Ways to say it
| Indonesian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| saudari | /sau̯dari/ | feminine |
| kakak perempuan | /ˈkakaʔ pərəmˈpuan/ (Standard Indonesian, word by word) | feminine |
| adik perempuan | /ˈadik pərəmˈpuan/ (Standard Indonesian, word by word) | feminine |
The term for sister depends on whether you are specifying the age relative to yourself or using a general term for a female sibling. While adik perempuan and kakak perempuan specifically denote a younger or older sister, in casual conversation, Indonesians often drop the word perempuan and simply use adik to refer to a younger sister.
What does it mean word for word?
The term kakak perempuan is composed of kakak (older sibling) and perempuan (woman/female). Similarly, adik perempuan is composed of adik (younger sibling) and perempuan (woman/female).
Which one should you use?
Use kakak perempuan specifically to denote an older sister and adik perempuan specifically to denote a younger sister. The term kakak is used to refer to an older sibling or someone older than you, regardless of gender.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Saudari is a more formal or polite way to refer to a sister or a female peer. For informal situations, the shortened term kak can be used to address a sister.
How do you pronounce it?
/sau̯dari/
Did you know?
- While kakak usually means older sibling, it can also be used as a respectful way for a wife to address her husband in certain traditional contexts.
Examples in context
- Dia adik perempuan Tom.She's Tom's younger sister.This sentence is useful for identifying someone as Tom's younger sister using adik perempuan.Tatoeba #12823397 by HAGNi, translation #1523979 by CK
- Di mana kakak perempuanku?Where's my older sister?This sentence is useful for asking the location of one's older sister using kakak perempuan.Tatoeba #13741118 by HAGNi, translation #11482137 by Adelpa
- Kakak perempuan saya cantik.My older sister is beautiful.This sentence is useful for describing an older sister as beautiful using kakak perempuan.Tatoeba #3362974 by dbahasa, translation #3075823 by AkuNeko
- Ayo, kak. Kita pergi ke pasar bersama!Come on, sis. Let's go to the market together!
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Rian and Putri are talking about their families.
- RianApakah kamu punya saudari?Do you have a sister?
- PutriYa, saya punya satu saudari.Yes, I have one sister.
- RianSiapa nama saudari kamu?What is your sister's name?
- PutriNama saudari saya adalah Maya.My sister's name is Maya.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sister” translations and entries saudari, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (kakak, perempuan, adik) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries adik, kakak, perempuan, saudari, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
