pr, Pe Er, or Pe-Er in Indonesian

PR stands for Pekerjaan Rumah, which literally means “housework” or “work to be done at home.” In Indonesian, however, PR is commonly used to mean homework, especially homework assigned by a teacher at school.

Sometimes you may also see it written as pe er, pe-er, or peer. They all refer to the same word, PR.

1. PR means homework.

The first and most common meaning of PR is homework, such as an assignment given by a teacher.

Example:

• Kamu udah ngerjain PR belum? (Have you done your homework yet?)

Here, PR simply means homework.

2. PR means something that still needs to be done, learned, fixed, or improved.

PR can also be used figuratively to describe something that you still need to work on, learn, fix, or improve.

The idea is similar to having homework: there is something that has been left for you to work on.

Example 1:

• Hal ini masih menjadi PR buat saya untuk bisa menjadi orang yang lebih baik. (This is something that I still need to work on to become a better person.)

In this sentence, PR doesn’t mean actual homework. It means something that the speaker still needs to work on or improve.

Example 2:

• PR UI masih banyak. (There are still a lot of things that need to be fixed at UI.)

Let’s look at the picture above. In the sentence shown in the picture, we can see:

• Namun, di balik bangganya menjadi mahasiswa UI, tampaknya ada banyak hal di dalam Universitas Indonesia yang harus kita benahi. (However, despite the pride of being a UI student, there still seem to be many things within the University of Indonesia that we need to fix.)

This sentence explains that there are still many things at UI that need to be improved or fixed. UI stands for Universitas Indonesia (University of Indonesia).

Example 3:

• Pe er banget sih ini buat saya juga. Anak-anak digedein bareng di satu rumah aja beda-beda banget hasilnya ya, dan itu tanda memang nggak boleh berhenti belajar jadi orang tua. (This is something that I still really need to learn, too. Even though the children are raised together in the same house, the results can be so different, and that’s a sign that we can never stop learning how to be better parents.)

Here, pe er banget means that something is a big challenge or something the speaker still has a lot to learn about.

3. PR means something troublesome or bothersome.

PR can also be used to describe something that is troublesome, inconvenient, or a hassle.

This meaning is especially common when talking about a problem that someone has to deal with.

Example 1:

• PR banget motor matik terasa berat saat didorong. Mari kenali penyebabnya! (It’s such a hassle when your automatic motorcycle feels heavy when you try to push it. Let’s find out what causes it!)

Here, PR banget means that the problem is quite a hassle or troublesome to deal with.

Example 2:

• Kejadian motor matik berat saat didorong atau sebaliknya, bisa kejadian sama siapa saja. Seperti ini nih yang jadi pe-er saat pagi hari hendak beraktifitas. (Having an automatic motorcycle that feels heavy when you try to push it can happen to anyone. This is the kind of hassle you don’t want to deal with when you’re trying to get ready for the day in the morning.)

In this example, pe-er refers to a problem or inconvenience that someone has to deal with.

So, depending on the context, PR can mean homework, something you still need to work on, or a troublesome problem that needs to be dealt with.

How to Pronounce PR

Here is how you pronounce PR in Bahasa Indonesia.

Next, let’s look at examples where Indonesians use the word PR.

Examples of PR in Use

The first example we are about to watch is from Bobo Cantik’s YouTube Channel. Let’s watch the clip below.

Below is the transcript from the clip, along with the English translation:

Bobo Cantik: Dan mungkin sedikit masukan buat Alinson. Harus ada yang jaga stafnya di sini. Jadi, kalo misalnya kita mo lewat, ngga papasan sama orang, karena kalo papasan di spot ini agak PR banget ya. (And maybe I have a little suggestion for Alinson. There should be someone from their staff standing by here. That way, if we want to pass through, we won’t run into someone coming from the opposite direction, because if we meet another vehicle at this spot, it can be pretty tricky to get through.)

PR is this clip refers to the third meaning I explained above, which is a troublesome problem that needs to be dealt with.

Vocabulary From the Clip

[Dan] = and.

[Mungkin] = maybe.

[Sedikit] = a little.

[Masukan] = input.

[Buat] = [untuk] = for.

[Jaga] = stand by, guard.

[Kalo] is informal for [kalau] = if.

[Mo] is informal for [mau] = want.

[Lewat] = pass.

[Ngga] = [tidak] = no.

[Papasan] = meet someone or something by accident from the opposite direction. For example, you are driving a car, and then you meet other vehicles from the opposite direction. This is called [papasan].

[Banget] = very. For more on this, you can read this article:

The second example is taken from Tekotok’s YouTube Channel. Let’s watch the clip below.

Below is the transcript from the clip, along with the English translation:

Pak Guru: Ayo, anak-anak. PR IPAnya dikumpulkan ke meja guru. Ayo, ayo, ayo. (All right, kids. Hand in your science homework on my desk. Come one, come on, come on.)

Bejo: Pak, nyerah, Pak, nyerah, Pak. (Sir, I give up! I give up, sir!)

Pak Guru: Napa lu? (What’s with you?)

Bejo: Nyerah, Pak. Saya serahkan diri, Pak. Saya ngga ngerjain PR. Damai, Pak, damai. Ini lambang perdamaian, Pak. (I surrender, sir. I’m turning myself in. I didn’t do my homework. Peace, sir, peace! This is a symbol of peace, sir.)

Pak Guru: Ya ampun, Bejo! Kamu lagi! Kamu lagi! Bentar. (Oh, my God, Bejo! You again?! You again! Hold on.)

PR in this clip refers to the first meaning that I explained above, which is homework.

Vocabulary From the Clip

[Ayo] in this context is a word that you use to tell someone to hurry.

[Anak-anak] = kids.

[IPA] stands for Ilmu Pengetahuan Alam = science.

[Pak Guru] = male teacher.

[Nyerah] is short for [menyerah] = surrender.

[Pak] is an honorific title you use to address a man. That person is usually already married. For more on this, you can read this article:

[Napa] is short for [kenapa]. [Kenapa] in this context is used to ask what is wrong with something. In this clip, it is written as [nape], and it has the same meaning. [Nape] is usually said by people from Jakarta.

[Lu] is informal for [Anda] = you. For more on this, you can read this article:

[Ngerjain] is the colloquial way of saying [mengerjakan] = to do something. [Saya ngga ngerjain PR] = [saya tidak mengerjakan PR] = I didn’t do my homework.

[Lambang] = symbol.

[Damai] = peace, silent.

[Perdamean] = [perdamaian] = peace.

[Ya ampun] are words that are used when you are angry or surprised.

[Kamu] = you.

[Lagi] = again.

[Bentar] is a common reduction of [sebentar]. In this context, this word is used to tell someone to wait for a little while.

The third example is taken from a story on Wattpad. Let’s look at the picture below.

Below is the convo above, along with the English translation:

“Amu” panggil Upi. (”Amu,” Upi called.)

“Oit” jawab Amu yang lagi ngunyah Sandwich. (”Oit,” Amu replied, munching on a sandwich.)

“Kamu pasti belum ngerjain PR” ucap Upi dengan sangat PD. (”You definitely haven’t done your homework,” Upi said with complete confidence.)

Amu terdiam, bingung. (Amu fell silent, looking confused.)

“PR apa? Perasaan gak ada PR” (”What homework? I didn’t know we had any.”)

“lhh, PR MTK! Belum ngerjain kan? Baguslah kalau emang belum ngerjain... Aku jadi ada temennya kalau nanti dihukum” (”Oh, the math homework! You haven’t done it, have you? Well, that’s actually great. At least, I’ll have someone to keep me company when we get punished later.”)

“Dih ogahlah, mending numpang liat punya Flora atau Sho aja” ucap Amu. (”Yeah, right. No way. I’d rather copy Flora’s or Sho’s,” Amu said.)

Ogah dia dihukum. (She definitely didn’t want to get punished.)

PR in this conversation refers to the first meaning that I explained above, which is homework.

Vocabulary From the Picture

[Ngunyah] is a common reduction of [mengunyah] = munching.

[PD] stands for Percaya Diri = confident. For more on this, you can read my article: PD in Indonesian.

[Gak] = [tidak] = no.

[MTK] stands for MaTematiKa = math.

[Kan] is used when you are sure about something. For more on this, you can read my article: Kan in Indonesian.

[Emang] is a common reduction for [memang] = indeed.

[Dih] is used to express feelings of disgust.

[Ogah] is used when you don’t want to do something. For more on this, you can read my article: Ogah in Indonesian.

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Meaning of Pas

[Pas] can have different meanings depending on the context.

The first meaning of [pas] is to fit well or be the right size. It can also mean the exact amount of something.

Examples:

1. Baju ini pas banget di gue. (This dress fits me perfectly.)

2. Tolong bayar dengan uang pas. (Please pay with the exact amount.)

The second meaning of [pas] is to fit well with something or someone, especially in terms of appearance, position, or arrangement.

Example:

1. Susah banget dapet pose yang mereka berdua pas. (It’s really hard to find a pose that looks just right for the two of them.)

The third meaning of [pas] is when something happens at just the right time or when two things happen to coincide perfectly.

Example:

A: Eh, loe udah makan belum? (Hey, have you eaten yet?)

B: Belum sih. (No, not yet.)

A: Nah, pas banget! Gue juga laper banget ini. Nyari makan yuk? (Perfect timing! I’m really hungry too. Wanna go get something to eat?)

B: Ayo. (Sure.)

The fourth meaning of [pas] is at or during a particular time, similar to [when] in English.

