pacar
/ˈpat͡ʃar/gender neutral
The Indonesian word for girlfriend is pacar.
In Indonesian, pacar is the most common way to refer to a romantic partner in everyday conversation. While it is often used to mean girlfriend, the word itself is gender-neutral and can refer to a boyfriend as well.
Meaning: a female partner in a romantic relationship (noun)
Which one should you use?
Because pacar is gender-neutral, you can specify that you are talking about a female partner by using the phrase pacar perempuan.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Pacar is an informal term used in daily life. For more formal or poetic contexts, you can use kekasih, which translates to 'beloved' or 'sweetheart' or pasangan, which means 'partner'. An endearing, informal way to refer to a girlfriend is kekasihku.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈpatʃar/
Did you know?
- The word pacar actually has its roots in the word for 'henna', a plant used to dye nails red. This stems from a Betawi tradition where a person would dye their nails with pacar before getting married.
- The word pacar can lead to confusion if you are discussing cosmetics or beauty products, as the word literally means 'henna'. In a beauty shop, it refers to the dye, not a romantic partner.
- In Indonesia, the term pacaran describes the act of dating as a social activity rather than just the status of having a partner.
Examples in context
- Aku tidak punya pacar.I don't have a girlfriend.This sentence shows how to use pacar in a negative statement about oneself.Tatoeba #11214994 by Pacific, translation #1970225 by CK
- Dia tidak punya pacar.He has no girlfriend.This sentence demonstrates how to use pacar to describe someone else's lack of a partner.Tatoeba #11324874 by Pacific, translation #284658 by CK
- Mary itu bukan pacarku.Mary isn't my girlfriend.This sentence shows how to use pacar to clarify a relationship status regarding a specific person.Tatoeba #3941933 by Bilmanda, translation #3431388 by CK
- Saya ingin memperkenalkan kekasih saya, Maria.I'd like to introduce my girlfriend, Maria
- Aku sedang bersama pacarku.I am with my girlfriend
- 37 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sari and Budi are chatting about their personal lives at a cafe.
- SariBudi, apa kamu punya pacar?Budi, do you have a girlfriend?
- BudiTidak, aku sedang sendiri sekarang.No, I am single right now.
- SariOh, begitu ya.Oh, I see.
- BudiKalau kamu, apakah kamu punya pacar?How about you, do you have a boyfriend?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “girlfriend” translations and entries pacar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pacar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
