Good may sound like a simple word in English. And you might think that its translation in Bahasa is also as simple as it is in English.
Well, actually there are quite a lot of variation of the word good, from its literal translation according to the dictionary, to its slang/informal variation.
Let’s find out one by one how to say the word “good” in Indonesian.
1. Baik
According to the dictionary, good mean “baik” in Indonesian. “Baik” is a word Indonesians describing something, well, good.
However, “Baik” also can be used when agreeing to something. In English, it’s similar to the word “yes” or “okay”. To make you understand more, let’s check the following examples.
“Baik” as “good”:
- Sarah adalah anak yang baik = Sarah is a good kid
- Aku baik-baik saja = I’m good.
- Pemimpin yang baik adalah yang jujur dan bertanggung jawab = A good leader is the one who is honest and responsible
- Buah adalah contoh makanan yang baik untuk kesehatan. = Fruit is an example of food good for health.
When “baik” means “yes”:
- Baik, saya akan segera mengirimkannya. = Yes, I will send it soon.
- Baik, dia akan segera datang. = Yes, he will come soon.
More:
How to say “Where is it” in Bahasa Indonesia.
2. Bagus
The second linguistically-correct definition of “good” in Indonesian is “bagus”. The word “bagus” is similar to the word “baik”, to describe something fine and proper.
However, they have some differences. The difference is the word “bagus” can be used as a compliment and affirmations.
Bagus can also mean beautiful. It has a stronger meaning than “baik” for describing beautiful objects while “baik” is used to describe the goodness of abstract things, such as character or personalities.
Let’s see some examples:
- Baju kamu bagus sekali = Your dress is very beautiful/good.
- Dia mengambil tas yang paling bagus = She took the best bag.
- Bagus! = good!.
- Kamu sudah bisa masak sendiri? Bagus! = You can cook by yourself? Good!
3. Sip
The slang “sip” is also another way to say “good” in Indonesian. People usually use the word “sip” almost like they use “bagus”.
It describes beautiful qualities of objects while also serves as an affirmation. Sip is a form of Indonesian informal language.
- Baju itu kelihatan sip di kamu. (The clothes looks good on you)
- Sip Sip, aku akan jemput kamu jam 3. (Good, I will pick you up on three)
- Sip, terima kasih atas informasinya. (Good, thanks for the information)
- Grup musik milik Ali memang paling sip se-Jakarta. (Ali’s music group is the best in all-Jakarta).
Other informal phrases:
4. Selamat
Good as in “good morning” and other greeting translate into “selamat” In Bahasa Indonesia.
- Selamat pagi, Bu Guru! (Good Morning, Mrs. Teacher)
- Selamat siang, ada yang bisa dibantu? (Good afternoon, may I help you?)
- Selamat sore, bisakah saya bicara dengan Ibu Ratih? (Good evening, can I talk to Mrs. Ratih?)
- Selamat malam para penonton, apa kabar Anda hari ini? (Good night viewers, how are you today?)
More about Indonesian greetings can be learned here.
5. Enak
When describing the taste of food, you can also say “enak” to describe how good the food is. It’s more similar to delicious.
Warung sebelah kantor jual makanan yang enak. (The restaurant next to office sells good food)
Enak sekali nasi goreng buatan ibu. (Mother makes good fried rice)
Bagaimana rasanya? Enak! (How’s the taste? Is it good?)
Seru sekali pesta kemarin! Penuh dengan makanan enak dan musik yang bagus. (Yesterday party was so fun, full of good food and good music.)
Summary:
There are a lot of ways to say god in Indonesian and it always depends on context. Might seem tricky, but with practice, you’ll get used to it.