Mbak In Indonesian
An Indonesian Honorific Title
Halo semuanya. Apa kabar? Ketemu lagi sama saya, Iman Prabawa. In this article, I want to talk to you about the meaning of the word [mbak] in bahasa Indonesia.
To better understand this, as always, we will look at examples, mostly from movies, where Indonesians use this word.
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Mbak In Bahasa Indonesia
[Mbak] is an honorific title used to address women in Indonesia, especially those who are a bit older than you. In Indonesian culture, using the right honorific matters — it can feel impolite if you use the wrong one when talking to someone.
You might also see it written as mba (without the letter “k” at the end). I personally prefer writing in that way too. The word originally comes from Javanese, but it’s now commonly used all across Indonesia.
In English, [mbak] is closest to “older sister.” But it’s not only used for family — you’ll hear it in everyday conversation as well.
To help you understand how it’s actually used, we’ll look at a few scenes from Indonesian movies later in this article.
So, when do you use [mbak]?
Here are three common situations:
When talking to a woman who’s older than you.
She should be slightly older than you.
When speaking to a female stranger.
For example, if you meet a woman around your age on the street, you would still use [mbak] since you don’t know her.
When addressing your female boss.
Even if she’s younger than you, it’s still more polite to use [mbak], especially in a professional setting.
How to Pronounce Mbak
Here is how you pronounce [mbak] in bahasa Indonesia.
Next, let’s look at examples from movies where Indonesians use the word [mbak].
Examples Of Mbak In Use
The first example is from a movie called The East (2015). Let’s watch the clip below.
Conversation from the clip with English translations.
Dhewo: Maaf, mbak. Soal tayangan yang salah itu, begini, mbak. Ini.. (Sorry, ma’am. About the wrong broadcast—I can explain. It’s just that...)
Dian Sastro: Kalo mo ngomong tu duduk dulu! Bisa ngga, sih? (If you want to talk, sit down first. Can you do that?)
Dhewo: Soal tayangan yang salah itu, begini, mbak. Kita.. (About the wrong broadcast... I can explain. We...)
Dian Sastro: Siapa yang bilang lo udah bisa ngomong, sih? Dhewo! Jabatan lo tu apa sih? (Who said you could speak? Dhewo! What exactly is your position here?)
Dhewo: Kepala Departemen, mbak. (I’m a department head, ma’am.)
Dian Sastro: Suka sama jabatan lo? (And do you even like your position?)
Dhewo: Suka, mbak. (Yes, ma’am.)
In this scene, Dhewo makes a mistake—he airs the wrong broadcast. When Dian Sastro, his boss, finds out, she calls him into her office to talk about it.
Now, pay attention to how they address each other.
You’ll notice that Dhewo uses [mbak] when speaking to his boss. Even though Dian Sastro is actually much younger than him, she’s still his superior, so he uses this honorific to show respect.
Meanwhile, Dian simply calls him “Dhewo” without adding [mas] before his name. Since he’s her subordinate, this is completely normal—there’s no need for her to use an honorific when addressing him.
Vocabulary From the Clip
[Maaf] = sorry.
[Kalo] is informal for [kalau] = if.
[Mo] is informal for [mau] = want.
[Tu] is short for [itu] = that.
[Lo] is informal for [Anda] = you. For a more detailed explanation, you can read my article here:
[Sih] has no meaning; its function is just to emphasize. For more about this, you can read my article here:
[Udah] is short for [sudah] = already.
[Ngomong] is informal for [berbicara] = to talk.
[Suka] = like.
[Jabatan] = position.
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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.