Ways to say it
| Indonesian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| saudara | /sau̯ˈdara/ (Standard Indonesian) | neuter |
| kakak laki-laki | /ˈkakaʔ ˌlaki ˈlaki/ (Standard Indonesian, word by word) | masculine |
| abang | /ˈabaŋ/ (Standard Indonesian) | masculine |
| adik laki-laki | /ˈadik ˌlaki ˈlaki/ (Standard Indonesian, word by word) | masculine |
The term saudara is a neutral, gender-neutral word used to mean a sibling or a relative in a general sense. When you want to specify a male sibling, you can use more specific masculine terms.
What does it mean word for word?
In the phrases kakak laki-laki and adik laki-laki, the term laki-laki means male or man and is added to kinship terms to specify the gender.
Which one should you use?
While saudara is a general term for a sibling or relative, other forms specify age and gender. Use kakak laki-laki specifically when referring to an older brother and adik laki-laki specifically when referring to a younger brother.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
kakak laki-laki is a formal or neutral way to identify an older brother. For a more casual or colloquial way to say older brother, you can use abang. Additionally, Mas is an informal term used to address an older brother or a male friend.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Betawi dialect of Jakarta, the term bang is used to address friends or older brothers.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'my brother', you can attach the suffix -ku to the noun, such as saudaraku or kakakku.
How do you pronounce it?
/sau̯ˈdara/
Did you know?
Examples in context
- Di mana kakak laki-lakiku?Where's my big brother?This sentence is useful for asking about the location of a kakak laki-laki.Tatoeba #13741115 by HAGNi, translation #13430227 by frpzzd
- Dia seperti saudara bagiku.He's like a brother to me.This sentence shows how to use saudara to describe a person who feels like a sibling.Tatoeba #11056325 by HAGNi, translation #297823 by CK
- Saudaraku kecil tetapi kuat.My brother is small but strong.This sentence demonstrates the use of saudara to describe a brother's physical traits.Tatoeba #3253722 by orion17, translation #278567 by CK
- Selamat datang, saudara!Welcome, brother!
- Terima kasih, saudara!Thank you, brother!
- Apakah anda baik-baik saja, saudara?Are you okay, brother?
- Hai, Mas!Hey, bro!
- Ada kabar baik, Mas?Any good news, bro?
- Maukah kamu pergi bersamaku, Abang?Would you like to go with me, brother?
- Abang, tolong aku!Brother, help me!
- 37 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Rian and Putri are talking about their families.
- RianApakah kamu punya saudara?Do you have a brother?
- PutriYa, saya punya satu saudara laki-laki.Yes, I have one brother.
- RianDia lebih tua atau lebih muda?Is he older or younger?
- PutriSaudara saya lebih muda dari saya.My brother is younger than me.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “brother” translations and entries saudara, abang, adik laki-laki, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (kakak, laki-laki, adik) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries abang, kakak, laki-laki, saudara, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
