gila
/ˈɡila/
In Indonesian, the word for crazy is gila.
The word gila is used colloquially to mean 'crazy' or 'insane'. It can be used in a literal sense regarding mental health, or in an exaggerated sense to describe intense situations or someone's behavior.
Meaning: insane, demented (adj)
Which one should you use?
While gila is the standard term, you may also encounter gila-gilaan, which is an informal and more emphatic way to express being crazy. The noun form Kegilaan is used to express the concepts of 'madness' or 'insanity'.
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, gila does not change its form to match the subject or the number of people being described.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈɡila/
Did you know?
- While gila can be quite harsh, adding the word banget after it, as in gila banget, often transforms the meaning into 'extremely cool' or 'incredible' among young people.
- The word gila comes from the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian root *gila, which originally described animals that were 'wild' or 'skittish' before it was applied to human insanity.
- Unlike English where 'crazy' can be a mild synonym for 'funny', using gila in Indonesia can sometimes imply a loss of control or a spiritual possession depending on the local belief system.
Examples in context
- Saya pikir kamu gila.I think you are crazy.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of gila when expressing a thought about someone.Tatoeba #4457955 by menyo, translation #5733705 by halucnation
- Gadis ini membuatku gila.This girl is driving me crazy.This sentence shows how gila can describe an effect someone has on you.Tatoeba #4568706 by Bilmanda, translation #4571449 by mailohilohi
- Aku rasa kalian berdua gila.I think you're both crazy.This sentence demonstrates that gila remains unchanged even when describing multiple people.Tatoeba #11062825 by HAGNi, translation #5296321 by CK
- Dia memiliki ide-ide yang gila, tapi sukses menerapkannya.He has crazy ideas, but succeeds in implementing them.
- Apa yang kamu lakukan? Ini gila-gilaan!What are you doing? This is crazy!
- Kami semua berpesta sampai gila-gilaan.We partied like crazy.
- 25 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Rian and Putri are discussing a strange person they saw at the park.
- RianOrang itu terlihat sangat gila.That person looks very crazy.
- PutriBenar, dia berteriak sendiri.True, he was shouting to himself.
- RianApakah dia benar-benar gila?Is he actually insane?
- PutriMungkin saja.Perhaps.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “crazy” translations and entries gila, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries gila, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
