Did you know that Indonesians have to think a lot to say “to die”? Here are the aspects involved in their thinking process:
- Who died?
- Is it a human or a thing?
- How did the person die?
- Are you fond of the person?
- Do you hate the person?
- Do you consider that the deceased or the dead person deserved to die?
- Do you expect people to perceive that the deceased is a respected person, loved by others?
Isn’t too much energy spent just to say “to die” in Indonesian? Well, for native speakers, it is not a big deal as the right words come automatically. However, for those who are learning Indonesian, it is more than just a word.
Can you imagine this? You are invited to have a dinner at your colleague’s house. Before visiting them, you hear that the family have lost their beloved grandmother. So, after you arrive at their house, you say, “Saya dengar nenek Anda “mati” “I heard that you grandmother has died.” Noticing their upset faces, you realized that you have just used the wrong “to die.”
image by Elliot Brown via Flickr
So, what are the Indonesian words for “to die”?
- Mangkat: for a king or a queen.
- Gugur: for those who died during war or war- like situations.
- Wafat: for those who died because of illness.
- Meninggal dunia: for those who died naturally because of an old age, or to express a condolences to a family.
- Tewas: for those who died because of an accident or not a natural death, such as suicide, car accident, plane crash.
- Mampus: addressed for mockery and hatred.
Image by Alan Franklin via Flicr
Practice:
- Situation: You hate yourself, you feel that to die is a way for you to ease your unbearable pain in life, and then you say, “I want to die.” Which word “to die” are you going to use?
- Situation: You heard on the radio that a robber was shot during the stand-off with the police. The robber was severely injured, and he died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. You want to say, the robber died on the way to the hospital. Which word “to die” are you going to use?
- Situation: You watch on the news and see a casket of a U.S. soldier who died in Iraq.
- Situation: You heard on the news that a person was killed by a car in hit-and-run accident.
- Situation: Your washing machine has stopped working and cannot be repaired.
- Situation: A father of your friend has died because of illness.
- Situation: You watch on TV, the police force were finally able to kill a mass murderer.
- Situation: You come to see a family of your employee who died in a car accident.
Image by Kat NLM via Flickr
Anwers:
- Mati
- Mati
- Gugur
- Tewas
- Mati
- Wafat
- Mampus
- Meninggal
