bagus
/ˈbaɡos/
The English phrase "good" (meaning pleasant or enjoyable) is translated into Malay as bagus.
bagus is used to describe something that is of good quality, excellent or pleasant. It can also function as an interjection to express approval, such as saying "Great!" or "Good!" when reacting to a performance or hearing news. While bagus refers to quality or excellence, it should not be confused with baik, which is used to describe a person's moral character or kindness.
Meaning: pleasant, enjoyable (adj)
Which one should you use?
bagus refers to the quality or excellence of something, whereas baik is the appropriate word when you want to describe someone as being a good or kind person.
How does it change in a sentence?
To modify the intensity of the word, place sangat before bagus to say "very good" (sangat bagus). If you want to say something is "too good," use the intensifier terlalu before the word, resulting in terlalu bagus.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈbaɡos/
Did you know?
- In some contexts, bagus is used as an exclamation of sarcasm to mean 'Great, just great!' when something goes wrong, similar to the English use of 'Wonderful'.
- In some Indonesian dialects, the word bagus is used to describe physical beauty or handsomeness, a nuance not typically found in standard Malay.
- The word bagus is an ancient linguistic survivor, tracing its roots back to the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian language family.
Examples in context
- Bagus kerja yang awak telah lakukan.You've done a good job of that.This sentence shows how to use bagus to describe a job well done.Tatoeba #9708980 by imperiex, translation #5557226 by Rawrren
- Tom ialah seorang pelajar yang bagus, bukan?Tom is a very good student, isn't he?This sentence demonstrates using bagus to describe a student's quality.Tatoeba #10723518 by imperiex, translation #3416854 by CK
- Kan bagus kalau setiap hari awak berkelakuan sebaik ini.Wouldn't it be good if you behaved this well every day?This sentence illustrates using bagus to describe a desirable situation or behavior.Tatoeba #5900279 by Adou_Fr, translation #7594613 by feudalism
- Karya seni ini sangat bagus.This artwork is very good.
- Perfume ini harum dan terbaik untuk acara istimewa.This perfume is fragrant and the best for special occasions.
- Anda telah memberikan jawapan yang sempurna.You have given a perfect answer.
- Baju baru awak sangat cun!Your new dress looks really good!
- Makanan di restoran ini memang mantap!The food at this restaurant is really good!
- Filem baru ni memang padu gila!This new movie is totally awesome!
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Siti and Muhammad are discussing a movie they just watched.
- SitiFilem itu sangat bagus.That movie was very good.
- MuhammadYa, jalan ceritanya bagus.Yes, the storyline was good.
- SitiLakonan mereka juga bagus, kan?Their acting was also good, right?
- MuhammadBetul, Siti. Saya sangat suka.True, Siti. I liked it a lot.
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.
