nama
/ˈnama/
The English word "name" is translated into Indonesian as nama.
nama is a noun referring to a word or phrase that indicates a particular person, place, class or thing.
Meaning: word or phrase indicating a particular person, place, class or thing (noun)
Which one should you use?
While nama is the noun, menamai is the transitive verb used when an agent is performing the action of assigning a name to something.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
In Indonesian, the question 'Who is your name?' (Siapa nama Anda?) is the standard way to ask for someone's name, rather than using 'What' (Apa).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈnama/
When do people say it?
The title Pak is used to address a man formally, similar to Mr. The title Ibu is used to address a woman formally, similar to Mrs. or Ms. Haji is an honorific given to someone who has completed the Hajj pilgrimage.
Did you know?
- The word nama is a direct cognate of the English 'name' and the Dutch 'naam' because both Indonesian and English words ultimately trace back to the same Proto-Indo-European root.
- In many parts of Indonesia, people may not have a legal 'nama' that includes a family surname. Instead, they often have a single name or a combination of given names.
- The word nama looks almost identical to the Japanese word for name, namae, but they are not linguistically related. They are purely coincidental look-alikes.
Examples in context
- Nama saya bukan Tom.My name isn't Tom.This sentence is useful for stating that your name is not Tom.Tatoeba #11595617 by Pacific, translation #2396297 by CK
- Siapa nama teman Anda?What's your friend's name?This sentence is used to ask for a friend's name.Tatoeba #3938804 by Bilmanda, translation #486669 by CM
- Apa nama restoran itu?What was the name of that restaurant?This sentence is used to ask for the name of a specific restaurant.Tatoeba #4766874 by Bilmanda, translation #4013541 by CK
- 162 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sari and Adi are meeting for the first time at a seminar.
- SariSiapa nama Anda?What is your name?
- AdiNama saya Adi.My name is Adi.
- SariSenang bertemu Anda, Adi.Nice to meet you, Adi.
- AdiSenang bertemu Anda juga, Sari.Nice to meet you too, Sari.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “name” translations and entries nama, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nama, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
