How to Say "Miss" in Indonesian

rindu

In Indonesian, the English phrase 'miss' (to feel the absence of someone or something) is expressed as rindu.

Rindu is used to express a longing for a person, a place or even a feeling or time.

Meaning: to feel the absence of someone or something, to feel the want or need of (verb)

Which one should you use?

While rindu carries a poetic and deep quality, the word kangen is the much more common, colloquial way to say 'miss' in everyday conversation.

This transitive version, merindukan, is used when you specify the object of your longing directly after the verb.

While rindu is the standard word for longing, the colloquial kangen is actually a loanword from the Javanese language, which is spoken by the largest ethnic group in Indonesia.
In some Indonesian songs, the word rindu is personified, treated as a physical weight or a guest that visits the heart, rather than just a psychological state.
While English uses 'miss' for both an absent person and a missed opportunity, Indonesian uses rindu only for longing and a different word, lewat, for missing a target or a bus.

Aku rindu dia.
I miss him.
This sentence is useful for practicing the use of rindu with a third-person pronoun.
Tatoeba #11236911 by Pacific, translation #479775 by AniDeer
Aku rindu kamu.
I miss you.
This sentence is useful for practicing the use of rindu with a second-person pronoun.
Tatoeba #3807609 by orion17, translation #1308 by brauliobezerra
Aku rindu Paris.
I miss Paris.
This sentence is useful for practicing the use of rindu with a place.
Tatoeba #12134226 by HAGNi, translation #6615648 by Eccles17
Permisi, nona. Boleh saya tanya sesuatu?
Excuse me, miss. May I ask something?
Mbak, bisakah saya minta tolong?
Excuse me, miss. Can I ask for your help?
3 more sentences on Tatoeba

Two friends are talking on the phone at night.

Sources

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