Your Indonesian friends might talk about masuk angin, but Google Translate-ing it will give you a literal translation that makes no sense!
Masuk angin actually means ‘catching a cold’.
When you masuk angin, you can expect common cold symptoms like fever, upset stomach, bloating, nausea, reduced appetite, and sometimes also dizziness and a sore throat.
This is how you may use masuk angin in a sentence:
- Duh *nggak enak badan, nih. Kayaknya aku masuk angin. (I’m feeling unwell. Seems like I’m catching a cold)
- Kamu *gapapa? Masuk angin, ya? (Are you okay? Are you catching a cold?)
- *Mending masuk angin daripada mabuk laut. (It is better to catch a cold than to be seasick.)
- Saya masuk angin, Pak. Boleh libur dulu? (I’m catching a cold, sir. Can I get a day off?)
- Kamu flu atau cuma masuk angin? (Do you have the flu or did you just catch a cold?)
In real-life conversation, when you mention masuk angin, it is likely that people will want to know what symptoms you have. Here is some vocabulary related to being sick:
Feeling unwell : *nggak enak badan
Upset stomach: sakit perut
Bloating : kembung
Nauseous : mual
Low appetite : *nggak selera makan
Dizziness : pusing
Headache : sakit kepala
Sore throat : sakit tenggorokan
Cough : batuk
Diarrhea : diare
Body ache : pegel / pegal
Fever : panas / demam
Increased body temperature: meriang
Here’s a bonus real-life dialogue including some of the above words:
Dokter : Sakit apa, Bu? (How are you feeling?)
Pasien : Badan saya *pegel-pegel, Dok. Meriang sama kembung juga. Mual terus, jadi *nggak selera makan. (My body is aching. I am very nauseous, and I have lost my appetite)
Dokter : Ada pusing sama batuk, Bu? (Do you have a cough or dizziness, ma’am?)
Pasien : Iya, Dok, *dikit. Bikin susah tidur. (Yes, a little. Makes it hard to sleep)
Dokter : Sepertinya ibu masuk angin. Saya ukur dulu ya, Bu, *pake termometer. (It seems that you have caught a cold. Let me use a thermometer)
*Note:
Words with a star are colloquial and below are their formal counterparts
Nggak = tidak (no)
Gapapa = tidak apa – apa (no problem)
Pegel-pegel = pegal-pegal (aching)
That’s all you need to know about masuk angin. Try and practice it in real life conversation next time you or someone you know is sick!