Example:

1. Kangen mereka berdua banget pas nonton ini. (Watching this makes me really miss the two of them.)

Next, I’ll show you how to pronounce this word.

How to Pronounce Pas

This is how you pronounce the word [pas] in Bahasa Indonesia.

Let’s watch clips from movies and other media where Indonesian speakers say the word [pas] to better understand how native speakers use it.

Examples of Pas in Use

The first example we are about to watch is from Keluarga Cemara The Series, Season 1, Episode 1 (2022). Let’s watch the clip below.

Below is the transcript from the clip, along with the English translation:

Student: Pas istirahat nanti, enaknya kita beli apa ya? (What should we get for recess?)

In this scene, [pas] falls under the fourth meaning. [Pas istirahat nanti] literally means at recess.

Vocabulary From the Clip

[Istirahat] = to relax, but in this context, the word [istirahat] refers to the school’s break time.

[Nanti] = later.

[Enaknya] is used when you ask for advice from someone; like in this example, the first student asks the second student what they should buy during recess.

Example: Enaknya nasi goreng ini ditambahin apa lagi ya biar tambah enak? (What else should I add to this fried rice to make it even better?)

[Beli] = buy.

[Apa] = what.

The second example is from the same movie, Keluarga Cemara The Series, Season 1, Episode 1 (2022). Let’s watch the clip below.

Below is the transcript from the clip, along with the English translation:

Andi: Eh, Den! Kamu teh belum makan? (Hey, Den! You haven’t eaten yet?)

Deni: Oh iya, belum. (Oh, yeah. Not yet.)

Andi: Belum? Nah, pas atuh! Uwa buatin spesial buat kamu. (You haven’t? Well, perfect! My aunt made something special for you.)

Deni: Eh, meuni repot-repot. Bilangin salam sama makasih ya, Ndi? (Oh, man, you didn’t have to go to all that trouble. Say hi and say thanks to your aunt for me, Ndi, okay?)

Andi: Yoi! (You got it!)

Deni: Terbaik uwa kamu teh. (Your aunt is the best.)

Euis: Ah, Deni makan segitu mah ngga akan abis atuh? (Uh, Deni’s never gonna finish all that, is he?)

Andi: Yee, kan kita teh makannya bareng-bareng. (Come on, we’re gonna eat it together.)

Euis: Oke. (Okay.)

In this scene, the meaning of [pas] falls into the third meaning. Andi asks Deni whether Deni has eaten, and Deni answers that he has not yet eaten. So, it fits perfectly with what Andi brings that day: a meal from his aunt.

Vocabulary From the Clip

[Eh] is used to attract someone’s attention. For more about this, you can read my article: Eh in Indonesian.

[Teh] in [kamu teh belum makan?] and [terbaik uwa kamu teh] and [kan kita teh makannya bareng-bareng] come from the Sundanese language. [Teh] in this context means [itu] = that. [Kamu teh belum makan?] = [Kamu itu belum makan?] The function of [teh] or [itu] in this sentence is to emphasize the question about whether Deny has eaten or not.

[Makan] = eat.

[Belum] = yet.

[Nah] is used when, at the moment in time, you agree, or you feel something really fits. Andi feels that, at the moment, Deni has not yet eaten; a meal that he brings from home coincidentally fits. That’s why he says [nah].

[Atuh] in [nah, pas atuh] and [Deni makan segitu mah ngga akan abis atuh] come from the Sundanese language. Because the setting of the movie is in the West Java region, you hear many Sundanese words mixed with the Indonesian language. [Atuh] = dong, which doesn’t have any meaning, but its function is just to emphasize that it really fits the moment.

[Uwa] also comes from the Sundanese language. [Uwa] is an honorific title you use when addressing your father’s older brother or sister.

[Buatin] is the conversational way of saying [buatkan] = make.

[Buat kamu] = for you.

[Meuni repot-repot] = [repot-repot amat] = sorry for troubling you. [Meuni] comes from the Sundanese language, which means very.

[Bilangin] is the conversation of saying [tolong bilang] = please tell (to someone).

[Makasih] is short for [terima kasih] = thank you.

[Yoi] is used when you agree with what someone says or to reply to someone that you will do something. For more about this, you can read my article: Yoi Meaning in Bahasa.

[Segitu] refers to the number of meals that Deni brings.

[Bareng-bareng] = together.

The third example is from a TV series called Tetangga Masa Gitu (2014). Let’s watch the clip below.

Below is the transcript from the clip, along with the English translation:

Adi: Oke, di sini pas. (Okay, this spot is perfect.)

In this clip, Adi is going to draw and he finds the perfect spot to place the drawing board, and he finds the perfect spot for it. That’s why he says, “Di sini pas.” So, the meaning of pas in this clip refers to the second meaning of the word [pas] that I explained above.

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Seuprit In Indonesian

[Seuprit] means something that is very small or a very small amount of something.

Example sentences:

1. Ngenes! 7 momen netizen pesan makanan online, tapi dapatnya ‘seuprit.’ (What a shame! 7 moments when netizens ordered food online, but only got a tiny amount.)

Here, as you can see in the picture, there is only a small amount of food.

2. ‘Seuprit, harga selangit.’ Harga tas mewah Syahrini ini bikin netizen sesak napas, padahal ukurannya tak seberapa. (’Tiny, but ridiculously expensive.” The price of Syahrini’s luxury bag left netizens speechless, even though the bag itself is quite small. )

The bag is small, but its price is very high. [Seuprit] here refers to the size of the bag, which netizens consider to be very small.

3. Seuprit potret keluarga idaman dalam Al-Quran. (A little glimpse of the ideal family in the Quran.)

Here, [seuprit] has the same meaning as [sedikit], meaning a little or a small amount. So, in this headline, you could replace [seuprit] with [sedikit] without significantly changing the meaning.

How to Pronounce Seuprit

Here is how you pronounce [seuprit] in Bahasa Indonesia.

Moving on, let’s watch examples from videos and movies where Indonesians use the word [seuprit].

Examples of Seuprit in Use

The first example we are about to watch is from CNBC’s YouTube channel. Let’s watch the clip below.

Below is the transcript from the clip, along with the English translation:

Pembawa Berita: Saya akan coba rangkum untuk Anda, ini, berapa angka UMP tertinggi dan terendah dari setiap provinsi dan prediksi inflasi ke depannya. Apakah UMP yang naiknya menurut para buruh ini seuprit sanggup mengejar biaya hidup yang baru dirilis BPS. Atau bisa jadi malah makin ngos-ngosan nih? Simak ya, dalam biaya hidup di Jakarta 15 juta rupiah, UMP 5 juta rupiah. Apakah kantong aman? Kita lihat slide yang pertama. (Let me break this down for you. We’ll take a look at the highest and lowest provincial minimum wages, or UMP, across Indonesia, as well as projections for future inflation. The question is: can this tiny increase in the UMP—as workers have described it—keep up with the cost of living figures that were just released by BPS? Or are people going to be struggling even more to make ends meet? Take Jakarta, for example. The estimated cost of living is 15 million rupiah, while the UMP is only 5 million rupiah. Is that enough to get by? Let’s take a look at the first slide.)

[Seuprit] in this clip refers to the labor wage increase that the laborers consider very small.

Vocabulary From the Clip

[Pembawa berita] = news anchor.

[Saya] = I.

[Coba] = try.

[Rangkum] = summarize.

[Ini] = this. For more about this, you can read my article: Ini, Ni, and Nih in Indonesian.

[UMP] stands for Upah Minimum Provinsi = provincial minimum wage.

[Tertinggi] = the highest.

[Terendah] = the lowest.

[BPS] stands for Badan Pusat Statistik = Statistics Indonesia. BPS is a non-departmental government institute in Indonesia responsible for conducting statistical surveys.

[Buruh] = labor.

[Ngos-ngosan] means to breathe loudly and with difficulty, trying to get more air. A synonym for [ngos-ngosan] is [terengah-engah]. [Ngos-ngosan] in this context refers to wages that are very small, which makes it difficult for laborers to make ends meet.

[Biaya hidup] = cost of living.

[Rp 15 juta] is read [15 juta rupiah], and [Rp 5 juta] is read [5 juta rupiah].

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Mudik In Indonesian

[Mudik] is the Indonesian word for the tradition of returning to your hometown or place of origin, especially when you live in a big city. People usually mudik during major holidays, particularly Eid al-Fitr, as well as the Christmas and New Year holidays.

[Mudik] has a similar meaning to [pulang kampung]. [Pulang] means “to go home” or “to return home,” while [kampung] literally means “village,” although in this expression it refers to someone’s hometown or place of origin.

Related articles:

For example, suppose you are originally from Brebes, Central Java, but you move to Jakarta for work. You live and work in Jakarta, and when Eid al-Fitr comes around, you travel back to your hometown, Brebes, and stay there for a week or two. This activity of returning to your hometown during the Eid al-Fitr holiday is called [mudik] or [pulang kampung].

Here are some examples of how [mudik] is used:

1. Menteri Perhubungan prediksi jumlah warga yang mudik Natal 2023 dan Tahun Baru naik 43 persen dari tahun lalu. (The Minister of Transportation predicts that the number of people traveling to their hometown for Christmas and New Year will increase by 43 percent from last year.)

Menhub stands for Menteri Perhubungan.

2. Fenomena mudik di tengah pandemi COVID-19. (The phenomenon of people returning to their hometown during the COVID-19 pandemic.)

3. A: Loe Lebaran tahun ini, mudik nggak? (Are you going to your hometown for Eid this year?)

B: Mudik dong, pastinya. (Yeah, absolutely.)

