hai, apa kabar?
/haɪ ˈapa ˈkabar/word by word
Hi, how are you? in Indonesian is hai, apa kabar?
hai, apa kabar? is a common greeting used to start a conversation and ask about someone's well-being. The phrase apa kabar? serves both as a literal question about a person's state and as a standard social greeting.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase apa kabar? literally translates to "what news?" The word kabar is a noun meaning news or information.
Which one should you use?
While hai, apa kabar? is a standard way to say "Hi, how are you?", you may also encounter Halo, Gimana Kabarnya? as an alternative informal greeting.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
hai, apa kabar? is an informal way to greet someone. In formal situations, you should use Selamat pagi/siang/sore/malam, Apa Kabar? to maintain a polite tone. For time-specific greetings, you can use Selamat siang (good afternoon), Selamat sore (good evening) or Selamat malam (good night).
How do you pronounce it?
/haɪ ˈapa ˈkabar/
When do people say it?
When someone asks you apa kabar?, a common response is baik, which means "good" or "well".
Did you know?
- The word hai is originally a clipping of the more poetic or emotive words wahai or duhai.
- The phrase apa kabar? is shared with Malay, the sister language of Indonesian, reflecting their common linguistic ancestry.
- When responding to apa kabar?, saying baik is common, but it is often paired with terima kasih to maintain social harmony.
Examples in context
- Hi, Apa Kabar?
Kabar baik, terima kasih! Bagaimana denganmu?Hi, How are you?
Good news, thank you! How about you? - Hai, apa kabar?Hi, how are you?
