bagus
/ˈbaɡus/
The English word 'good' is translated into Indonesian as bagus.
bagus is used to describe something that is pleasant, enjoyable, high quality or aesthetically pleasing. It is also frequently used as an exclamation to mean 'Great!' or 'Good job!' when reacting to something positive.
Meaning: pleasant, enjoyable (adj)
Which one should you use?
While bagus refers to something being pleasant, high quality or aesthetically pleasing, baik is used to describe good character, kindness or moral goodness. For a higher level of praise, you might use hebat, which translates to 'great' or 'amazing'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To negate the adjective and say 'not good', place the word tidak before bagus, resulting in tidak bagus.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈbaɡus/
Did you know?
- Indonesian speakers often use a repetitive form, bagus-bagus, to indicate that every single item in a group is of high quality.
- The word bagus is part of a vast linguistic family that spans the islands of Southeast Asia, as it is a direct descendant of the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian word *bagus.
- The word baik is frequently used as a polite way to say 'yes' or 'I agree' when receiving an instruction, functioning similarly to 'very well' in English.
Examples in context
- Ini rumah yang bagus.This is a good house.This sentence shows how to use bagus to describe a house.Tatoeba #12059133 by HAGNi, translation #1098024 by cntrational
- Kamus ini tidak bagus.This dictionary is no good.This sentence demonstrates the negation tidak bagus to say something is no good.Tatoeba #11228522 by Pi31415i, translation #58840 by CK
- Ini pertanyaan yang bagusIt's a good question.This sentence shows how to use bagus to describe a question.Tatoeba #1156211 by Archangelix, translation #521667 by CK
- Buku yang bagusA good book
- Cuaca yang bagusGood weather
- teman yang baikA good friend
- selamat tinggalGoodbye
- kerja yang hebatGood job
- kamu hebatYou did great
- Selamat pagiGood morning
- Selamat malamGood evening
- Selamat tidurGood night
- Semoga suksesGood luck
- 54 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a movie they just watched.
- MayaFilm tadi sangat bagus.That movie was very good.
- BudiIya, ceritanya bagus sekali.Yes, the story was very good.
- MayaApakah kamu suka musiknya?Did you like the music?
- BudiSangat bagus dan menenangkan.It was very good and calming.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry bagus, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bagus, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
