Ways to say it
| Indonesian | IPA |
|---|---|
| cantik | /ˈt͡ʃantik/ (Standard Indonesian) |
| indah | /ˈindah/ |
| ayu | /ˈaju/ (Standard Indonesian) |
| molek | /ˈmolɛk/ (Standard Indonesian) |
The Indonesian language uses different words for beautiful depending on whether you are describing a person, a landscape or a poetic concept.
Which one should you use?
The choice of word depends heavily on what is being described. cantik is primarily used to describe the physical attractiveness of women or girls. In contrast, indah is used for scenery, art, sounds or abstract things like poems and landscapes. For a more poetic or traditional way to describe a woman's beauty, implying a graceful or classic charm, you can use ayu. If you wish to describe something as exquisite or lovely in a literary sense, use molek.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'very beautiful', you place the intensifier sangat before the adjective, such as sangat cantik.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtʃantik/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using indah to describe a person's physical appearance, as it sounds unnatural. Use cantik instead.
Did you know?
- The word cantik likely originated from the Javanese word canthik, which referred to the 'stem or beak of a ship'.
Examples in context
- Itu puisi yang indah.It's a beautiful poem.This sentence is useful for describing a beautiful poem using indah.Tatoeba #12915393 by HAGNi, translation #12912468 by rul
- Dia cantik dan pintar.She's beautiful and intelligent.This sentence is useful for describing a beautiful and intelligent woman using cantik.Tatoeba #13851822 by HAGNi, translation #2481254 by Hybrid
- Mawar ini sangat indah.This rose is very beautiful.This sentence is useful for describing a beautiful rose using indah.Tatoeba #863480 by windra, translation #60644 by CK
- Siti adalah wanita yang sangat cantik.Siti is a very beautiful woman.
- Bunga ini sangat cantik.This flower is very beautiful.
- Pemandangan di pantai ini benar-benar indah.The view at this beach is truly beautiful.
- Pertunjukan tari ini sangat indah.This dance performance is very beautiful.
- Wah, kamu kemarin pakai baju baru ya? Cakep banget!Wow, you wore a new dress yesterday? You look so beautiful!
- Cowok itu cakep banget ya?That guy is really handsome, isn't he?
- 72 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Dimas compliments Maya on her appearance at a party.
- DimasKamu terlihat sangat cantik malam ini.You look very beautiful tonight.
- MayaTerima kasih, Dimas!Thank you, Dimas!
- DimasGaun merah itu cocok untukmu.That red dress suits you.
- MayaAku senang kamu menyukainya.I am glad you like it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “beautiful” translations and entries cantik, indah, ayu, molek, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ayu, cantik, indah, molek, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
