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How to Say Mom in Indonesian – Definition and Examples

Hello everyone, how are you? Today, I am going to talk about one of a common word that is used in Indonesia (and I am pretty sure that this word is used in all over the world). This word is “mom” or “ibu” in Indonesian language.

As said above, “mom” means “ibu” or “mama” or “bunda”  in Indonesia. The word “ibu” usually used when we talk to some old women, while the word “mama” or “bunda” is used to call your biological mother. As we know, Indonesia consist of many islands and including many tribes.

This means the word “mom” can be spelled or said differently in each regions in Indonesia. Learn Indonesian Words for Family Members  will help you to know more about the family members in Indonesian. Keep on reading this article to learn more about how to say mom in Indonesian.

How to Pronounce Mom in Indonesian

Before you use the “mom” words in Indonesian, you need to know about how to pronounce it. I am going to give you some examples of how to pronounce “mom” words in Indonesian. The common words that are used in Indonesian are “ibu”, “mama”, “bunda”, “mami”, and “emak”. Here is the further explanation.

  • First, ibu (i-bu)
  • Second, mama (ma-ma)
  • Third, bunda (bun-da)
  • The fourth one, mami (ma-mi)
  • The last common “mom word” in Indonesian, emak (e-mak)

You can also read these articles below to enrich your Indonesian skill:

The concept of mom words in Indonesian

Now, we are talking about the concept.it is important because you need to know about the right time to use the words. Commonly, mom words in Indonesian consist of two ways, the formal and informal.

The formal way, mom words are used to greet or talk to some old women, such as “ibu”. While the second way, the informal way, used when you want to greet your mother in Indonesian, such as “mama”, “bunda”, “mami”, or even “emak”.

You can use “ibu” to call your mother in Indonesian, but “ibu” is commonly used to greet some older women (usually to great your teacher, some stranger, etc). Check out this article Differences between Indonesian and English Grammar to make you know about the difference between Indonesian and English grammar. 

The examples of mom words in Indonesian

For the examples, I am going to give you in both formal and informal ways.

The formal way

  • Selamat pagi, ibu. Apa kabar ibu? – good morning, madam. How are you today?
  • Saya ingin berkunjung ke rumah ibu, boleh minta alamatnya? – I want to visit your house. Can I ask for your address, madam?
  • Apa ibu perlu bantuan saya? – do you need any help, madam?
  • Hati-hati di jalan, bu. – be careful, ma’am.
  • Boleh tolong bantu saya, bu? – can you do me a favor, ma’am?

The informal way

  • Hai mama, lagi ngapain? – hello mom, what are you doing?
  • Boleh aku pergi keluar, bunda? – can I go out, mother?
  • Aku sayang mami. – I love you, mommy.
  • Emak, ada yang bisa aku bantu? – mom, can I help you?
  • Terimakasih, mama – thank you, mom.

That is all for the how to say mom in Indonesian article. I hope you can get more information that will help you to understand about Indonesian language. See you!

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