Vowel Changes

Changing 'u' to 'o'

In daily conversation there are several words with letter 'u' on the second syllable that is replaced and pronounced to 'o'.

Usage

Formal Informal Meaning
belum belom not yet
ketuk ketok to knock
kaus kaki kaos kaki socks
kendur kendor weak, loose, flabby
keruk kerok scrape off
mabuk mabok drunk
saus saos sauce, gravy
separuh separo half
supir sopir driver
stasiun stasion station, terminal
surga sorga heaven
taruh taro put down
telur telor egg
tegur tegor greeting, warning, admonition

Changing 'i' to 'é'

In daily conversation there are several words with letter 'i' on the second or third syllable that is replaced by 'é' and it is pronounced like 'e' as in 'egg'.

Usage

Formal Informal Meaning
kemarin kemarén yesterday
naik naék climb, go up, ascend

Changing 'a' to 'e'

There are lots of words with letter 'a' on the second syllable that are replaced by 'e' and pronounced like the 'e' in the word 'her'.

Example

Root Word Colloquial Meaning
antar anter escort, accompany, see off
asam asem sour, acid
benar bener right, true
bosan bosen bored
dalam dalem inside
dapat dapet can, get, able
datang dateng come
dengar denger hear, listen
dekat deket near by, close by
diam diem hush, silent, quiet
gemas gemes put out - can be of passion
hangat anget warm
ingat inget remember
injak injek to step on
isap isep to suck
kencang kenceng fast, stiff, tight, tense
kental kentel thick liquid, dense
kesal kesel peevish, irk
lapar laper hungry
lemas lemes limp, weak, flexible
lipat lipet to fold
malas males lazy
macam macem kind, sort, type
mantap mantep firm, steady
pantas pantes acceptable, reasonable, proper, ethical
pedas pedes hot, spicy
pegal pegel stiff, muscle pain
peras peres squeeze
pijat pijet massage
pinjam pinjem to borrow
pintar pinter clever
putar puter turn, to wind
  rapet tight, close, dense
sambal sambel chilli paste
sambar samber swoop down and seize, strike, attack, steal, rob
santan santen milk squeezed from coconut
sebal sebel resentful
selamat selamet safe, congratulation, greetings
sempat sempet opportunity, have sufficient time
simpan simpen to keep safe, to put away, to safe
tajam tajem sharp
tangkap tangkep catch
tekan teken to give pressure, to sign
teman temen friend, mate, pal
tenggelam tenggelem drowned
tikar tiker floormat
tukar tuker change/exchange




e-Learning

The University of Hawaii at Manoa offers three dedicated distance education e-learning courses for advanced Indonesian under the supervision of Dr. Uli Kozok, coordinator of the Indonesian language program at the University of Hawaii. The three courses offered are available not only to UH students but to anyone anywhere. You can enrol through UH Outreach College.