tidak
/ˈtidaʔ/
In Malay, 'no' is said as tidak.
tidak is a particle used to show disagreement or negation. It can also function as a noun meaning a negating expression. When responding to a yes/no question, tidak is used to express negation, whereas bukan is not used as a standalone one-word answer for 'no'.
Meaning: used to show disagreement or negation (particle)
Which one should you use?
While tidak is the standard form, tak is a common contraction used in spoken and informal written Malay. In terms of grammatical function, tidak is used to negate verbs and adjectives, but bukan is used to negate nouns or to provide contrast, such as saying 'It is not a book'. Additionally, the related form tiada means 'not any'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
tidak is used to negate verbs and adjectives. In contrast, you should use bukan when you need to negate a noun or provide a contrast.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtidaʔ/
Did you know?
- The Malay word tidak shares a common ancestor with the Malagasy word tsy, which is spoken on the island of Madagascar thousands of miles away.
- In many Malay cultures, saying tidak directly can be seen as too blunt, so speakers often use a softer tone or indirect phrasing to avoid being impolite.
- In spoken Malay, the final consonant of tidak is often a glottal stop, which is a sound produced by closing the vocal cords rather than using the tongue.
Examples in context
- "Matematik itu menyeronokkan" "Tidak""Math is fun." "No, it's not."This example shows how tidak is used as a one-word response to disagree.Tatoeba #11029443 by imperiex, translation #3970863 by Hybrid
- Saya akan bersama awak tidak kira apa pun.I'll stand by you, no matter what.This sentence uses tidak within the phrase 'no matter what'.Tatoeba #10778231 by imperiex, translation #8586055 by CK
- Saya tidak tahu apakah yang sedang saya lakukan.I had no idea what I was doing.This sentence shows tidak negating the verb 'know'.Tatoeba #8663859 by Kazuki278, translation #2331678 by CK
- Terima kasih banyak atas jemputan anda, tetapi saya tidak dapat hadir.Thank you very much for the invitation, but I am unable to attend.
- Maaf, tetapi saya tidak berupaya membantu anda dengan permintaan ini.Sorry, but I am unable to assist you with this request.
- Saya minta maaf, tetapi saya tidak dapat memberikan kebenaran untuk melakukan ini.I'm sorry, but I cannot grant permission to do this.
- Ala takpe, lain kali bolehlah kita hang out ya?It's okay, next time we can hang out, alright?
- Aish, maaf eh, aku tak mampu nak bantu kau ni.Ah, sorry, I'm not capable of helping you with this.
- Alah, takleh buat la. Maaf, ya.Nah, can't do it. Sorry, alright?
- 26 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Aishah asks Hafiz if he has finished his homework.
- AishahHafiz sudah siap kerja sekolah?Has Hafiz finished the homework?
- HafizTidak, saya belum siap lagi.No, I am not finished yet.
- AishahAwak mahu saya bantu?Do you want me to help?
- HafizTidak perlu, terima kasih Aishah.No need, thank you Aishah.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry tidak, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tidak, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