A: Mudik ke mana loe? (Where to?)

B: Ke Pekalongan. (Pekalongan.)

How to Pronounce Mudik

Here is how you pronounce [mudik] in Bahasa Indonesia.

Next, let’s watch examples where Indonesians use the word [mudik].

Examples of Mudik in Use

The first example we are about to watch is taken from Di Bulan Suci Ini... Episode 1 (2023). Let’s watch the clip below.

Below is the transcript from the clip, along with the English translation:

Ama: Kalian mo ke mana? Masa iya nganter paket? (Where are you guys going? You can’t tell me you’re delivering packages.)

Sri: Duh. (Oh, come on.)

Ama: Kok rame? (Why are all of you going?)

Sri: Duh Ama ngapain sih? Ah.. Kita.. Kita.. Kita mo mudik. (Oh, Ama, what are you doing? Ah... We... We... We’re going back to our hometown for Eid.)

Ama: Ha? Orang si mbok bilang kalian ngga mudik tahun ini. (Huh? Mbok told me you guys weren’t going home for Eid this year.)

In this clip, Ama asks where they are going because the whole family is going together. This seems unusual to her because people don’t normally deliver packages accompanied by their entire family. She doesn’t believe that they’re all going to deliver packages. That’s why she says, “Masa iya nganter paket? Kok rame?”

Sri then replies, “Kita mo mudik.” This makes sense because when people go mudik, they often travel with their whole family, although this isn’t always the case.

Vocabulary From the Clip

[Kalian] = you guys.

[Mo] is informal for [mau] = want.

[Nganter] is the colloquial way of saying [mengantar] = to deliver.

[Duh] is used to express panic, disbelief, or frustration. [Duh] is a common reduction of [aduh].

[Rame] is informal for [ramai] = crowded.

[Kok] is used when you want to ask about something. For more on this, you can read my article: Kok in Indonesian.

[Ngapain] means [apa yang Anda lakukan] here = what are you doing. [Duh Ama ngapain sih?] = [Aduh Ama, Apa yang Anda lakukan?]

[Orang] = people, because.

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Meaning of Pulang Kampung

[Pulang] means “to go back home” or “to return to the place where you belong.” [Kampung] means “village.” So, literally, [pulang kampung] means “going back to your native village” or “returning to your hometown.”

[Pulang kampung] is something people who work in big cities in Indonesia often do when major holidays come around, such as Eid al-Fitr and Christmas. They return to their hometowns, usually for about a week, to spend time with their families and relatives.

[Pulang kampung] has basically the same meaning as [mudik]. For example, about a week before Eid al-Fitr, many people leave the big cities and head back to their hometowns for [mudik], or [pulang kampung].

That’s why big cities like Jakarta can become surprisingly quiet during major holidays. Many people have left the city to celebrate the holiday with their families back home.

If you want to experience a much quieter side of Jakarta, try visiting during Lebaran (Eid al-Fitr). The city can feel almost empty compared with normal days, and traffic jams are much less common because so many people have gone [mudik] and returned to their hometowns to celebrate the holiday with their families.

How to Pronounce Pulang Kampung

Here is how you pronounce [pulang kampung] in Bahasa Indonesia.

Next, let’s look at examples where Indonesians use the phrase [pulang kampung].

Examples of Pulang Kampung In Use

The first example we’re going to watch is from Di Bulan Suci Ini..., Episode 1 (2023). Let’s look at the clip below.

Below is the transcript from the clip, along with the English translation:

Wisnu: Kita ngga pulang kampung tahun ini. (We’re not going back to our hometown this year.)

Mbok: Kita tu udah lama sekali Nu, ngga pulang kampung. (It’s been such a long time, Nu, since we last went back home.)

Wisnu: Ngga bisa, mbok. Makin deket Lebaran. Tu lho! Makin banyak paket yang mesti dikirim. (We can’t, Mbok. The closer it gets to Eid, the more packages there are to deliver. Look at all those packages!)

Ajeng: Emangnya kirim-kirim itu laku, ya? Bukannya.. (Is the delivery business really doing that well? I mean...)

Sri: Ngga usah ikut-ikutan! (Hey, don’t butt in!)

Mbok: Terakhir kan kita pulang kampung saat Faisal kecil banget. Ajeng juga belum dititip di sini, kan? (The last time we went back home was when Faisal was really little. Ajeng wasn’t even living here yet, was she?)

Wisnu: Iya. Mbok, mbok. (Yeah, Mbok. Mbok...)

Mbok: He? (Huh?)

Wisnu: Ngga tahun ini, ya? Beneran ngga bisa. (Not this year, okay? I really can’t.)

In this clip, Mbok wants to go back to their hometown because it has been a long time since they last went home. However, Wisnu says he can’t go because he has a lot of packages to deliver.

Vocabulary From the Clip

[Kita] = we.

[Ngga] = [tidak] = no.

[Tahun] = year.

[Ini] = this.

[Tu] is informal for [itu] = that. For more on this, you can read this article:

[Deket] is informal for [dekat] = near, close to.

[Lebaran] = Eid al-Fitr.

[Emangnya] is a common reduction of [memangnya], and you usually use it when you want to ask about something.

[Laku] = saleable, in demand.

[Kecil] = small.

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Meaning of Ngapain

[Ngapain] can have more than one meaning, depending on the context.

The first meaning of [ngapain] is used to question the purpose or reason for an action or plan.

Example sentences:

1. Ngapain sih beli bra mahal-mahal? (Why buy expensive bras?)

The sentence [ngapain sih beli bra mahal-mahal?] has the same meaning as [buat apa sih beli bra mahal-mahal?], so you can replace [ngapain] with [buat apa].

2. Pak, ngapain sih kita repot-repot kuliah? (Sir, why do we even bother going to college?)

[Ngapain] in this sentence can be replaced with [buat apa]. So, [Pak, ngapain sih kita repot-repot kuliah?] has the same meaning as [Pak, buat apa sih kita repot-repot kuliah?].

3. Netizen: Ngapain sih Gus Iddam jabat tangan selalu ucapkan ‘ngapunten’? (Netizen: Why does Gus Igdam always say ‘ngapunten’ when shaking hands)

[Ngapain] in this sentence can be replaced with [kenapa]. So, [Ngapain sih Gus Igdam jabat tangan selalu ucapkan ‘ngapunten’?] has the meaning as [Kenapa sih Gus Igdam jabat tangan selalu ucapkan ‘ngapunten’?]

The second meaning of [ngapain] is used to ask what someone is doing. [Ngapain] here can be replaced with [melakukan apa].

Example sentences:

1. Seharian di Likupang bisa ngapain aja sih? (What can you do all day in Likupang?)

So, this sentence: [Seharian di Likupang bisa ngapain aja sih?] has the same meaning as this sentence: [Seharian di Likupang bisa melakukan apa aja sih?]

2. Di rumah bingung mau ngapain? (Wondering what to do at home?)

So, this sentence: [Di rumah bingung mau ngapain?] has the same meaning as this sentence: [Di rumah bingung mau melakukan apa?].

How to Pronounce Ngapain

Here is how you pronounce [ngapain] in Bahasa Indonesia.

Next, let’s watch examples where Indonesians use the word [ngapain].

Examples of Ngapain in Use

The first example we are about to watch is taken from Di Bulan Suci Ini... Episode 1 (2023). Let’s look at the clip below.

Below is the transcript from the clip, along with the English translation:

Ama: Ngga mungkin lah! Si Mbok kan takut naik pesawat. Ngga mau dia naik pesawat, ah! (No way! Mbok is scared of flying. She’d never want to get on a plane!)

Sri: Kan lebih cepet sampenya. (But we’d get there faster.)

Ama: Tapi kan, Sri. Aku sama si Mbok udah janjian, mo ke Banyuwangi bareng. (But, Sri, Mbok and I already made plans to go to Banyuwangi together.)

Sri: Mo ngapain? (What for?)

Ama: Ceng beng lah. Ama ikut, yah? (For Ceng Beng, of course! Can I come too, please?)

Wisnu: Maaf, Ama. Ngga bisa. Udah penuh barangnya. (Sorry, Ama. You can’t. There’s already too much stuff in the car.)

Sri says [mo ngapain?] in this clip. [Ngapain] in this clip refers to the first meaning I explained above, which is asking the purpose or reason for an action.

Vocabulary From the Clip

[Ngga mungkin] = impossible.

[Lah] in [ngga mungkin lah!] has no meaning. Its function is only to emphasize.

[Takut] = afraid.

[Sampe] is informal for [sampai] = arrived at the destination.

[Udah] is a common reduction of [sudah] = already.

[Bareng] = together.

[Ceng Beng] = Let’s watch the clip below. The clip below explains the meaning of Ceng Beng.

[Mo] is informal for [mau] = want.

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Meaning of Naik Daun

[Naik daun], if translated word for word, means riding the leaves. This meaning makes absolutely no sense. And this is not the real meaning of the phrase.

[Naik daun] means something or someone that is currently on the rise, rising in popularity, and widely known by a lot of people.

Example sentence:

1. Sedang naik daun, ini profil Raissa Anggiani, penyanyi “Kau Rumahku” yang diapresiasi Ahmad Dhani. (Rising star Raissa Anggiani: A profile of the singer behind “Kau Rumahku,” who has received praise from Ahmad Dhani.)

2. Ketika daun pisang mulai naik daun. (When banana leaves start rising in popularity.)

[Naik daun] in this example sentence means that the banana leaves are starting to be sought after and used by many people.

