This is a list of Indonesian-Malay false friends , that is, word pairs similar in appearance but different in meaning. Diacritics are shown for clarity in this table (while they are not usually written). Translations may be approximated; see linked entries for details.
Indonesian
Standard Malay
Translation, Indonesian only
Translation, Both
Translation, Standard Malay only
Notes
acara
acara
program , agenda ; court examination
event
-
ahli
ahli
expert
member
Both senses (member and expert) are listed in Indonesian dictionary, however the member sense is obsolete (fossilized in several compounds).
akar umbi
akar umbi
tuberous root
-
grass roots
akta
akta
act (written legal document)
-
act (of parliament)
alam
alam
universe
nature , realm , world
kingdom (taxonomic rank)
ampaian
ampaian
-
clothesline
suspension (chemistry, physics)
angkasawan
angkasawan
radio broadcaster
astronaut , cosmonaut
-
awak
awak
I (Sumatran East Coast), crew (transportation)
-
you (casual)
ayat
ayat
entry
ayat
sentence
baja
baja
steel
-
fertilizer
bajak
bajak
pirate
plough
-
baki
baki
tray
-
balance , residue
ban
ban
tyre ; tape
-
bun (small bread roll)
banci
banci
transvestite
-
census
bandar
bandar
coastal town ; bookmaker , bookie ; dealer ; watercourse , ditch
port , harbour
city
bangun
bangun
to build
wake up (from sleep)
to develop
bangsa
bangsa
nation
race ; ethnicity
banting
banting
slam (verb)
-
banteng
bapa
bapa
Father (Christianity)
-
father
bas
bas
bass (music), boss
-
bus (transportation)
batuk kêring
batuk kering
dry cough
-
tuberculosis
bêlanja
belanja
to shop
to spend
to treat
bêndahara
bendahara
treasurer (male or neutral), prime minister (obsolete)
vizier
bêndahari
bendahari
female treasurer
-
treasurer
bénténg
bénténg
fort ; rook (chess piece)
embankment
bêrbagi
berbagi
to share
-
to give
bêrcinta
bercinta
to make love , to have sexual intercourse
to love
in love
bêrèdar
berédar
to oscillate (of planet); to distribute
to leave
berjaya
berjaya
successful , victorious
succeed , succeeded
berlaku
berlaku
apply
happen , occur
bêrupaya
berupaya
to make an effort , to do the best
capable
bêtung
betung
-
giant bamboo
sewer ( pipe ) ; a kind of frog ; blackfin scad
biara
biara
non-Buddhist monastery , eg. Christian monastery
Buddhist monastery
Buddhist monastery in Indonesian is wihara , a Javanese cognate.
bicara
bicara
to speak , to say , to talk
to try ( put on trial ) ; to discuss
biji
biji
testicle ( offensive )
seed
bila
bila
if , when (conjunction)
when (interrogative)
bilik
bilik
booth (an enclosure ), chamber
room *
The sense of room is dated in Indonesian.
bilik persalinan
bilik persalinan
delivery room
dressing room
bina
bina
to develop
to build
bisa
bisa
venom
can , able
boga
boga
food
-
favourite
bola sepak
bola sepak
football (the ball )
-
football , soccer (the sport )
bon
bon
receipt ; union , association
-
bond , debenture
bual
bual
to tell a lie
to chat , to converse
budak
budak
slave
kid
bulu tangkis
bulu tangkis
badminton
shuttlecock
bunga api
bunga api
spark
firework
buntut
buntut
tail
buttock
butuh
butuh
need
male genital
The male genital sense in Indonesian is dialectal.
cadangan
cadangan
spare
-
suggestion ; proposal ; opinion
capaian
capaian
achievement
-
access
catatan
catatan
-
note , record , remark ; warning
entry
cêroboh
ceroboh
indecent , improper ; rude ; careless , negligent ; sloppy , untidy
trespass
comèl
comél
grumbler , grouser
cute ; pretty ( dialectal )
cukai
cukai
excise
tax
daripada
daripada
than (comparison )
from (all senses) (clarification of this definition is needed)
darurat
darurat
emergency
state of emergency
daya
daya
power (physics )
force (physics )
daur
daur
rotation , cycle , turn
period
débit
débit
discharge ( hydrology ) , flowrate
debit (accounting )
-
dêkat
dekat
near
at , in , on
dêtik
detik
second
jiffy
disénteri
disénteri
to be shined by flashlight
dysentery
doktor
doktor
doctor (person who has doctorate)
doctor (medical doctor)
duduk
duduk
to sit
to reside (informal)
The sense of "to reside" is dated in Indonesian and can be found in the derivation such as penduduk ( “ resident ” ) .
dukung
dukung
to support
to carry in the arms
dorong
dorong
to push ; to boost
to propel
to encourage , to motivate
dramatis
dramatis
dramatic
-
dramatist