LanguageIndonesiaIt is a beautiful language that represents the vibrant culture of the nation. However, the words you hear in everyday interactions may not be those listed in the dictionary.
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Indonesians are famous for constantly changing their daily speech. Abbreviated sentences, words read backwards, distorted syllables, attached prefixes and even completely invented words add to the already long list of everyday slang. From phrases coined by the country's cool youth to street slang, here are 15 popular Indonesian slang words that will help you speak like a local.
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Lebay (bye) / exaggerated, exaggerated
Your ice cream is melting underneathBaliheat up. If you start to cry or complain, some people may call your reactionprejulgar. You see a group of friends dressed up.sparkly prom dresses for beach bar. Don't say it out loud, but see howprejulgarWas it that suit? The word lebay itself is an exaggerated way of saying its root “lebih” (le-bee), which means more or, as millennials say, extra.
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Baper (bä-pər) / very emotional
Baper is an abbreviation of this phrase.bring feelings, which means taking things too personally or getting carried away by emotions. It can be used to describe any emotion, but lately the narrative around this word has revolved around romantic feelings. When someone pays attention to you, don't get too grumpy and don't take it as a sign of attraction; Maybe he's just a warm and friendly person.
Woles (wō-ləs) / slow down
If you read this word backwards you getto be, which is another slang term derived from the English word slow.to relaxIt's an interjection you say to someone to calm them down. Think about all the times you would normally say “calm down, brother”; is your window to show off your knowledge of this young and modern Indonesian slang.
Alay (äl-aye) / hortera
Alay is the abbreviation forkite child, which literally means "kite boy". Broadly speaking, the word is used to describe or label anything that is considered unpleasant or common. The hairstyle might be wrong because the cut or color isn't right or you're trying too hard. The way someone sends text messages is considered wrong if they mix the alphabet with symbols and numbers.m4k3 z w0rd5. Alay is also a noun that means person who does this.regimentthings. Among good friends, calling someone “peace” can be considered a joke or a harmless and fun insult, but it's best not to say that word to people you've just met.
Kepo (ke-po) / intrometido
When a colleague asks you a lot of personal questions, you can jokingly dismiss them by saying:curious, followed by a polite and friendly laugh. This means that this person is a bit nosy and should mind their own business. It's rude to say this to people older than you, but among friends the word is common and completely acceptable. The word comes from Hokkien Chinese, but some say it is an abbreviation for “Knowing any specific subject”.
Jomblo (jom-blo) / a single man or woman
Jombo does not simply mean a single person. This has the connotation of not being able to find a suitable partner, rather than being single by choice. The slang comes from the Sundanese word meaning "maiden", but appears in everyday conversations.singleit is rarely considered offensive.
Mager (mä-ger) / too lazy to move
Delgadois hired fromlazy, which means "too lazy to move." A friend asks if you want to meet for drinks later that night. You really want this, but the prospect of leaving the comfort of your room seems too daunting. We all have days like this. Instead of wasting your brain energy painstakingly inventing lies and excuses, just say it.delgado; they will understand this.
Bokap, nyokap (bō-kap, nyō-kap) / ojciec, matka
In everyday interactions, we can often hear Indonesians calling their father ""tataand mother likeTrip. These two words have their roots in bandit language, although they are now widely used and understood by virtually everyone.tataEUTripcan also be combined'Injured', which simply means both parents.
Cewek, cowok (che-wek, cho-wok) / samica, samiec
Chicais commonly used to identify a female person, andfacetif he is a man. There are no different third-person pronouns for masculine and feminine in Indonesian, so in some cases it may be necessary to clarify the gender of the person mentioned in the conversation. This is the reason why,“a girl or (or) a boy?”It's a common question when we talk about someone in the third person.
Nongkrong (nong-krong) / spending time with friends without a plan
Spend timeBasically it means going out, relaxing, getting together, not necessarily with a specific plan in mind. The goal is to be surrounded by friends; It doesn't matter if they talk about random things or don't do anything together. You can invite your Indonesian friends.spend timeanywhere inhip beltto random places on a random street.
Sotoy (yes-toy)/know-it-all
when someone is thereask for help, that means he's acting like a terrible know-it-all. This word can also be used as an exclamation when someone conveys inexplicable knowledge or assumptions. This word is light enough to be said jokingly without implying contempt. When someone says, “I bet this or that politician will do this or that for this or that reason,” you can dismiss it lightly by saying:"¡Soto!"and let's move on to another topic.
BT or Bete (bae-te) / generally bad mood
Some say this Indonesian slang is an abbreviation of the English phrase “bad trip,” an unpleasant drug-induced experience. Although the origin cannot be confirmed with certainty,BTIt is now used to describe almost any negative mood or emotion. From anger over something specific to a general unpleasant mood, you can distinguish"BT"when you don't feel well, especially when you don't feel like explaining or talking about it.
Curhat (côr-haat) / open your heart to someone you trust
In summary ofa shoulder to cry on, this word can be roughly translated as rant or diatribe. Although,stakeIt presupposes trust and intimacy between the parties involved. It's like opening your heart and confiding in someone you trust about something specific you're going through.
Curcol (cor-col) / branch
CurcolIt's a specific typestakeor rant.Curcol(commissioned bytrust Colongánor "stolen speech") occurs when someone uses even the smallest window to raise a seemingly neutral topic about their unhappiness. For example, a group of friends are talking about coffee and one of them suddenly changes the conversation to the way it was before in a coffee shop. When this happens, your friends might call you and say, "rice!” and return to the original topic or continue exploring the incident if it seems interesting enough to the group.
Wkwkwk / texting
As much as it is considered tacky,'Hahahaha'or any number of repetitions"week"This remains a notorious way for Indonesians to mock people through text messages or other forms of digital communication. Nobody knows what it sounds like in real life and nobody cares. It is usually understood as the way someone responds to something really funny, like “hahaha”.
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