cumi-cumi
The English word for squid is cumi-cumi in Indonesian. Wiktionary also lists nus and ikan sotong.
Meaning: sea animal (noun)
Ways to say it
| Indonesian |
|---|
| cumi-cumi |
| nus |
| ikan sotong |
What does it mean word for word?
The word cumi-cumi is a reduplicated noun, which is a common way in Indonesian to denote a single entity or to emphasize the noun.
Which one should you use?
cumi-cumi refers specifically to squid, whereas ikan sotong refers to cuttlefish. While these are often used interchangeably in casual English, they are distinct in Indonesian.
How does it change in a sentence?
In culinary or market contexts, you may see the word ikan (fish) added before cumi to clarify that it is a type of seafood being sold, as in ikan cumi.
Did you know?
- In some regions, nus is used for squid, a term that descends from the ancient Proto-Malayo-Polynesian word *nuəs.
- The word ikan is often attached to the front of seafood names, such as in ikan cumi, even though a squid is technically a mollusk and not a fish.
Examples in context
- Ibu sedang memasak cumi-cumi.Mother is cooking squid.
- Cumi-cumi itu sangat besar.That squid is very big.
- Saya ingin makan cumi-cumi goreng.I want to eat fried squid.
Example conversation
Rian and Putri are looking at a menu at a seafood restaurant.
- RianPutri, kamu mau pesan apa?Putri, what do you want to order?
- PutriAku ingin mencoba cumi-cumi bakar.I want to try the grilled squid.
- RianKelihatannya enak sekali.It looks very delicious.
- PutriIya, ayo kita pesan sekarang.Yes, let's order now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “squid” translations and entries cumi-cumi, nus, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cumi-cumi, ikan, nus, sotong, CC BY-SA 4.0.
