Ibu Meaning In Indonesian

Halo semuanya. Apa kabar kalian? Hello, all of you. What's going on? This time, I'm gonna talk about "what does ibu mean in the Indonesian language." Maybe you've heard it but didn't know what it means.

As always, we're going to watch videos where this word [ibu] is spoken.

If you have any questions regarding the Indonesian language, you can ask me directly. You can see how to do that on my About Me page. 

If you are a beginner in the Indonesian language, you can learn step by step with My Lesson Here.

So, let's talk about this.

Ibu In the Indonesian Language

Ibu means madam or Mrs. This is an honorific title when we address women in the Indonesian language. Ibu can also mean [mother]. Some people in Indonesia call their mother with [ibu] or [bu]. [Bu] is the short version for [ibu]. So, if you hear someone call [ibu] or [bu], it means the same thing.

To Whom You Should Address Ibu?

You should use this honorific title [ibu] for women who are older or young women who already have babies. Ibu is usually used in a formal situation.

Sometimes you will find that when you address someone with [ibu], she refuses to be called with that honorific title [ibu]. She will tell you if she doesn't want to be called with that honorific title [ibu]. Maybe it's because she still feels that she's young enough to be called with the honorific title [ibu].

How to Pronounce Ibu

Let's hear how to pronounce the word [ibu] below.

Next, I will give example sentences using [ibu].

Example Sentences Using Ibu

Let's see the example sentences in the table below.

Contoh Kalimat (Example Sentences)	English Translation
1. Ibu, ayah pergi ke mana?	1. Mommy, where did daddy go?
2. Selamat malam bapak-bapak dan ibu-ibu yang saya hormati.	2. Good evening ladies, and gentlemen.
3. Kami persilakan kepada Ibu Prapto untuk naik ke atas panggung.	3. We invite Mrs. Prapto to come on stage.

The first example sentence is used to address your own mother. Here, you were asking where your father went to.

Below is the audio version of the example sentences above. Let's hear how it is pronounced.

Next, let's watch the scenes from videos where the word [ibu] is spoken.

Example of Ibu In Use

The first clip we are about to watch is from a famous TV Program in Indonesia called Mata Najwa. Let's watch it down below.

Here is what they said in the video above with English translations.

Najwa: Selamat malam, Ibu Helga. (Good evening, Mrs. Helga.)

Helga: Selamat malam. (Good Evening.)

Najwa: Ibu Helga, selamat malam. (Mrs. Helga, good evening.)

Helga: Selamat malam. (Good evening.)

In the video, Najwa called Helga with the honorific title [ibu], so she said Ibu Helga instead of just Helga.

The second clip is taken from a TV Series called In the Kost. Let's watch it down below.

And here is the conversation in the scene with English translations.

Rina: Ini tuh Ibu.. Bu Tedjo, ya? (You are-- Mrs. Tedjo, right?)

Bu Prapto: Bukan! (Nope!)

Rina: Ibu siapa sih? (Who are you, mam?)

Bu Prapto: Aku ini tetangganya Bu Tedjo. (I’m Mrs. Tedjo’s neighbor.)

Rina: Bu.. (Mrs--)

Bu Prapto: Tahu Bu Broto? (You know Mrs. Broto?)

Rina: Ah, iye Bu Broto. (Ah, yes, I know Mrs. Broto.)

Bu Prapto: Saya sebelah rumahnya Bu Broto. (I’m next to Mrs. Broto’s house.)

Rina: Jadi, Ibu Surti? (So, you are Mrs. Surti?)

Bu Prapto: Ah, itu! (That’s it!)

Rina uses the honorific title [bu], which is short for [ibu] when addressing Mrs. Prapto. It is considered polite you use [bu] or [ibu] when addressing an older woman, and it is considered not polite if you just call her by her name and not use the honorific title [ibu] when addressing her.

     Read also: Meaning of Bunda in Indonesia

So, I think that's all for now. If you have any questions, just comment down below, and I'll be happy to answer your questions. If I find another scene where this word [ibu] is spoken, Insha Allah, I will update this article again. Bye now.