How to Pronounce Naik Daun

Here is how you pronounce [naik daun] in Bahasa Indonesia.

Moving on, let’s look at examples where Indonesians use the phrase [naik daun].

Examples of Naik Daun in Use

The first example we are about to watch is taken from Monstadz Guitar’s YouTube Channel. Let’s watch the clip below.

Below is the transcript from the clip, along with the English translation:

Jadi, sejak pandemi kemaren, merek gitar dari Ambarawa ini tu naik daun banget ya. Kalo kita lihat di sosial media seperti Instagram followers Instagramnya itu banyak banget ya. (So, this guitar brand from Ambarawa has really taken off since the pandemic, right? I mean, if you look at their social media, like Instagram, they have a ton of followers.)

So, [naik daun] in this context means rising in popularity. This guitar brand has become popular and has started to be used by a lot of guitar players.

Vocabulary From the Clip

[Jadi] = so.

[Sejak] = since.

[Tu] is a common reduction of [itu] = that. For more about this, you can read this article:

[Ini] = this. For more about this, you can read my article: Ini, Ni, and Nih in Indonesian.

[Banget] = [sekali] = very. For more about this, you can read this article:

The second example is from Nex Carlos’s YouTube channel. Let’s look at the clip below.

Below is the transcript from the clip, along with the English translation:

Nex Carlos: Kak Salma dari Aceh? (Are you from Aceh?)

Salma: Iya. (Yeah.)

Nex Carlos: Acehnya di mana? (Where in Aceh?)

Salma: Aceh Pidie. (Pidie.)

Nex Carlos: Pidie? Wah! Lagi naik daun tuh kayanya Pidie, ya? (Pidie? Wow! Pidie seems to be getting pretty well-known these days, huh?)

Salma: Lagi naik daun ya, koh? (Oh, it is?)

Nex Carlos: Iya. Ini lagi banyak yang ini, ya? Lagi banyak yang mengungsi kayanya, ya? (Yeah. There seem to be a lot of refugees there these days, I suppose?)

Salma: Rohingya. (The Rohingya.)

Nex Carlos: Bener, ya? Di Pidie ya itu, ya? (Right? That’s in Pidie, isn’t it?)

Salma: Iya. (Yeah.)

Nex Carlos: Wah. Saya ke Aceh udah pernah. Tapi belum pernah ke Pidie. (Wow. I’ve been to Aceh before, but I’ve never been to Pidie.)

Salma: Belum pernah ke Pidie? Main ya koh, ya? (You’ve never been to Pidie? You should come visit sometime.)

Nex Carlos: Cuma.. (It’s just that...)

Salma: Mau liat pengungsi Rohingya? (You wanna see the Rohingya refugees?)

Nex Carlos: Oh, bukan. (Oh, no.)

In this clip, Nex Carlos is talking about Pidie, which is being talked about by many people right now. So, [naik daun] here means getting talked about by many people or getting popular.

Vocabulary From the Clip

[Kak] is an honorific title to address older people or females. For more about this, you can read this article:

[Dari] = from.

[Koh] means older brother. It’s an honorific title to address someone for being polite. It’s like [bang] and [mas].

[Udah] is a common reduction of [sudah] = already.

[Liat] is the conversational way of saying [lihat] = to see, to look.

[Bener[ is informal for [benar] = true.

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Sebel and Sebal in Indonesian

[Sebel] is informal for [sebal]. [Sebal] is a state where you feel annoyed, disappointed, or not happy with something or someone, and you also feel angry at the same time.

Example sentences using the word [sebel] or [sebal]:

1. Loe sebel-sebel sama dia, tapi sekarang kangen. Gimana sih? (You used to be so annoyed with him, but now you miss him. What’s up with that?)

2. Jangan terlalu sebel sama dia, ntar loe jadi suka lho! (Don’t hate him too much—you might end up falling for him!)

3. Pelayanan di sini bikin sebal! (The service here sucks!)

In daily conversation, you will hear it pronounced mostly as [sebel]. [Sebal] is usually used in a more formal setting or in your textbooks.

How to Pronounce Sebel and Sebal

Here is how you pronounce [sebal] in Bahasa Indonesia.

And here is how you pronounce [sebel] in Bahasa Indonesia.

Moving on, let’s watch examples where Indonesians use the words [sebel] and [sebal].

Examples of Sebel in Use

The first example we are about to watch is taken from a movie called Ada Apa Dengan Cinta 1 (2002). Let’s watch the clip below.

Below is the transcript from the clip, along with the English translation:

Maura: Ta, emangnya loe diapain sih? (Ta, what did he actually do to you?)

Karmen: Loe dipegang-pegang Ta ama dia? (Did he, like, touch you or something?)

Cinta: Gila, loe! Jangan ampe lah gue dipegang-pegang ama dia! (Are you crazy? No way I’d let him touch me!)

Alya: Ta, Ta! Tarik nafas dulu, Ta. Biar loe bisa ngomong yang bener. (Ta, Ta! Take a breath first. Calm down so you can tell us properly.)

Cinta: Sebel banget gue! Orangnya tu sok bintang, tau ngga loe? (Ugh, I’m so pissed off! That gur acts like he’s some kind of superstar, you know?)

Milly: Kita lagi ngomongin siapa sih? (Wait, who are we even talking about?)

In this scene, Cinta is upset with a boy named Rangga. That is why she says, “Sebel banget gue!” in that clip.

She wants to interview Rangga because he won the poetry competition held at their school, but Rangga refuses to be interviewed because he doesn’t feel like he sent any poetry to that competition. It was Pak Wardiman who sent Rangga’s poem to that contest because he thought Rangga’s poem was amazing. Pak Wardiman is an office boy in their school, and Rangga is close to him.

Let’s learn vocabulary from the short clip above.

Vocabulary From the Clip

[Emangnya] is short for [memangnya] and is used when you want to ask about something.

[Diapain] in this context has the same meaning as [diperlakukan seperti apa] = how are you being treated (by someone).

[Sih] has no meaning. Its function is just to emphasize. For more about this, you can read this article:

[Ama] is short for [sama] = with. In daily conversation, it is common for native speakers to drop letters when speaking.

[Dipegang-pegang] literally means to be touched. In this context, it means that you are being sexually harassed by someone.

[Ampe] is short for [sampe]. [Sampe] is informal for [sampai] = until.

[Gue] is informal for [saya] = I. For more about this, you can read this article:

[Loe] is informal for [Anda] = you. For more about this, you can read this article:

[Tarik nafas] = [tarik napas], but sometimes you will hear Indonesians say it as [tarik nafas] instead of [tarik napas], just like in the short clip above. [Tarik napas] = take a breath.

[Tu] is short for [itu] = that. For more about this, you can read this article:

[Bintang] literally means star, but in this context, it means superstar.

[Ngomongin] is the colloquial way of saying [membicarakan] = talking about something.

[Gila] literally means crazy. For more about this, you can read my article: Gila in Indonesian.

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Meaning of Kulbet

When you say that someone is [kulbet], it means that the person is cool, doesn’t talk much, and shows no friendliness toward others.

[Kulbet] is a slang term. It is used by younger people in Indonesia. [Kulbet] is a combined word. It comes from the word [cool], but Indonesians write it as [kul] and the word [bet].

[Bet] or [beut] has the same meaning as [banget], which I already talked about in my previous article:

[Beut] or [bet] here means very.

How to Pronounce Kulbet

Here is how you pronounce [kulbet] in Bahasa Indonesia.

Next, let’s look at examples where Indonesians use the word [kulbet].

Examples of Kulbet in Use

The first example we are about to watch is taken from a TV Program called Tonight Show Net. Let’s watch the clip below.

Below is the conversation from the clip, with the English translation:

Desta: Katanya kamu takut banget ama Surya. Kenapa? (I heard you’re really scared of Surya. Why?)

Eca: Soalnya pertama, kulbet kulbet gitu. (Well, first of all, he seemed kind of kulbet, you know.)

Vincent: Kulbet tu apa sih? (What the heck is kulbet?)

Eca: Vibesnya mirip kalian. (He has the same kind of vibes as you guys.)

Vincent: Bapak-bapak, gitu? (Like middle-aged men?)

Eca: Om-om kulbet. (Like kulbet uncles.)

Desta: Om-om kulbet? (Kulbet uncles?)

Vincent: Kulbet tu apa sih? (Seriously, what does kulbet mean?)

Desta: Nah, ni istilah apa nih? Kita ngga.. ngga.. ngga catch up nih. (Yeah, what kind of term is that? We’re not... we’re not... we’re not up to date with this stuff.)

Eca: Kulbet itu cool banget. (Kulbet means cool banget—really cool.

Vincent: Ooo.. Ooo.. Kulbeut. Kulbeut. (Oh, I got it. Kulbeut, that is.)

Desta: Kamu takutnya takut karena kita cool atau om Surya cool atau karena apa? (So, are you scared because we’re cool, because Uncle Surya is cool, or what?)

Eca: Ya, karena cool gitu. Trus.. (Well, because you guys are cool, you know. And then...)

Desta: Takut apa? Takut suka? Takut, takut diapa-apain? (Scared of what? Are you afraid you might fall for us? Or are you afraid we might do something to you?

Eca: Engga, dong. Tapi waktu pertama, om Surya ga banyak ngomong. Kalo om Jegel kan, pertamanya udah ramah gitu. (No, of course not! But at first, Uncle Surya didn’t talk much. Uncle Jegel, on the other hand, was friendly right from the start.)

Desta: Ooo. Kalo om Surya cool. (Ohhh, I see. So, Uncle Surya was being cool.)

