badai
/ˈbadai̯/
The Indonesian word for storm is badai.
Badai refers to a disturbed state of the atmosphere that causes destructive or unpleasant weather. Similar to English, it can also be used metaphorically to describe a period of intense difficulty or turmoil.
Meaning: disturbed state of the atmosphere causing destructive or unpleasant weather (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈbadai̯/
Did you know?
- The word badai was borrowed from the Tamil word vāṭai, which originally referred to a 'north wind' or a 'chill wind'.
- While badai refers to the storm itself, Indonesians often use the word hujan (rain) to describe the entire event of a storm if it involves precipitation.
- In the Malay Archipelago, weather terms like badai were heavily influenced by ancient maritime vocabulary used by sailors and traders.
Examples in context
- Kami terperangkap dalam badai.We were caught in a storm.This sentence is useful for saying you were caught in a badai.Tatoeba #4398799 by Bilmanda, translation #22638 by CK
- Kami berada tepat di jalur badai.We were directly in the path of the storm.This sentence is useful for saying you were directly in the path of the badai.Tatoeba #4245613 by Bilmanda, translation #2820813 by sharptoothed
- Matahari bersinar lebih terang setelah badai.The sun shines brighter after the storm.This sentence is useful for describing the sun shining after a badai.Tatoeba #7463941 by purichan, translation #1874820 by dryhay
- Pada tanggal 3 Maret 2022, daerah tersebut dilanda badai yang hebat.On March 3, 2022, the area was hit by a severe storm.
- Hati-hati di luar, angin kencang sedang bertiup.Be careful outside, there is strong wind blowing.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Putri and Dimas are looking at the dark sky.
- PutriLihat langit itu, sepertinya akan ada badai.Look at the sky, it looks like there will be a storm.
- DimasYa, anginnya mulai terasa sangat kencang.Yes, the wind is starting to feel very strong.
- PutriAyo cepat masuk sebelum badai datang.Let's go inside quickly before the storm comes.
- DimasSetuju, kita harus segera berteduh.I agree, we must take cover immediately.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “storm” translations and entries badai, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries badai, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
