cantik
/ˈt͡ʃantik/
The English word 'pretty' is translated into Indonesian as cantik.
cantik is used to describe someone or something that is pleasant and attractive. While it is most often used to describe the appearance of women and children, it can also be used for inanimate objects such as flowers, scenery or flags to mean 'beautiful' or 'lovely'.
Meaning: especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive (adj)
Which one should you use?
cantik is used specifically for aesthetic beauty in people, art or nature, whereas bagus is a more general term used for something being 'good' or 'nice' in terms of quality. When describing people, cantik is used for women and girls, while tampan is the standard term used to describe a handsome man.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say that something is 'very pretty', you can place the intensifier sangat before cantik to get sangat cantik or you can place the intensifier sekali after it to get cantik sekali.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtʃantik/
When do people say it?
If you want to refer to an attractive appearance in a more casual way, the slang term cakep can be used to refer to both male and female appearances.
Did you know?
- The word cantik has an unexpected connection to maritime history, as its Javanese root refers to the 'stem or beak of a ship'.
- In certain casual contexts, cakep is used not just for physical beauty but to describe someone who is 'sharp' or 'clever' in their delivery.
- The word cantik is shared across several distinct ethnic languages, including Malay, Minangkabau, and Gayo.
Examples in context
- Bendera ini cantik sekali!This flag is very pretty.This sentence is useful for showing how to use cantik with an inanimate object.Tatoeba #12120904 by HAGNi, translation #707432 by papabear
- Mary adalah gadis yang cantik.Mary is a pretty girl.This sentence is useful for describing a girl using cantik.Tatoeba #5250799 by Bilmanda, translation #3363724 by CK
- Dia memiliki mata yang cantik.She has pretty eyes.This sentence is useful for describing a specific feature like eyes using cantik.Tatoeba #11228563 by Pi31415i, translation #1112775 by CM
- Cantik sekali!Very pretty!
- Bunga-bunga itu sangat indah.Those flowers are very beautiful.
- Kamu cakep banget hari ini!You look really pretty/handsome today!
- 12 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Adi compliments Maya on her new dress at a party.
- AdiKamu terlihat cantik sekali hari ini, Maya.You look very pretty today, Maya.
- MayaTerima kasih, Adi!Thank you, Adi!
- AdiGaun itu sangat cocok untukmu.That dress suits you very well.
- MayaAku senang kamu menyukainya.I am glad you like it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pretty” translations and entries cantik, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cantik, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
