babi
/ˈbabi/
The English word "pig" is babi in Indonesian.
babi refers to the mammal of the family Suidae.
Meaning: mammal of family Suidae (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈbabi/
When do people say it?
In many parts of Indonesia, particularly in Muslim-majority areas, the word babi carries a strong connotation of being unclean or forbidden.
Did you know?
- In Indonesian, babi is used in a common slang expression babi ngepet to describe a person who transforms into a pig to steal money through magic.
- In certain Indonesian slang, calling someone babi is an extremely harsh insult, much stronger than simply calling someone a 'pig' in English.
- The Indonesian word babi descends from the Proto-Austronesian root *babuy, a term shared by hundreds of languages across the Pacific and Southeast Asia.
Examples in context
- Tom makan seperti babi.Tom eats like a pig.This sentence is useful for showing how to use babi in a comparison regarding eating habits.Tatoeba #13704459 by HAGNi, translation #1025851 by CK
- Babi itu bertambah gemuk.The pig is growing fat.This sentence is useful for describing the physical state of babi.Tatoeba #1019426 by medduki, translation #280736 by CK
- Ada seekor babi di dalam kandang itu.There is a pig in that pen.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maya and Dimas are visiting a local farm.
- MayaDimas, lihat babi yang besar itu!Dimas, look at that big pig!
- DimasIya, babi itu sangat lucu.Yes, that pig is very cute.
- MayaApakah babi itu sudah diberi makan?Has the pig been fed?
- DimasSepertinya sudah, Maya.It looks like it has, Maya.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pig” translations and entries babi, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries babi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