Eca: Iya. (Yeah.)

Desta: Takut kamu? Tapi sekarang udah ngga takut lagi? (Is that why you were scared of him? But you’re not scared anymore now?)

Eca: Engga. (Nope.)

As you can see in the clip above, Desta and Vincent don’t even know the meaning of [kulbet] because Desta and Vincent are from a different generation than Eca.

But then, Eca explains the meaning of [kulbet] there.

[Kulbet] means very cool and shows no friendliness, and that’s why it makes Eca afraid of Uncle Surya the first time she meets him.

Vocabulary From the Clip

Here are some useful words and expressions from the clip:

[Katanya] is usually used when you hear information from someone.

[Takut] = afraid.

[Banget] = [sekali] = very.

[Ama] is a common reduction of [sama] = with.

[Kenapa] = why.

[Mirip] = looks like.

[Ni] and [nih] are informal for [ini] = this. For more about this, you can read my article: Ini, Ni, and Nih in Indonesian.

[Beut] is a slang term for [banget] = very.

[Kulbeut] = [kul beut] = [kul banget] = very cool.

[Diapa-apain] = being hurt by someone.

[Udah] is a common reduction of [sudah] = already.

[Bapak-bapak] refers to men who are already married and look old.

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Itu, Tu, and Tuh In Bahasa Indonesia

[Itu] literally means [that]. [Tu] and [tuh] are informal for [itu]. The meanings of [itu], [tu], and [tuh] are the same.

Here are the meanings and usage of [itu], [tu], and [tuh] in Bahasa Indonesia.

1. To point to a thing or person that is far from the speaker.

Example sentences:

1. Rumah itu lokasinya berada di pinggir jalan raya. (The house is located along the main road.)

2. A: Jadi, kamu mau beli yang mana? (So, which one are you going to buy?)

B: Yang itu. (That one.)

3. Tu dia! Ayo kita ke sana. (There he is! Let’s go over there.)

4. A: Loe liat tas gue ngga? (Have you seen my bag?)

B: Tuh! Di sana. (There it is! Over there.)

5. A: Kata loe si A udah ngga jualan lagi. Itu ada tuh! (You said he wasn’t selling anything anymore. There he is!)

B: Oh, iya, ya. Kemarin-kemarin yang gue lihat udah ngga ada soalnya. Mungkin kemarin dia mudik doang kali ya? (Oh yeah, you’re right. I hadn’t seen him around for the past few days, so I thought he wasn’t selling anymore. Maybe he just went back to his hometown for a few days.)

2. To refer back to a whole cause and to something that has already been spoken or written about.

Example sentences:

1. A: Kasih tahu si Lisa biar dia buruan dong. Kalau ngga kita telat nih. (Can you tell Lisa to hurry up? Otherwise, we’re gonna be late.)

B: Itu sih dari tadi juga udah gue bilangin ke dia. (I’ve already told her that.) <--- [Itu] here to refer to [kasih tahu si Lisa biar dia buruan].

2. A: Makanan itu ternyata enak banget lho! Gue tadi nyobain. (That food was actually really delicious! I tried it earlier.)

B: Makanan itu yang mana? (Which food?)

A: Makanan yang kita lihat pas kita pergi ke toko buku kemarin. (The food we saw when we went to the bookstore yesterday.)

3. To emphasize something. It is usually used in conversational Indonesian, and actually, if you omit it, the meaning doesn’t change.

Example sentences:

1. Itu tuh yang sering dia lakuin yang ngebuat orang-orang kesel sama dia. (That’s exactly the kind of thing he does that really gets on people’s nerves!) <-- [Itu] in this sentence is to refer to a whole cause, and [tuh] is used just to emphasize the whole cause.

2. Ini tu makanan yang gue suka banget! (THIS is the food I really love!) <--- [Tu] in this sentence is just to emphasize. Actually, you can erase it, and the meaning does not change. Although the meaning does not change, the emotions are gone from that sentence.

4. To describe the subject or add more detail to the subject. In this case, it functions like a linking verb in the English language.

Example sentences:

1. Darah itu merah, Jenderal! (Blood is red, General!)

2. Tempat ini tuh berantakan sekali deh! (This place is such a mess!)

3. Dia tu ibumu! Kamu tidak boleh seperti itu terhadap ibumu sendiri. (She’s your mother! You shouldn’t treat your own mother like that!) <-- [Tu] in this sentence functions as a linking verb, and [itu] refers to the actions that are already done before.

How to Pronounce Itu, Tu, and Tuh

Here is how you pronounce [itu] in Bahasa Indonesia.

And here is how you pronounce [tu].

And this is how you pronounce [tuh].

Next, let’s watch movie scenes where Indonesians say the word.

Examples of Itu in Use

The first example we are about to watch is from Di Bulan Suci Ini..., Season 1, Episode 1 (2023). Let’s watch the clip below.

Below is the transcript from the clip, along with the English translation:

Faisal: Stef! (Stef!)

Stefani: Apa? (What?)

Faisal: Burung. (A bird.)

Stefani: Mana? (Where?)

Faisal: Itu. (Over there.)

In this scene, Faisal points to a bird far away from him while riding his bicycle, and he uses [itu] while pointing to the bird.

The second example we are about to watch is from Najwa Shihab’s YouTube Channel. Let’s watch the clip below.

Below is the transcript from the clip, along with the English translation:

Najwa Shihab: Mas Anies, saya akan bertanya itu. Dan pertanyaannya sederhana saja. Soal kebebasan berpendapat, mas. (Mr. Anies, that’s what I want to ask you about. And it’s a simple question. It’s about freedom of speech.)

Anies Baswedan: Apa tuh? (What’s that?)

Najwa Shihab: Hmm, kalau diminta kasih skor, nilai 1 sampai 10. Seberapa atmosfir kebebasan berpendapat di negeri ini menurut Anda? (Hmm, if you had to give it a score from 1 to 10, how would you rate the climate for freedom of speech in this country?)

From the clip above, we see that there are [itu] and [tuh] being used by the speakers. [Itu] in [Mas Anies, saya akan bertanya itu] refers to the second usage of the word [itu] that I explained above, which is to refer to something that has already been spoken.

[Tuh] in [apa tuh?], you can change [tuh] into [itu], and it will become [apa itu?], and here it refers to the question that Najwa is going to ask Mr. Anies.

Vocabulary From the Clip

[Mas] is an honorific title used to address a male person older than you are. For more about this, you can read my article:

[Bertanya] = to ask.

[Pertanyaan] = question.

[Sederhana] = simple.

[Soal] = about.

[Kebebasan berpendapat] = freedom of speech.

[Diminta] = being asked.

[Kasih] can have many meanings depending on the context, but in this context, [kasih] means to give.

The third example is from a TV Program called Tonight Show Net. Let’s watch the clip below.

For the conversation from the clip with English translations and vocabulary explanations, you can read my article titled Kulbet in Indonesian because this is from the same clip that is used there.

[Tu] in [kulbet tu apa sih?] is used to emphasize or refer to the third use that I have explained above. Here, actually, you can drop [tu], and it will become [kulbet apa sih?], but if you omit it, the emphasis is also gone.

[Itu] in [kulbet itu cool banget] is used to describe the subject or refer to the fourth use that I explained above.

The fourth example is a post from @komikbosque on Instagram. Let’s look at the picture below.

Below is the conversation from the comic, along with the English translations:

Cewe: Lho, itu kamu mau tidur pake jeans? (Wait, you’re going to sleep in your jeans?)

Cowo: Iya beb, kenapa? (Yeah, babe. Why?)

Cewe: Ga papa, beb.

[Itu] here refers to the third use that I explained above, which is to emphasize, and actually, you can drop the word [itu] there, and the meaning is not changed.

Vocabulary From the Picture

[Cewe] = girls.

[Cowo] = boys.

[Lho] is used when you are surprised. For more about this, you can read my article: Lho in Indonesian.

[Mau] = want.

[Pake] is informal for [pakai] = using.

[Ga papa] is informal for [tidak apa-apa] = it’s okay.

The fifth example is still from @komikbosque’s comics. Let’s look at the picture below.

Below is the conversation from the picture, along with the English translation:

Suatu hari.. (One day..)

Cewe 1: Udah putusin aja. Rehan itu psyco. (Just dump him already. Rehan is psycho.)

Cewe 2: Psyco? (Psycho?)

[Itu] here refers to the fourth meaning that I explained above, which is to describe the subject. [Rehan is psycho] has the same meaning as [Rehan = psycho].

Vocabulary From the Picture

[Udah] is a common reduction for [sudah] = already.

[Putusin] is the conversational way of saying [putuskan] = to dump someone.

[Aja] is a common reduction for [saja] = just.

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Meaning of Cuy

[Cuy] means bro or sis. It is usually used when talking to your friends and is an informal word. [Cuy] can also be used when you want to attract your friend’s attention when you want to talk to them.

Example sentences:

1. Cuy, ke mana aja loe tadi? (Hey, where have you been?)

2. Makan, cuy! (Let’s eat, bro!)

3. Action, cuy! (Action, guys/bro/sis!)

[Cuy] can also be used to emphasize something. Here, I will try to explain the nuance when using this word.

Example sentence:

1. Kebab, cuy! (Wow! There is a Kebab in here!) or (This is the Kebab!) or just simply (Kebab!)

This can actually have different meanings based on how you pronounce it.

If you pronounce it like the one below.

Imagine that you are with your friend and are walking around, and then you find a place that sells Kebab, and then you say to your friend this. It means that you are excited to see the Kebab that is sold there. So, it is used to emphasize.

