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How to Say OK in Indonesian – Phrases – Definition

We are all already know that English is an international language. As a results, a lot of people all around the world learn about basic English. Some of English words are even used in every day life in non English speaking countries. Indonesia is one of a non speaking country. However, most of Indonesian know basic English and use several English words everyday.

OK, okay, or o.k. is an English word that widely used in Indonesia. We can hear many people say it every day. Depend on the context and the sentence, OK can means fine, agree, yes, etc. It is denoting approval, acceptance, or agreement. There are many theories on the origin of OK. There are also many other alternatives way of writing and saying “OK”.

The first theory is that “OK” come from “oll right” abbreviation in Boston. The second theory said that OK come from Choctaw Indian Origin. It is said that “oke” or “hoke” was common at that time used by Choctaw. The third theory said that the word “OK” come from West Africa, from the word waw-kay that turned in to o ke or oke. It can also come from Scottish that immigrate to North America that usually say “och aye” (Oh yes) that sounds like OK. Other famous theory is that OK come from Greek phrase ola kala, meaning “all good”.

It’s not strange to hear an Indonesian saying “OK”. In Indonesia, people usually write OK and say OK as:

  • Oke
  • Okey
  • Okeh
  • Okay

Among all of the alternatives, in Indonesia, “oke” is the most widely used. People usually say ok while raising their right thumb. Here are the example on how to use “oke” in every day conversation.

  • A: Tom, tolong datang ke pesta ulang tahunku minggu depan (Hey Tom, please come to my birthday party next week).

B: Oke (OK).

  • A: Ayo makan bersama di restoran itu (let’s eat together in that restaurant).

B: Oke (OK).

  • A: Tolong pindahkan kursi itu ke pojok ruangan (please move the chair to the corner of the room).

B: Oke (OK).

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As OK is a form of approval, acceptance, or agreement, “OK” can also be translated into other Indonesian words as follow:

  • Baik/baiklah (fine)
  • Tidak apa-apa (it’s all right/no problem)
  • Saya setuju (I agree)
  • Ya (yes)

Here are the examples on how to use the words in Indonesian conversations:

  • A: Linda, tolong kembalikan bukuku yang kamu pinjam (Linda, please bring me my book that you borrow)

B: Baiklah (OK/fine).

  • A: Maaf ya sudah menjatuhkan pulpenmu (Hey, sorry for dropping your pen)

B: Tidak apa-apa (I’m OK/it’s all right)

  • A: Apa kamu setuju kita semua harus mengenakan pakaian hitam untuk tampil? (Do you agree that we should all wear black for the show?)

B: Saya setuju (OK/I agree)

  • A: Ayo pergi menonton film di bioskop (Let’s go watching movie in the cinema)

B: Ya (yes/OK)

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Interesting, right? That’s all about how to say OK in Indonesian. I hope this article will broaden your knowledge. Thank you for reading.