How To Talk About Family In Indonesian
Bonus perk: You’ll also learn good manners.
If you’re studying the language in any capacity, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to learn how to talk about family in Indonesian. Family is an essential topic in any culture, but in Indonesian, there are certain etiquette rules you’ll learn along the way that are intertwined with basic vocabulary terms for family.
For instance, ibu, the word for “mother,” is actually a respectful term for a woman in general — sort of similar to how we would say “Ma’am” in English or Madame in French. The same goes for bapak, the word for “father,” and men.
It’s also generally considered more polite to refer to older family members according to their status in the family tree (versus by their first name), but someone doesn’t have to be directly related to you for this to apply. You might even refer to someone who appears to be just a couple of years older than you as “brother” or “sister.”
Below, you’ll find all of the basic terms you’ll need to have a conversation about family in Indonesian. Click the play button to hear how each word is voiced by a native speaker.
Essential Vocab For Family In Indonesian
family — keluarga
relatives — sanak saudara
extended family — saudara jauh
ancestor — leluhur
descendant — keturunan
parents — orangtua
mother — ibu
father — bapak
children — anak-anak
daughter — anak perempuan
son — anak laki-laki
siblings — saudara
brother — saudara laki-laki
sister — saudara perempuan
stepchild — anak tiri
half-brother — saudara tiri
foster parents — orangtua asuh
guardian — wali
grandmother — nenek
grandfather — kakek
grandchild — cucu
aunt — bibi
uncle — paman
nephew/niece — anak saudara
cousin/second cousin — sepupu
parents-in-law — mertua
great-grandparents — buyut
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Steph is a senior content producer who has spent over five years writing about language and culture for Babbel. She grew up bilingually and had an early love affair with books, and, later, studied English literature and journalism in college. She also speaks Russian and Spanish, but she’s a little rusty on those fronts.
Steph is a senior content producer who has spent over five years writing about language and culture for Babbel. She grew up bilingually and had an early love affair with books, and, later, studied English literature and journalism in college. She also speaks Russian and Spanish, but she’s a little rusty on those fronts.
