There are various ways to address female and male in every languages. In English, Miss, Mrs., Ms., and Mr. are used as a sign of respect, both spoken and written before full name or surname. In places where English is used as the primary language, using the wrong title can cause offense.
Therefore, it’s very important to use this properly. “Miss” should be used to refer to an unmarried woman, “Mrs.” is used for a married woman, and “Ms.” Is used without referring to marital status and can be used for both married and unmarried woman. In this article, we’re going to talk about “miss”. We usually use this both for spoken and written English, mostly on formal occasions.
Similarly, the Indonesian Language also uses that titles. However, the usage of them today are more often in written formal needs rather than in spoken conversation. But perhaps, you’ll still find someone talks this way in literature and old culture society. This is how to say “Miss” in Indonesian.
- Mr. : Tuan
- Mrs. : Nyonya
- Miss : Nona
Indonesian people prefer using “Bapak/Ibu” or “Mas/Mbak” (for younger people) when addressing someone instead of “Tuan/Nyonya/Nona”. The mistake from this is that it’s going to be ambiguous whether they refer to the biological parents of the called person or directly referring to them. As we had discussed in Pak in Indonesian.
The meaning of “Bapak/Ibu” can be translated into biological parents. So, if you’re planning to visit Indonesia, it’s your choice to pick which way to call the others regardless which one is more preferable because even “Tuan/Nyonya/Nona” is grammatically correct.
In Indonesia, we use this tittle mostly in written formal needs such as applying online forms, account, or information data. It’s also commonly abbreviated to “NN”. Common age for marriage in Indonesia is 21 above. However, it’s discouraged to directly assume especially to strangers, because they can get offended if you’re wrong. It often times offensive due to the local culture that prefers young marriage for women while there are many women today who prefer not to.
How to Use:
Nona ___(name)____
To simplify the call, “Nona” can be shortened as “Non”
Non ___(name)____
More often people don’t call their names after using “Nona/Non”
The abbreviation
NN. ___(name)____
Example:
In letters
Miss Ariana
Jl. Gondang Raya no. XX
Tembalang, Semarang
50278
You may also read about What is “Mbak’ Meaning in Indonesian Language?
Nona Ariana
Jl. Gondang Raya no. XX
Tembalang, Semarang
50278
or
NN. Ariana
Jl. Gondang Raya no. XX
Tembalang, Semarang
50278
You may also read about How to say “Mrs” in Indonesian Language
In online forms/applications
Miss Ariana
Nona Ariana or
NN. Ariana
In statements
Miss Ariana is a university student
Nona Ariana adalah seorang mahasiswa
Miss Ariana is the daughter of a big property company owner
Nona Ariana adalah anak seorang pemilik usaha properti yang besar
In conversations
In the examples below, we will use ‘Miss’ directly instead of ‘Mam/Madam’ even though we don’t mention the names, only to ease your understanding to the subject where Miss = Nona/Non.
Example 1
A : Good morning Miss
B : Good morning, can you drive me fast?
A : Where do you want to go Miss?
Indonesian :
A : Selamat pagi Nona/Non
B : Selamat pagi, bisa antar saya cepat?
A : Nona hendak pergi kemana?
You may also read about How to Say “Sir” in Indonesian
Example 2
A : Is there anything I can help Miss?
B : No, thank you
Indonesian :
A : Ada yang bisa dibantu Nona/Non?
B : Tidak terimakasih
You may also read about Indonesian Formal Pronouns
Example 3
A : What do you want me to cook for you Miss?
B : Anything sweet please, thank you
A : Okay miss
Indonesian :
A : Mau dimasakin apa Nona/Non?
B : Apa saja yang manis bu, terimakasih
A : Oke Nona/Non
You may also read about Indonesian Formal Language
Example 4
A : Miss Ariana, it’s your turn
Indonesia :
A : Nona Ariana, sekarang giliran anda
Asking for Personal Information
A : May I know what is your full name Ms.?
B : Sure, it’s Ariana Stevenson
A : With your title please?
B : Miss Ariana Stevenson
A : Okay, thank you. We will call you for further progress.
Indonesian
A : Boleh saya tau nama panjang mbak?
B : Boleh, nama saya Ariana Stevenson
A : Dengan title nya mbak?
B : Nona Ariana Stevenson
A : Baik terimakasih. Kita akan menghubungimu apabila ada pekembangan.
Although it’s acceptable, “Bapak/Ibu” or “Mas/Mbak” (for younger people) is more inclusive. You can check the way to “Mbak” at Mbak meaning in Indonesian Language.
Usually, the use of “Tuan/Nyonya/Nona” in conversations is more often to call someone who is socially higher position than us. If you take a look in the examples above, it is directed from a driver/waiter to their customers. It’s also used by people who work for someone else or people with different socioeconomic and political classes/conditions.
Thank you for learning with us about how to say “Miss” in Indonesian. You can check We hope this can be helpful for you when visiting Indonesia!