But if you pronounce it like the one below, with a rising tone at the end, like you are asking a question.

1. Kebab, cuy? (Shall we eat Kebab?)

It just means bro, sis, or man, as explained in the previous example. If you say this with this tone, it means that you are asking your friend to eat a Kebab.

How to Pronounce Cuy

Here is how you pronounce [cuy] in Bahasa Indonesia.

Moving on, let’s watch examples where Indonesians use the word [cuy].

Examples of Cuy in Use

The first example we are about to watch is taken from Nex Carlos’s YouTube channel. Let’s look at the clip below.

Below is the transcript from the clip, along with the English translations:

Nex Carlos and Livy: Makan, cuy! (Let’s eat, guys!)

Livy: Enak banget! (This is so good!)

Vocabulary From the Clip

[Makan] = eat.

[Enak] = delicious.

[Banget] is informal for [sekali] = very. For more about this, you can read this article:

The second example is taken from Anak Kuliner’s YouTube channel. Let’s watch the clip below.

In this clip, he says:

Udah laper, cuy! (I’m so hungry!)

[Cuy] in this sentence is just used to emphasize that he is already hungry at the time of speaking.

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Meaning of Capcus

[Capcus] is a word that you use when you want to urge or encourage someone to join you in leaving a place or starting an activity. It’s like [let’s go!] in English.

Example sentence:

1. Ngidam Soto Kudus! Capcus yuk ke Kudus! Haha.. (I’m craving Soto Kudus. Let’s go to Kudus! Haha..)

Soto is one of the Indonesian dishes, and Kudus is the name of a city in Indonesia. [Capcus] in this example sentence can be replaced by the word [pergi]. So, [capcus yuk ke Kudus] has the same meaning as [pergi yuk ke Kudus]. [Pergi] means to go (to someplace).

2. Mumpung besok weekend, yuk capcus ikutan ini! Sapa tau menang. (Since tomorrow is the weekend, let’s participate in this! Maybe you can win.)

[Sapa] is the colloquial way of saying [siapa] = who. [Sapa tau menang] = [siapa tahu menang] can also be translated as [who knows, you can win].

3. Capcus ke Bogor yuk! (Let’s go to Bogor!)

The word [capcus] here you can replace with [mari] or with the word [pergi]. [Capcus ke Bogor yuk!] = [Mari ke Bogor yuk!] = [Pergi ke Bogor yuk!]. Bogor is the name of a city in Indonesia.

How to Pronounce Capcus

Here is how you pronounce [capcus] in Bahasa Indonesia.

Moving on, let’s watch video examples where Indonesians use the word [capcus].

Example of Capcus in Use

The first example we are about to watch is from Anak Kuliner’s YouTube channel. Let’s watch the clip below.

Below is the transcript from the clip, along with the English translation:

Anak Kuliner: Oke, ngga usah lama-lama. Ee.. Ini kita langsung aja ke belakang. Terlihat cukup ramai. Mudah-mudahan ngga ngantri panjang ya. Udah laper, cuy! Yuk, langsung capcus. Warmindo Mustari. (Okay, let’s not waste any more time. Let’s head straight to the back. It looks pretty crowded. Hopefully, we won’t have to wait in a long line. I’m starving, dude! Come on, let’s go. Warmindo Mustari.)

In this clip, he says, “Yuk, langsung capcus” when he is about to go to the place to eat. So, [capcus] here is used to encourage going to a place. [Capcus] in this context can be replaced with [cabut], [pergi], or [jalan]. [Yuk, langsung capcus] = [yuk langsung cabut] = [yuk langsung pergi] = [yuk langsung jalan] = without further ado, let’s go!

Vocabulary From the Clip

[Ngga usah lama-lama] = [tidak perlu berlama-lama lagi] = we don’t need to wait any longer.

[Ee] is a filler word. It doesn’t have any meaning.

[Ini] = this.

[Aja] is a common reduction for [saja] = just.

[Ramai] = packed, busy.

[Ngantri] is a common reduction for [mengantri] = to queue.

[Panjang] = long.

[Udah] is a common reduction for [sudah] = already.

[Laper] is informal for [lapar] = hungry.

[Cuy] = bro. For more about this, you can read my article here: Cuy In Indonesian.

[Warmindo] is short for WARung Makan INDOmie. [Warung makan] means a place to eat, like a restaurant, but [warung makan] is not as big as restaurants. [Indomie] is a brand of noodles in Indonesia. It is very famous in Indonesia.

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This wraps up today's article. If I find another example, Insha Allah, I will update this article again. Thank you very much, and I'll see you soon. Bye now.

Meaning of Beut or Bet

[Beut] is considered slang in Bahasa Indonesia. Some Indonesians write it as [beut], and some write it as [bet]; both mean the same thing.

[Beut] or [bet] means [very] in English. [Beut] or [bet] has the same meaning as [banget] and [sekali]. [Banget] is considered a colloquial word, and you will hear it in daily conversation in Indonesia, whereas [sekali] is more formal.

Example sentences:

1. Gue laper beut. (I’m very hungry).

2. Aku laper banget. (I’m very hungry).

3. Saya lapar sekali. (I’m very hungry).

The three sentences above mean the same thing. The first sentence is considered slang, the second sentence is more often heard in daily conversation, and the third sentence is the most formal of all.

How to Pronounce Beut

Here is how you pronounce [beut] or [bet] in Bahasa Indonesia.

Moving on, let’s look at examples where the word [beut] or [bet] is used and spoken by Indonesians.

Examples of Beut in Use

The first example we are about to watch is from Bang Mpin’s YouTube channel. Let’s look at the clip below.

Below is the transcript from the clip, along with the English translation:

Bang Mpin: Amin. Pasca makan siang nih. Gue laper beut. Sayang, sambelnya habis. Nih! Mantep, ya? Tebel! Pake telor bebek lho. Takis? (Amen. It’s after lunch, and I’m starving. Too bad we’re out of sambal. Look at this! Pretty good, huh? Nice and thick! It’s made with duck eggs, you know. Dig in?)

Juru Kamera: Takis boss. (Dig in, boss.)

When Bang Mpin says, “Gue laper beut,” it means that he is starving.

Vocabulary From the Clip

[Juru kamera] = cameramen.

[Pasca] means after something.

[Makan siang] = lunch. [Makan siang] spoken here refers to [jam makan siang] actually.

[Jam makan siang] = lunchtime.

[Sambal] or [sambel] is an Indonesian chili sauce that looks like the picture below.

[Sayang] can mean honey and can also mean too bad.

[Habis] = running out.

[Nih] is informal for [ini] = this. For a more detailed explanation, see my article: Ini, Ni, and Nih in Indonesian.

[Mantep] = [mantap] = extremely well; excellently.

[Tebel] = [tebal] = thick.

[Pake] is informal for [pakai] = use.

[Telor] = [telur] = eggs.

[Bebek] = duck.

[Takis] means to do something immediately, but in this context, it means like, “Shall we eat?” For a more detailed explanation, see my article: Takis in Indonesian.

The second example is taken from a post by TTS Komik on Instagram. Let's look at the picture below.

Below is the conversation from the clip, along with the English translation:

Cowo: Biar masa SMA-ku indah tauk! Masa SMA tanpa pacaran tuh rasanya hambar bet blok!!! (I want my high school years to be great, you know! High school without dating just feels so damn boring, dude!)

Cewe: Ya santai dong. Lebay banget ah! (Hey, chill out. You’re being way too dramatic!)

Vocabulary From the Picture

[Cowo] = boys.

[Cewe] = girls.

[Biar] = [agar] = so that.

[SMA] stands for Sekolah Menengah Atas = high school.

[Indah] = beautiful.

[Tauk] = [tahu] = [tau] = know.

[Pacaran] = dating.

[Hambar] = tasteless.

[Tuh] is informal for [itu] = that. For a more detailed explanation, see my article: Itu, Tu, and Tuh In Indonesian.

[Blok] is short for [goblok] = stupid, idiot, moron.

[Ya santai dong] is used to calm someone down.

[Lebay] is when you are overreacting. For a more detailed explanation, see my article here:

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Thank you, and I’ll talk to you soon. Bye for now!

Meaning of Cakep

[Cakep] is the colloquial form of [cakap]. [Cakep] can have many meanings depending on the context. Some of the meanings of [cakep] are nice, pretty, having the ability to do something, harmonious, and smart.

How to Pronounce Cakep

This is how you pronounce [cakep] in Bahasa Indonesia.

Next, let’s watch scenes from movies where the word [cakep] is used by Indonesians.

Examples of Cakep in Use

In this section, I will gather examples I found from movies, videos, comics, and whatnot where this word [cakep] is spoken.

The first clip is from a web series called Jejak Rasa, Episode 1. If you want to watch the full movie, you can WATCH IT HERE. Let’s watch the clip below.

Below is the transcript from the clip, along with the English translation:

Dikta: Jadi, gue mo ngajak loe jalan-jalan ke tempat-tempat paling oke di Indonesia pake camper van ini. (So, I want to take you to some of the best places in Indonesia in this camper van.)

Sheila: Cakep! Suka nih gue, jalan-jalan. Ntar kita nginep di mana nih tapi? Di hotel? (Nice! I love it. I love traveling. But where are we going to stay? At a hotel?)

Dikta: Kok di hotel sih? Di sini! Tuh udah gue siapin tuh di belakang. Keren! Paling nyaman. (Why would we stay at a hotel? Right here! Look, I’ve already set everything up in the back. Pretty cool, huh? It’s super comfortable.)

