suami
/ˈsua̯.mi/
The Indonesian word for husband is suami.
suami is the noun used to refer to a male partner in a marriage. To express possession, such as 'my husband', place the possessor after the noun. For example, suami saya means 'my husband'.
Meaning: male partner in marriage (noun)
Which one should you use?
The counterpart to suami is istri, which means wife.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the plural 'husbands', the word is reduplicated as suami-suami.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈsua̯.mi/. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- In traditional Javanese-influenced Indonesian culture, a wife might refer to her suami as mas (older brother) as a sign of respect and affection.
- Because suami comes from the Sanskrit word for 'master' or 'lord', the word carries a historical connotation of authority that is not present in the English word 'husband'.
- In some Indonesian slang or very informal settings, people might use the term 'Paksu', which is a playful contraction of 'Pak Suami' (Mr. Husband).
Examples in context
- Saya Tom, suami Mary.I'm Tom, Mary's husband.This sentence demonstrates how to introduce yourself as a husband using suami.Tatoeba #12115543 by HAGNi, translation #5828319 by CK
- Suami Anda yang mana?Which is your husband?This sentence shows how to ask which person is a husband using suami.Tatoeba #13777201 by HAGNi, translation #12260475 by maaster
- Aku tidak punya suami.I don't have a husband.This sentence shows how to state that one does not have a husband using suami.Tatoeba #13732649 by HAGNi, translation #6666737 by CK
- Apakah suami Anda bekerja sebagai dokter?Is your husband working as a doctor?
- 29 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Budi and Indah are meeting for the first time at a party.
- IndahHalo Indah, apa kabar?Hello Indah, how are you?
- BudiKabar baik, Budi. Apakah suami Anda sudah datang?I'm good, Budi. Has your husband arrived yet?
- IndahBelum, suami saya masih di jalan.Not yet, my husband is still on the way.
- BudiOh, tidak apa-apa.Oh, that's alright.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “husband” translations and entries suami, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries suami, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
