Halo semuanya. Ketemu lagi dengan saya, Iman Prabawa. This time, I want to talk to you about the meaning of the word [jeng] in the Indonesian language, and as always, we will watch scenes from movies where the word [jeng] is spoken.
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.
If you found this article helpful and would like to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Thank you for your support!
That’s gonna be it for now. If you have any questions, just leave them in the comments, and I’ll be happy to answer them for you.
Thank you for reading my article, and I’ll see you soon. Bye now!