Sheila: Serius? (For real?)

Dikta: Iyalah! Nanti loe tidur di sini, gue tidur di tenda. (Yeah! You’ll sleep in here, and I’ll sleep in the tent.)

In the scene, Dikta and Sheila are best friends. Dikta wants to take Sheila, his best friend, on a trip to Indonesia’s most exciting place. Sheila loves to travel; that’s why she replied with:

Cakep! Suka nih gue, jalan-jalan.

[Cakep] in this context means great, awesome, nice. [Suka nih gue] means that she really loves it. [Jalan-jalan] is to travel.

Vocabulary From the Scene

Here are some useful words and expressions from the clip:

[Mo] is the colloquial form of [mau]. It means to want something.

[Ngajak] is the colloquial form of [mengajak]. It means to invite.

[Loe] is an informal form of [Anda] = you. For more about this, you can read this article:

[Jalan-jalan] = traveling, to walk around.

[Tempat] = place.

[Pake] is the colloquial form of [pakai] = to use.

[Gue] is an informal form for [saya] = I. For more about this, you can read this article:

[Ntar] is the colloquial form of [nanti] = later. Ntar kita nginep di mana?(colloquial) = Nanti kita akan menginap di mana? (formal) = Where will we be staying?

[Nginep] is the colloquial form of [menginap] = to stay.

[Udah] is short for [sudah]. In our daily conversation, we usually say [udah] instead of [sudah]

[Siapin] is informal for [siapkan] = to prepare. Udah gue siapin untuk loe.(informal) = Sudah saya siapkan untuk Anda.(formal) = I have prepared it for you.

[Keren] = cool, awesome, wicked.

[Tidur] = to sleep.

The second clip is from 3 Hari Untuk Selamanya (2007). Let’s watch the clip below.

Below is the transcript from the clip, along with the English translation:

Yusofa: Edwina! (Edwina!)

Edwina: Yusofa! Wih! Cakep! Ya udah, santai dulu gih. Ya? (Yusofa! Wow! This is good! All right, just chill for a bit, okay?)

Yusofa: Sip. (Sure.)

Edwina: Bentar ya? (Just a sec.)

Yusofa just handed down to his friend, Edwina, the drawing that he made for him. Edwina then looked at the drawing and said, “Cakep!” which in this context means [good].

Vocabulary From the Clip

[Ya udah] is usually spoken to end a conversation. For more about this, you can read this article:

[Wih!] is usually spoken when you are amazed by something.

[Santai dulu gih] is usually used to say when you want someone to wait for a while. For example, if your friend comes to your house, then you, at the moment, are still doing something. You then say to him, “Santai dulu gih,” which means to ask him to wait until you finish doing what you are doing. In literal meaning, [santai dulu gih] means [just relax for a short while].

[Bentar ya] is short for [sebentar ya] and is usually used to ask someone to wait for a short while.

The third clip is from a TV Serial, Para Pencari Tuhan Jilid 15, Episode 3 (2022). Let’s watch it below.

Below is the transcript from the clip, along with the English translation:

Bang Jack: Lapar, loe? (You hungry?)

Habib: Engga, bang. Buat Alif. (Nah, I’m not. This is for Alif.)

Bang Jack: Ooo. Tu anak loe udah ajarin apa aje? (Oh. What have you taught him so far?)

Habib: Tadi baru saya ajarin doa sebelum tidur. (I just taught him how to say a prayer before going to bed.)

Bang Jack: Hmm, cakep! Siapa tahu nanti kalo dia betul-betul jadi presiden, dia bisa menganjurkan rakyatnya yang Muslim buat berdoa dulu sebelum tidur. (Hmm, nice! Who knows? If he really does become president one day, he might be able to encourage his Muslim citizens to say a prayer before going to bed.)

Vocabulary From the Clip

Here are some useful words and expressions from the clip:

[Lapar, loe?] <--- This is a phrase when you want to ask your friend whether they are hungry. This is casual. If I change this into a formal and complete sentence, it will become, “Apakah Anda lapar? (Are you hungry?).”

[Engga] = [Ngga] is the casual way of saying [tidak], which means [no]. [Engga] = [enggak] = [ngga] = [ga]; you will see this kind of writing variation in how the Indonesian people write it.

[Tu] is short for [itu] = that. It’s common to hear Indonesian people drop letters when talking in daily conversation.

[Aje] = [aja] is the casual way of saying [saja] = just. Betawinese people usually change [a] into [e], like in this scene, Bang Jack changes [aja] into [aje]. It has the same meaning.

[Buat] = for.

[Tadi] = just now.

[Ajarin] is the casual way to say [ajarkan] = to teach someone.

The fourth clip is from a TV serial, Live With My Ketos, Season 1, Episode 1 (2021). Let’s watch it below.

Below is the transcript from the clip, along with the English translation:

Reyhan: Hai, gaes. Gue lagi di tempat mural yang cakep abis nih. (Hi, guys. Now, I’m at this really awesome mural spot.)

In this scene, Reyhan has just found a place with many very cool murals. [Cakep abis] here means [very awesome].

Vocabulary From the Clip

Here are some useful words and expressions from the clip:

[Gaes] is from the English word [guys].

[Lagi] in this context means at the moment.

[Tempat] = place.

[Di tempat] = at a place.

[Nih] = [ini] = this. But [nih] in this context doesn’t mean anything. It is there just to emphasize that he is at the moment in some place, as he stated.

The fifth clip is from Hubungi Agen Gue, Season 1, Episode 1 (2023). Let’s watch the clip below.

Below is the transcript from the clip, along with the English translation:

Ricky: Lu liat dong tu, Ndji. Ada berapa angka nolnya? (Look, Ndji. Can you see how many zeros there are?)

Pandji: Uuuuh, cakep! (Ooh, nice!)

In this clip, Pandji is shown the number he will receive for his new movie contract, which is a lot of money. That’s why Pandji says, “Cakep!”

Vocabulary From the Clip

[Lu] = [loe] = you.

[Liat] is informal for [lihat] = see.

[Tu] is short for [itu] = that. For more about this, you can read my article: Tu in Indonesian.

[Ada berapa] = how many.

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We’re also going to be watching examples from movies where Indonesians use this phrase.

What Are You Doing In Indonesian

First, I’ll give you the formal way to say it, and then I’ll show you some more informal expressions that we commonly use in everyday conversation.

Anda sedang melakukan apa?

This sentence is very formal. Let’s hear how to pronounce it.

You can then change [Anda] to [kamu] to make it less formal. The sentence becomes:

Kamu sedang melakukan apa?

Let’s hear how to pronounce it.

To make it even less formal, you can leave out the word [melakukan]. The sentence then becomes:

Kamu sedang apa?

Let’s hear how to pronounce it.

You can also replace [sedang] with [lagi]. They have the same basic meaning, but we use [lagi] more often in everyday conversation.

Using [lagi] also makes the sentence sound more informal. So, the sentence becomes:

Kamu lagi apa?

Let’s hear how to pronounce it.

And finally, here’s the expression we commonly use in everyday conversation:

Kamu lagi ngapain?

Let’s hear how to pronounce it.

You can also leave out the word [kamu], making the sentence:

Lagi ngapain?

Let’s hear how to pronounce this phrase.

This last form is the one we’re going to hear in a movie scene. This is the exact phrase spoken in the scene.

“Lagi Ngapain?” in a Movie Scene

The first clip we’re about to watch is a clip from a movie called Perahu Kertas 1 (2012). Let’s listen to how the phrase [lagi ngapain] is used in this clip.

In the scene above, Keenan was looking into Kuggy’s room from outside. He then asked:

Lagi ngapain?

Which means:

What are you doing?

He asked this because he wanted to know what she was doing at that moment. As you can see, Keenan left out the word [kamu]. So, instead of saying the full sentence:

Kamu lagi ngapain?

He simply said:

Lagi ngapain?

Kuggy wasn’t doing anything, so she replied:

Lagi ngga ngapa-ngapain.

If we translate this literally into English, it would be:

I’m doing nothing.

You can use this expression when you aren’t doing anything in particular or anything special.

The second clip is from Tetangga Masa Gitu (2014). Let’s watch the clip below.

Below is the transcript from the clip, along with the English translation:

Bintang: Belanja bulanan 565 ribu, ditambah bayar listrik, ditambah bensin mobil.. (Monthly groceries are 565,000 rupiahs, plus the electricity bill, plus gas for the car...)

Bastian: Hai, Bi! Lagi ngapain? (Hey, Bi! What are you doing?)

Bintang: Hai! Aku lagi ini, bikin catatan ini lho..apa..keuangan kita per bulannya. (Hey! I’m just, uh, making a... what do you call it? A monthly budget for our finances.)

Bastian: Ehmm. (Mm-hmmm.)

As you can see from the scene, Bastian came into the room and saw that his wife was doing something. He wanted to know what she was doing at that moment, so he asked:

Lagi ngapain? (What are you doing?)

As you can see, the phrase [lagi ngapain] is commonly used in everyday Indonesian. So, if you want to ask someone what they are doing in Indonesian, this is a phrase you definitely want to remember.

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Meaning of Pegang

[Pegang] can have several different meanings depending on the context.

The first meaning of [pegang] is to hold something with your hand. This is the literal meaning of the word [pegang].

Here’s an example sentence:

Bisa tolong pegang buku saya sebentar? (Can you please hold my book for a moment?)

Below is the audio version of the sentence.

The second meaning of [pegang] is when someone is in charge of a place or has control over an area. In other words, people in that area listen to and obey that person.

