kecoa
[kəˈt͡ʃoa]
The Indonesian word for cockroach is kecoa. Wiktionary also lists kecoak and kacoa.
Meaning: type of insect (noun)
Ways to say it
| Indonesian | IPA |
|---|---|
| kecoa | [kəˈt͡ʃoa] (narrow) |
| kecoak | /kəˈt͡ʃoaʔ/ (Standard Indonesian) |
| kacoa | [ˈkat͡ʃoa] (narrow) |
The word refers to the type of insect known as a cockroach.
Which one should you use?
While kecoak, kecoa and kacoa are variations seen in the language, kecoa is a common colloquial spelling used in everyday speech and informal writing.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the plural form of cockroach, the word is typically reduplicated as kecoak-kecoak. When counting a single cockroach, the classifier seekor is used before the noun, as in seekor kecoa.
Did you know?
- The word kecoa is actually a linguistic immigrant, having been borrowed from Hokkien Chinese rather than being a native Austronesian word.
- The word kecoak is often used in Indonesian slang or metaphors to describe something repulsive or resilient.
- The word kecoa is deeply linked to the Betawi dialect, a culture in Jakarta that heavily influences modern colloquial Indonesian.
Examples in context
- Kecoaknya terbang ke bawah tempat tidur.The cockroach fled under the bed.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use the form kecoak to describe the insect's movement.Tatoeba #13667907 by HAGNi, translation #9281764 by Nylez
- Penyihir itu mengubahnya menjadi kecoak.The witch turned him into a cockroach.This sentence shows the form kecoak used in the context of a transformation.Tatoeba #13667908 by HAGNi, translation #11741825 by Nuel
- Saya menemukan seekor kecoa mati di dalam ruang rapat.I have found a dead cockroach in the meeting room.This sentence demonstrates the use of the form kecoa when identifying a single insect in a room.Tatoeba #2788388 by deel, translation #1650231 by Amastan
- Kami menemukan kecoa di dapur.We found a cockroach in the kitchen.
- Jangan biarkan kecoa ini terlalu lama di rumah.Don't let this cockroach stay in the house for too long.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Dimas and Sari are cleaning the kitchen.
- DimasAda kecoa di dekat tempat sampah.There is a cockroach near the trash can.
- SariAduh, saya takut sekali!Oh no, I am so scared!
- DimasJangan takut, biar saya yang usir.Don't be afraid, let me chase it away.
- SariTerima kasih, Dimas.Thank you, Dimas.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cockroach” translations and entries kecoa, kecoak, kacoa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries kecoak, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
