How they call me

Here we're used to addressing older men with a title. But things sometimes get complicated.

• Some call me kak (kakak) because I'm Indonesian.
• Some call me bang (abang) because I've grown up in Greater Jakarta area.
• Some call me kang (akang) because in SSEAYP I represent West Java province.
• Some call me ko (koko) because I'm Chinese by blood.
• Some call me mas because most Jakartans are Javanese.

Untranslatable: Jablay

The word jablay has gained popularity from the soundtrack of the film Mendadak Dangdut and since then has become part of everyday vocabulary. Originally meaning a person who desires for attention because rarely meeting their spouse or lover, the word has also now meant a prostitute.

Untranslatable: Sungkan

Sungkan means feeling hesitant or shy to talk with or request somebody; this particular feeling should result either from respect for that person or from the good deeds they have done to you. Therefore, sungkan is not identical with mere 'shy', the problem of which is found in yourself. Neither can it be translated as mere 'reluctant', which focuses on the activity itself (i.e. the act of holding a conversation). Sungkan is directed towards the person you are going to deal with.

Untranslatable: Jaim

Jaim means to behave insincerely in the public so that you won't damage you reputation; that's why you avoid socially embarrassing remarks and stupid stunts. Somebody jaim especially when they are a public figure under the spotlight or simply an ordinary person attending a formal social occasion. The clichéd 'be yourself' just doesn't apply here; in fact, nobody can truly be themselves in all social occasions (what is 'yourself' anyway?). When somebody says to you, 'Don't jaim', that means they think you are reluctant to do dirty, dangerous, demeaning tasks--and by that they disapprove of your attitude.

Untranslatable: Melayat

Melayat means to visit the family of a dead person and offer condolences. Like kondangan, melayat has a specific usage; it cannot mean simply to visit.

Untranslatable: Kondangan

Kondangan means to attend a wedding ceremony or reception. It's a handy single word to describe this activity. In daily conversation, if a friend of yours notices that you dress up, they may ask, 'Are you gonna kondangan?' This question has a double meaning, though. It may be that your friend just wants to clarify, judging by your look, whether you are really attending a wedding ceremony or reception. Otherwise, they might imply that you are wearing a wrong dress for an occasion that actually just requires casual attire.

Untranslatable: Ngabuburit

Ngabuburit means to seek amusements outdoors or in public buildings just an hour or two before breaking the fast. It is a Sundanese-derived word that always comes up in conversations during Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

Untranslatable: Tubin

Tubin means the fourth day after today.

Untranslatable: Tulat

Tulat means the third day after today. It is synonymous with langkat.

Untranslatable: Jayus

Jayus is used to describe a joke; it means so poorly told and so unfunny that you can't help but laugh.

Untranslatable: Besuk

Besuk means to visit a person in hospital, especially your relative or friend.

Untranslatable: Besan

Besan is the parent of your son-in-law or daughter-in-law.

Untranslatable Bahasa Indonesia: Introduction

Inspired by a blog post on maptia.com, I'm currently doing a personal project called 'Untranslatable Bahasa Indonesia', since so far I can hardly find one on the Internet. I'm collecting Indonesian words that may have no exact equivalents in English (or, perhaps, in another language). The list is not exhaustive, of course, and some words may, upon later research, turn out to be translatable into another language--which is good.

The purpose is manifold:

• To me, this is to motivate me to browse through Indonesian dictionaries and thesauri.
• To Indonesian speakers, this is to encourage us to discuss the wealth of Bahasa Indonesia beyond oft-repeated spelling and grammatical mistakes (e.g. dimana v di mana, merubah v mengubah, etc.) 
• To non-Indonesian speakers, this is to celebrate linguistic diversity and to encourage you to find untranslatable words or expressions in your native languages.

As you read the blog posts, here's what I want you to do:

• Help me find more untranslatable Indonesian words
• Help me find the equivalents of these untranslatable Indonesian words

It should be noted that the term 'Bahasa Indonesia' is not exclusive of Malay, which is in most cases mutually intelligible.