Om Swastiastu, kenken kabare?
Om Swastiastu, kenken kabare? is the Balinese phrase for hello, how are you?
This phrase is a common greeting used to start a conversation and ask about someone's well-being.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of two parts. Om Swastiastu literally means 'May God bless you' or 'May you be in a good state', functioning as a blessing for well-being rather than a direct translation of 'hello'. The second part, kenken kabare?, literally means 'how is the news?' and is used to inquire about someone's well-being.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Using Om Swastiastu makes the greeting more formal and respectful than a simple 'Halo'.
When do people say it?
When someone asks kenken kabare?, a common response is Becik, suksma, which means 'Good, thank you'.
Did you know?
- The phrase kenken kabare? uses the word kabar, which is a loanword from Arabic meaning 'news' and is shared with Indonesian and Malay.
- When saying Om Swastiastu, it is customary to press the palms together in front of the chest in a gesture called 'sembah'.
- While Om Swastiastu is the standard formal greeting, Balinese has a complex caste system that usually requires different vocabulary for different social levels.
Examples in context
- Om Swastiastu, kenken kabare?Hello, how are you?
