Halo, apa kabar?
/ˈhalo ˈapa ˈkabar/word by word
The English phrase 'hello how are you' is translated into Indonesian as Halo, apa kabar?
Halo, apa kabar? is a common greeting used to start a conversation and ask about someone's well-being. While you can use time-specific greetings such as Selamat pagi (Good morning), Selamat siang (Good afternoon), Selamat sore (Good evening) or Selamat malam (Good night) depending on the time of day, Halo, apa kabar? serves as a standard way to initiate contact.
What does it mean word for word?
The part apa kabar? literally translates to 'what news?' In this phrase, apa means 'what' and kabar means 'news' or 'information'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Halo, apa kabar? is a neutral, standard greeting that is suitable for most social situations. For a more formal way to ask how someone is doing, you may use Bagaimana kabarnya?
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase Apa kabar? is grammatically complete on its own. It does not require a subject like 'you' to be understood as 'How are you?'
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈhalo ˈapa ˈkabar/
When do people say it?
When someone asks you Apa kabar?, a common and polite response is Baik, terima kasih, which means 'Good, thank you'.
Did you know?
- In casual settings, Indonesians often skip Halo and Apa kabar? entirely, instead asking Sudah makan? meaning 'Have you eaten?'
- The greeting Halo entered the Indonesian language via Dutch rather than directly from English.
- In many Indonesian social contexts, the greeting Apa kabar? is often used as a polite conversational opener rather than a genuine inquiry into your current life updates.
Examples in context
- Halo, apa kabar?Hello, how are you?
