Hai, apa kabar?
/haɪ ˈapa ˈkabar/word by word
Hai, apa kabar? is the Indonesian way to say "hi, how are you?"
Apa kabar? is a versatile greeting. It can be used as a genuine inquiry about someone's well-being or simply as a standard social pleasantry.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase apa kabar? literally translates to "what news?" in English.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
If you wish to be slightly more formal or use a more standard greeting, you can use Halo, apa kabar?
How does it change in a sentence?
A common way to respond to the question Apa kabar? is to say kabar baik, which literally means "good news" but functions to mean "I am fine".
How do you pronounce it?
/haɪ ˈapa ˈkabar/
Did you know?
- While Hai sounds exactly like the English 'hi', it actually originates from older Malay exclamation words like wahai, which were used to call someone's attention.
- Depending on the region, a physical gesture like a slight nod or a hand over the heart often accompanies the greeting to show respect.
- If you are speaking to someone much older or in a formal setting, it is often more polite to add a title like Bapak (Sir) or Ibu (Madam) after the greeting.
Examples in context
- Selamat pagi, apa kabar?Good morning, how are you?
- Selamat siang, apa kabar?Good afternoon, how are you?
- Selamat sore, apa kabar?Good evening, how are you?
- Hai, apa kabar?Hi, how are you?
- Hallo, gimana kabarnya?Hello, how are you?
