berbau

Indonesian

Alternative forms

• berbaoe (pre-1947)

Etymology

From Malay berbau, from Classical Malay berbau. Equivalent to ber- +‎ bau.

Verb

berbau

1. (stative) to have smell

   Ruangan ini berbau mawar.

   This room smells of roses.

Malay

Etymology

ber- +‎ bau (“odour, smell”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bərbau/
  • (Johor-Riau) IPA^(key): [bəbau]
• Rhymes: -au̯, -u

Verb

berbau (Jawi spelling برباءو)

1. (intransitive) to smell bad; to smell

   Baju ini agak berbau.

   This shirt quite smells.

2. (transitive) to have the smell of something or some quality

   Makanan ini berbau sedap.

   This food smells delicious.

3. (transitive) to possess a quality of something

   Synonyms: bersifat, berunsur

   mesej berbau kebencian ― hate-filled message

Further reading

• “berbau” in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu | Malay Literary Reference Centre, Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017.