Here’s an example sentence:

Dia yang megang daerah ini. (He owns this area.)

[Dia yang megang daerah ini] means that everybody in that area obeys him. He has the power in this area; this is his territory.

Below is the audio version of the sentence.

The third meaning of [pegang] is when you have control over someone.

Here’s an example sentence:

Tenang aja, dia udah kita pegang. Jadi, dia ngga akan macem-macem. (Relax! We’ve got him. So, he won’t do anything stupid.)

Below is the audio version of the sentence.

The fourth meaning of [pegang] is when you can handle or manage something, especially a task or responsibility.

For example:

A: Kira-kira untuk projek yang ini, kalau saya berikan ke kamu, bisa kepegang sama kamu? (Do you think you can handle this project if I give it to you?)

B: Insya Allah, bisa pak. (God willing, I can handle it, sir.)

Here, [kepegang] basically means “can be handled” or “can be managed.”

Here is the audio version.

Next, let’s look at some examples from movie scenes where Indonesian people use the word [pegang].

Examples of Pegang in Use

The first example is from a movie called Teka-Teki Tika (2021). Let’s watch the clip below.

Below is the transcript from the clip, along with the English translation:

Budi: Harusnya sih minggu depan kita sudah sign MoU, pah. (We should have the MoU signed by next week, Dad.)

Sherly’s Father: Harusnya? (“Should have”?)

Budi: Oh, ngga, ngga. Aman pa semuanya. Apalagi kan Bupati sudah kita pegang. (Oh, no, no. Everything’s under control, Dad. Besides, we’ve already got the Regent in our pocket.)

Sherly’s Father: Dari bank udah ada kabar? (Any news from the bank?)

Sherly: Bu Vanda janji akan ngehubungin kita besok. (Mrs. Vanda said she’d call us tomorrow.)

Vocabulary From the Clip

Here are some useful words and expressions from the clip:

[Harusnya sih] <--- This is usually used when you want to advise someone, for example, “Harusnya sih begini ngerjainnya. (You should do something like this to make this work).” But when you specify the time you are saying it, it means that something must have been finished at a specific time.

[Minggu depan] = next week.

[Pah] is short for [papa]. [Papa] means father, but Indonesian people sometimes add the letter [h] at the end, like in this example; he said [pah] instead of [pa].

[Ngga] = no.

[Aman] = safe, but in this context, [aman] means everything is under control.

[Bupati] = the Regent, government officers in charge of a regency.

[Kabar] = news.

[Udah] is short for [sudah] = already.

[Janji] = promise.

[Ngehubungin] is the colloquial way of saying [menghubungi] = to call, make contact.

[Besok] = tomorrow.

The second example is still from the same movie, Teka-Teki Tika (2021). Let’s watch the clip below.

Below is the transcript from the clip, along with the English translation:

Budi: Siap, pah! Pokoknya pasti Budi.. Ah. Lihat tuh! Lihat papamu. Hah! Kalau bukan karena kamu, udah saya maki-maki dia. (Yes, Dad! You can count on me. Ah… Look at that! Look what your dad’s doing. Hah! If it weren’t for you, I would’ve given him a piece of my mind.)

Sherly: Kalau bukan karena saya, kamu juga ngga bakalan pegang perusahaan ini. (If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t even be running this company.)

The meaning of [pegang] in this scene is related to the second meaning we discussed earlier: being in charge of something.

Budi is in charge of the company because he married Sherly. After they got married, Sherly’s father gave the company to Budi, so Budi is now the one running the company.

Vocabulary From the Clip

Here are some useful words and expressions from the clip:

[Siap] is usually said when someone higher in rank than you asks you to do something, and you say [siap], which means that you agree to follow the order. Usually used in the military, it’s like [yes, sir] in English.

[Pokoknya] = the thing is.

[Lihat tuh!] is usually used when you want to show something to someone. [Lihat tuh] = You see that?

[Papa] = father.

[Papamu] = your father.

[Maki] = to yell at someone out of anger.

[Maki-maki] means yelling at someone out of anger.

[Dia] could be she or he; [dia] doesn’t have any gender-related.

[Ngga] = no.

[Bakalan] = will be.

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This wraps up today’s article. If I find another example, Insha Allah, I will update this article again. Thank you for reading, and I’ll see you again soon. Bye for now!

Meaning of Papa

In Bahasa Indonesia, the word [papa] has two different meanings.

The first meaning of [papa] is father. Sometimes, you may hear Indonesians add an “h” sound at the end and say “papah,” and sometimes they just say “papa.” Either way, they mean the same thing: father.

The second meaning of [papa] is poor. However, when it has this meaning, it usually appears together with the word [kaum]. So, [kaum papa] refers to poor people or the poor.

Here’s an example from the picture below.

It says:

Jerit Kaum Papa di Balik Gemerlap Ibu Kota.

In English, this could be translated as:

The cries of the poor behind the glittering capital city.

And here is the audio version of the sentence:

So, as you can see, when [papa] means [the poor], it usually goes together with the word [kaum] as in [kaum papa].

Next, let’s take a look at some examples from movies where you can hear the word [papa] being used.

Examples of Papa In Use

In this section, you’ll see some examples from movies, YouTube videos, and other sources where the word [papa] is used.

The first clip we’re going to watch is from the movie Teka Teki Tika (2021). Let’s take a look at the clip below.

If you’d like to see the conversation from this scene along with the English translation, you can check out my article: Pegang in Indonesian.

In this scene, Budi says the following sentence to his wife, Sherly:

Lihat papamu. (Look at your father.)

So, in this scene, [papa] means [father].

The second clip is from the MNCTV Official YouTube Channel. Let’s watch the clip below.

Below is the transcript from the clip, along with the English translation:

Mba Lies menelusuri jalanan kota Solo setiap hari untuk membagikan nasi kepada kaum papa. Jumlahnya tak sedikit. 60 bungkus per hari ia bagikan sendiri. Sasarannya warga yang belum sempat sarapan pada pagi hari. (Mrs. Lies walks the streets of Solo every day to distribute meals to the poor. The number of meals she distributes is far from insignificant. She personally hands out 60 packages of food each day. Her recipients are residents who have not had a chance to eat breakfast in the morning.)

As you can see in this clip, the word [papa] is used together with the word [kaum]. The expression [kaum papa] means [the poor] in this context.

Vocabulary From the Clip

Here are some useful words and expressions from the scene:

[Menelusuri] = to walk along or through a street or path.

[Jalanan] = streets.

[Kota] city.

[Jumlah] = amount/number.

[Tak] = [tidak] = not.

[Sedikit] = little/few.

[Tak sedikit] = not a small amount/quite a lot.

[Warga] = residents.

[Sarapan] = breakfast/to have breakfast.

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I guess that’s all for now. If I find another example, Insha Allah, I’ll update this article again. And if you have any questions about this, feel free to leave a comment below. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you again soon. Bye for now!

Nemplok Meaning

[Nemplok] means to stick onto something or someone tightly. A synonym for [nemplok] is [nempel].

Example sentences:

1. Kalo cicak mah nemplok di dinding, petugas DISHUB nemplok di kap mobil. Beda tempat, sama-sama jago nemplok! (If the lizard sticks to the wall, the DISHUB officer sticks to the hood of the car. Different places, but both are good at sticking!)

2. Bapak ini kayak cicak-cicak di dinding yah. Tiba-tiba nemplok aja. (This man is like house geckos on the wall. Out of the blue, they stick.)

3. Udang nemplok di tahu. (The shrimp stick to the tofu.)

In the above picture, it is a fried tofu with shrimp stuck to it. That’s why she gave her dish such a title.

How to Pronounce Nemplok

Here is how you pronounce [nemplok] in bahasa Indonesia.

Moving on, let’s watch short clips where the word [nemplok] is spoken by Indonesians.

Examples of Nemplok In Use

The first example we are about to watch is from Trans7’s Official YouTube channel. Let’s look at the clip below.

Conversation from the clip with English translations.

Edward Akbar: Masalahnya, kalo kita udah begitu walaupun itu profesi atau profesionalisme atau apa tapi tetep aja itu ada energi, gitu lho. Bo’ong! Mau ada teknisnya. Oh, ngga kok kita nanti bisa gini gini gini. Selama itu nemplok! (The problem is, if we do that, even though people say it’s a matter of professionalism or whatever it is, there’s still human lust there, you know. For sure! Even though some might say there is a procedure for that, we can do this, and this, and this. But as long as the lips are touching!)

Irfan Hakim: He’eh. Bener. Iya. (Yeah. Right, I agree with you.)

Edward Akbar: Pasti ada energi, gitu dan pasti rezekinya akan dihambat. Udah. Jelas. (There will be human lust there, and obviously, your sustenance will be hampered. It’s obvious.)

Edward Akbar is an Indonesian actor, and in this clip, the host is asking about whether he accepts movies where there are any kissing scenes. Edward Akbars says that he doesn’t want to be involved in movies where there is a kissing scene that he must do.

[Selama itu nemplok] in this clip roughly translates to the lips of a man sticking to the lip of a woman when they are kissing. So, the lips are touching, which is what it means in this context.

Vocabulary From the Clip

[Masalah] = problem.

[Kalo] is informal for [kalau] = if.

[Udah] is short for [sudah] = already.

[Bo’ong] = [bohong] = lie.

[He’eh] is when you agree with what someone says.

[Bener] is informal for [benar] = true.

[Jelas] = obvious.

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So, that’s gonna be it for now. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments below. Thank you for reading my article, and I’ll see you soon.