How do you say ‘I’? While English only has one way of saying ‘I’, Indonesian has a lot more: Saya, aku, gua, eike, and a third person.
Saya
First, the most common way to say ‘I’ in Indonesian is ‘saya’. It is used in both formal and informal contexts. When you address yourself as ‘saya’, you would sound polite as well as natural. ‘Saya’ is the most common way to refer to yourself. It is used by all ages, both in urban and rural areas, for example:
- Saya mau beli nasi campur dan ayam goreng. (I want to buy nasi campur and fried chicken)
- Boleh saya minta tisu? (Can I have a tissue?)
- Apa Bapak bisa kasih tahu saya jalan ke alamat ini? (Can you (sir) tell me the way to this address?)
- Kapan Ibu mau ke rumah saya? (When will you (ma’am) go to my house?)
- Kunci rumah saya hilang tadi pagi. (My house key was lost this morning)
Aku
The second way to say ‘I’ is aku’. Addressing yourself as aku sounds less formal. It is used by people under 50, because it sounds youthful and casual. But thisdoesn’t mean that ‘saya’ is only used by older people; in fact,many children and teenagers address themselves as ‘saya’ instead of ‘aku’. t depends on our preference; some people prefer to use ‘saya’ to sound respectful, others prefer to use ‘aku’ to sound casual.
However, even people who normally address themselves as ‘aku’ cannot do so in all situations. They still have to address themselves as ‘saya’ while talking to older people in order to sound polite. We also mustn’t address ourselves using anything other than ‘saya’ in formal situations, like when talking to our teachers, employers or the police. So while ‘saya’ may be used in any situation, ‘aku’ is usually related to casual conversation.
Examples of sentences using’aku’:
- Aku mau ke Danau Batur pakai sepeda. Ikut, nggak? (I’m going to Batur Lake by bike. Wanna join?)
- Nggak mau jalan-jalan bareng aku? (Don’t you wanna hang out with me?)
- Eh, tolong dong ambilin aku tisu! (Hey, please bring me a tissue!)
- Aku bosen makan ayam tiap hari. (I’m bored of eating chicken every day)
- Mau mampir ke rumah aku? (Wanna stop by at my house?)
Gua/Gue
Another way to say ‘I’ is by using “gue”. This one is the most informal one. The people who address themselves as ‘gue’ would most likely use lots of slang. So if you address yourself as ‘gue’ but are not otherwise familiar with Indonesian slang, it would have a very comical effect. t Speaking formally but addressing yourself as ‘gue’ will sound strange and make people laugh, if that is your intent.
In fact, ‘gue’ is used only by young people living in Jakarta. So if you wonder why most characters in Indonesian TV Series and advertisements address themselves as ‘gue’, it is because showbiz productions generally shoot in Jakarta.
Example of sentences using ‘gue’:
- Slang form: Gue mo mancing aja daripada suntuk.
Normal form: Saya / Aku mau mancing aja daripada bosan.
Meaning: I wanna go fishing rather than get bored.
- Sumpah, mager beud gue hari ni.
Normal form: Sumpah, malas banget aku hari ini.
Meaning: Damn, I’m so lazy today.
- Slang form: Santuy aje coy ma gue, kaga usah ngegas!
Normal form: Santai aja sama saya / aku, nggak perlu emosi.
Meaning: Just chill with me, we don’t have to get emotional.
- Slang form: Alay amat sih gue waktu SMP.
Normal form: Berlebihan banget ya saya / aku waktu SMP.
Meaning: I was so dramatic when I was in middle school.
- Slang form: Nggak bakal deh gue cinlok ama lu. (harsh)
Normal form: Saya / aku nggak akan cinlok sama kamu. (casual but polite)
Meaning: I won’t ever fall for you.
Even people who normally use “gue” may nots use it in every situation. It can’t be used it in formal conversation and while talking to older people, for example. But apart from this , boys who normally address refer to themselves as ‘gue’ would still use‘aku’ while talking to a girl they like; this shows they’re treating her special.
Those were the most popular self-addresses in Indonesian. But there’s more on the list!
Eike or Akika
Sometimes we also say ‘akika’ to say ‘I’. This is a slang that’s only used among mothers in the socialite class. Women only address themselves as ‘akika’ while meeting members of their social circle, andnot with family or clients. Another way to say ‘akika’ is ‘‘eike’. ‘Akika’ sounds feminine while ‘eike’ sounds more casual, so ‘eike’ is used by both women and ‘feminine’ men. ddressing yourself as ‘eike’ or ‘akika’ gives speech a unique language style, is subtly slang, and used to convey femininity.
The example of sentences using eike and akika:
- Astaganaga… Gemoy banget ichu bajunya, eike kepincut. (OMG, the dress is so cute, I want it)
- Yaelah Bunda… Eike ampe jablai nungguin dirimu ga dateng-dateng. (My goodness, Ma’am… I waited for you so long but you wouldn’t come)
- Duh, emesh kali ini tasnya warna pink akika suka. (Wow, this bag is so cute in pink, I like it)
- Atututu unyu deh dedeknya, akika kepengen peluk. (Oh… The baby is so cute, I wanna hold her)
- Ney ya, ney! Udah abis kesabaran eike nungguin utang ga dibayar-bayar. (No, okay? No! I’ve run out of patience waiting for the unpaid debt)
Self-addressing using names
Names can always be used for referring to self, of course. It is often done by children or teenage girls, because it sounds very cute, innocent, and immature at the same time. It’s not only used by girls, though. Little boys under 9 commonly address themselves by name while talking to their parents. However, once they grow up it would start to sound embarrassing, so these boys would start to address themselves using ‘saya’, ‘aku’, or ‘gue’.
Example of sentences using name for self-addressing:
- Ma, Ade mau es krim… (Mom, Ade wants ice cream…)
- Papa, Sebas pingin naik ular-ularan. (Daddy, Sebas wants to ride the toy snake)
- Kakak mau pinjem sepatunya Jessi? (Do you want to borrow Jessi’s shoes?)
- Ya ampun, ada kecoa, Katya jijik! (OMG there’s a cockroach, Katya’s disgusted!)
- Itu sapunya Devi, bukan? (Is that Devi’s broom?)
So that’s how to say ‘I’ in Indonesian. Which one would you use yourself?
