Interjection

[Desmond]

Hi everyone.

I came up with an idea to write something about the interjections of Bahasa Indonesia after I found myself saying “alamak!” this morning .

OK, so here they are:

1. Alamak!
It's pronounced "a-la-mak", not "al-a-mak".
To express surprise, unbelief. It’s not meant to express admiration, however.
Ex:
- Alamak! Tinggi sekali orang itu.
- Alamak! Mahal sekali!

2. Astaga!
Quite similar with alamak but the level of surprise or unbelief is higher.
Ex:
- Astaga! Kamu benar-benar bilang begitu sama dia?
- Astaga! (You witness a traffic accident)

3. Gila!
Literally it means crazy, but as an interjection, it has the same meaning with alamak but there is a sense of admiration.
- Gila! Enak benar! (you taste a food and it’s surprisingly delicious)
- Gila! Permainan gitarnya luar biasa.

4. Aduh!
Note: remember to pronounce the final “h” clearly to not make it sounds “a-du”.
Aduh is an expression said when you feel pain (physically) like when someone steps on your feet or someone slaps you in the face. Other than that, it’s used to express:
- Regret
- Sorry
- Upset
- Annoyance

Ex:
- Aduh! Maaf, saya tidak sengaja (You stepped on someone’s foot and you apologize)
- Aduh! Kuncinya ketinggalan di rumah! (you left the key at home)
- Aduh! (the electricity goes out and you forget to save your file)
- Aduh! Tolong jangan ganggu saya (someone keeps nagging you while you are working)

5. Amboi!
It’s no longer used in conversation but sometimes it still can be found in written literature so it’s kinda poetic. It’s similar with gila, to express surprise, unbelief and admiration.
Ex:
- Amboi! Cantik nian nona berbaju jingga itu.

That’s all I can think of now. Perhaps someone would like to add more?

Greetings from Jakarta.

[0stsee]

Thanks Desmond!!

Some additions:

6. To Aduh!, you can also add a W- so it becomes Waduh!. Yet this is used less in a physically painful situations. Rather, you say waduh! when you missed or forgot something, or you're in a situation where you don't know what to do.

7. Wah!
The -h is pronounced.
Desmond, do you know how to explain the use wah ?

[Desmond]

Some additions:

7. Wah!
The -h is pronounced.
Desmond, do you know how to explain the use wah ?

Wah! Bukan pekerjaan gampang, Ostsee!

1. To express surprise.
Wah! Bukan main ramainya Jakarta!
~ ! Jakarta is so crowded!

2. To express admiration (pretty much like 'wow' or 'gosh')
Wah! Gitarnya luar biasa!
Wow! His guitar (skill) is amazing!

Wah! Mahal sekali harganya!
~! So expensive !

3. To express confusion (in this case, it's not pronounced with "!!" but rather with ..... 'waaaaaa' )
Waaa! Jalannya membingungkan sekali!
The street is so confusing!

Waaa! Saya bingung mau jawab apa sama kamu.
I'm confused (and don't know) what should I tell (answer) you.

4. To express dissapointment
Wah kamu ini! Benar-benar mengecewakan saya!
You really dissapoint me!

Wah, tiketnya habis?
All tickets are sold out?

[0stsee]

Makasih banyak, Desmond!!