Indonesian honorifics


Indonesian honorifics are honorific titles or prefixes used in Indonesia covering formal and informal social, commercial relationships. Family pronouns addressing siblings are used also in informal settings and are usually gender-neutral. Pronouns vary by region/ethnic area and depend on the ethnic group of the person spoken to. In addition to being gender- and ethnic-based, pronouns are often seniority-based and even profession-based.
Properly addressing people in Indonesian is important and learnt from an early age. It is common and expected to call people using a pronoun and their first name.

Royalty

Indonesian royalties use the title "Sri" and "Prabhu" to address the names of kings and monarchs, usually in Indianized kingdoms which had Hindu/Buddhist influence located in the islands of Sumatra, Java, Bali, Borneo, and other places. "Sri Baginda" or "Sri Paduka Baginda" is the formal title used to address a king, for example the king of Yogyakarta, Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X. "Prabhu" is also the title used for kings who ruled Indonesia in the Hindu/Buddhist era, such as Prabu Siliwangi and Prabu Bratasena.

Usage

Adult men are addressed by Bapak and adult women by Ibu. This can be translated to Mr. and Mrs. but can also mean Father/Mother. It can be used in conjunction with their first name or full name. Important to note, Indonesian pronouns can all be used in second and third-person singular and even in first-person.
Example by case:
  • 1.Person: Kakak mau makan . Using a pronoun for oneself is more uncommon.
  • 2.Person: Minta maaf, Bu Tejo
  • 3.Person: Andi kabur
An informal way to address a significantly older person is to use Om, Paman, Bibi or Tante, which mean "uncle" and "aunt". The terms "Om" and "Tante" are Dutch-influenced and quite commonly used in the big cities.
Indonesian like to speak in a short and effective way so when speaking to someone, omitting the pronoun completely is common. Kapan tiba di Jakarta?''.

Reflective Pronoun

Indonesian speakers use enclitic pronouns -ku, -mu, and -nya. The latter may also be used as a polite form for the second person singular. "Siapa namanya?".

By local language

Malay

In Malay speaking regions, such as Sumatra, some regions of coastal Borneo, and Jakarta, abang/"kakak" is for "older brother" and kakak / "Ayuk" is for "older sister". In Betawi language, mpok is for "older sister" and is only used to address a Betawi female.

Javanese

In Javanese and broadly speaking in Java, Mbak is used for "older sister" and Mas is used for "older brother". "Mas" and "Mbak" are also used as formal honorifics for men and women in Java generally.

Sundanese

In Sundanese, i.e. in Bandung, Akang or A'a is used for older brother and Teteh for older sister.

Madurese

In Madurese language, younger brother/sister can be called as Ale and for older brother is Chachak and for older sister is the same with Javanese which is Mbak.

Balinese

In Balinese, older people are addressed as Bli and ''Mbok''

Papuan

In Papua, men are addressed by Pace, women by Mace or Usi. Uncles and aunts are addressed relative to the parents age, Bapak muda, Bapak tua, Mama muda, Mama tua.

Chinese Indonesian (Chindo)

In the Chinese Indonesian diaspora, 姊姊 Cici / 姐姐 Cece is used to address for "older sister", 哥哥 Koko is used for "older brother".