oke
/ɔke/
In Indonesian, 'ok' is expressed as oke.
The term is used as an acknowledgement or to express acceptance. While oke is a widely used loanword for everyday communication, there are several other ways to express agreement or affirmation depending on the level of formality required.
Meaning: acknowledgement or acceptance (intj)
Which one should you use?
oke is the standard informal spelling for the loanword. In casual speech, you may also see the English spelling Ok used.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
oke is common in everyday conversations, especially among urban communities and younger generations. For formal settings, you should use baik to express that something is okay or acceptable or Tentu to convey agreement meaning "certainly" or "sure". In very casual speech, Ya can serve as an affirmation similar to "yeah" and Nah can be used as an interjection to show agreement.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In East Java, the informal expression ya wis is used to express agreement. In Central Java, monggo means "please" but can also be used to acknowledge or agree with something.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɔke/
Did you know?
- In very casual conversation, nah is used as an interjection to show agreement. Unlike the English 'nah' which means 'no', the Indonesian nah acts as a confirmation or a way to say 'exactly'.
- In many parts of Indonesia, a simple nod or even a slight upward tilt of the head can act as a silent 'oke' without needing to speak at all.
- Indonesian speakers may use ya as a simple affirmation, similar to 'yeah'. In certain contexts, repeating it as ya ya can signal that the speaker is impatient or wants the other person to hurry up.
Examples in context
- Apakah semuanya oke di sini?Is everything OK here?This sentence uses oke to ask if a situation is okay.Tatoeba #4396667 by Bilmanda, translation #33616 by CK
- Oke.OK.This sentence is a simple affirmation using oke.Tatoeba #4706161 by Bilmanda, translation #2611318 by Eldad
- Tanpa nama, oke?No names, OK?This sentence uses oke to confirm a condition.Tatoeba #8864857 by HAGNi, translation #5836213 by OsoHombre
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Dimas and Putri are agreeing on a meeting time.
- DimasKita bertemu jam tujuh malam ya?We meet at seven tonight, right?
- PutriOke, sampai jumpa nanti.Okay, see you later.
- DimasAku jemput kamu di rumah.I will pick you up at home.
- PutriOke, Dimas.Okay, Dimas.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry oke, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
