madu
/ˈmadu/
The English word honey is madu in Indonesian.
madu refers to the sweet substance produced by bees.
Meaning: sweet substance produced by bees (noun)
Which one should you use?
While madu is the base noun, the form madunya is used to specify 'the honey' within a particular context.
How does it change in a sentence?
madu is an uncountable noun and does not change its form to indicate plurality.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈmadu/
Did you know?
- If you were to call a woman your madu in a traditional context, you would not be calling her 'sweetheart', but rather identifying her as your wife's co-wife.
- The Indonesian word madu shares an ancient root with the Chinese word mì, which also means both 'honey' and 'mistress'.
Examples in context
- Ambil madu dan mentega!Take the honey and butter!This sentence demonstrates how to use madu when requesting items.Tatoeba #13726539 by HAGNi, translation #7101290 by Eccles17
- Tom alergi terhadap madu.Tom is allergic to honey.This sentence shows how to use madu when discussing allergies.Tatoeba #11418625 by Pacific, translation #9742021 by shekitten
- Permisi, madunya di mana, ya?Excuse me, where can I find the honey?This sentence illustrates the use of madunya to mean 'the honey' when asking for its location.Tatoeba #13917645 by HAGNi, translation #8860178 by moxy
- Hari ini, aku akan belanja untukmu, Sayang.Today, I will go shopping for you, honey.
- Sayang, apa kabar?Honey, how are you?
- Sayangku, tolong pinjamkan aku bukumu ya.My honey, can you lend me your book?
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Putri and Adi are having breakfast in the kitchen.
- PutriAdi, apakah ada madu?Adi, is there any honey?
- AdiAda, madunya ada di atas meja.Yes, the honey is on the table.
- PutriTerima kasih, Adi.Thank you, Adi.
- AdiSama-sama, Putri.You're welcome, Putri.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “honey” translations and entries madu, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries madu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
