False friends: English and Indonesian

21 English words that look like Indonesian words but mean something else — the traps Indonesian speakers fall into most often.

Indonesian has borrowed a great deal from Dutch and English (and, through them, from Latin), so many English words really do look familiar — and often mean the same thing. That is exactly why the exceptions are dangerous: a word that looks Indonesian feels safe, so nobody checks it. Some of these pairs share an old source whose meaning drifted apart, others are pure coincidence, like English «jam» (a spread) and Indonesian «jam» (hour).

Each word below has its real meaning in Indonesian, the Indonesian word it gets confused with, and how to say that word in English.

Test yourself ↓

Words that don't mean what they seem

actual B1

Means: sebenarnya, nyata
Not: aktual → current, up-to-date

Actual means real or true, not «aktual» (which is current or up-to-date in English).

The actual price was higher than the one online.

sore A2

Means: sakit, nyeri
Not: sore → afternoon

Sore means painful or aching, not «sore» (which is afternoon in English).

My legs are sore after the long run.

jam A2

Means: selai
Not: jam → hour, clock

Jam means a sweet fruit spread (or a traffic jam), not «jam» (which is hour or clock in English).

I put strawberry jam on my toast.

liar B1

Means: pembohong
Not: liar → wild

Liar means a person who tells lies, not «liar» (which is wild in English).

Don't trust him, he is a liar.

ban B1

Means: melarang
Not: ban → tire

Ban means to officially forbid something, not «ban» (which is a tire in English).

The school will ban phones in class.

halo B2

Means: lingkaran cahaya
Not: halo → hello

Halo means a ring of light around a holy person's head, not «halo» (which is hello in English).

The angel in the painting has a golden halo.

mobile A2

Means: bergerak; ponsel
Not: mobil → car

Mobile means able to move, or a mobile phone, not «mobil» (which is a car in English).

I use a mobile app to learn English.

gang A2

Means: kelompok, geng
Not: gang → narrow alley

Gang means a group of people, such as close friends or troublemakers, not «gang» (which is an alley or narrow street in English).

My dad still meets his old gang from school.

honor B1

Means: kehormatan
Not: honor → fee, payment

Honor means great respect, not «honor» (which is a fee or payment in English).

It is an honor to meet you.

fabric B2

Means: kain
Not: pabrik → factory

Fabric means cloth, not «pabrik» (which is a factory in English).

This soft fabric is good for summer shirts.

bait B1

Means: umpan
Not: bait → stanza, verse

Bait means food used to catch fish or animals, not «bait» (which is a stanza or verse in English).

He put fresh bait on the fishing hook.

lap A2

Means: pangkuan; satu putaran
Not: lap → cleaning cloth, rag

Lap means the top of your thighs when you sit, or one trip around a track, not «lap» (which is a cleaning cloth or rag in English).

The baby fell asleep on her mother's lap.

ember C2

Means: bara
Not: ember → bucket

Ember means a small piece of glowing wood or coal, not «ember» (which is a bucket in English).

A few embers still glowed in the fireplace.

Words that only sometimes match

These share one meaning with the look-alike, but usually mean something else — see the example.

sympathetic B2 sometimes

Means: bersimpati, penuh pengertian
Not: simpatik → likeable, pleasant

Sympathetic usually means showing you understand someone's problems, not «simpatik» (which is nice or likeable in English). Only about a character in a story can it mean likeable.

She was very sympathetic when I lost my job.

motor B1 sometimes

Means: mesin penggerak
Not: motor → motorcycle

Motor means an engine that makes a machine move, not «motor» in the everyday sense (which is a motorcycle or motorbike in English).

The motor in this fan stopped working.

realize B1 sometimes

Means: menyadari
Not: merealisasikan, realisasi → to carry out, make happen

Realize usually means to suddenly understand something, not «merealisasikan» (which is usually carry out in English). It means «mewujudkan» only in phrases like realize a dream.

I realized I had left my keys at home.

pension B1 sometimes

Means: uang pensiun
Not: pensiun → retirement

Pension means the money paid after you stop working, not «pensiun» as a state (which is retired or retirement in English).

My grandfather lives on his pension.

advocate B1 sometimes

Means: mendukung, memperjuangkan
Not: advokat → lawyer

Advocate usually means to speak in support of something, or a supporter, not «advokat» (which is a lawyer in English). Only in court language can it mean a lawyer.

She advocates for clean water in her town.

tension B1 sometimes

Means: ketegangan
Not: tensi → blood pressure

Tension means a nervous, tight feeling, not «tensi» in the medical sense (which is blood pressure in English).

There was tension in the room after the argument.

expedition A2 sometimes

Means: perjalanan penjelajahan
Not: ekspedisi → freight delivery service

Expedition means a long trip to explore or study, not «ekspedisi» as a shipping service (which is a delivery service or courier in English).

The team planned an expedition to the mountains.

carton B1 sometimes

Means: kotak karton, kemasan
Not: karton → cardboard

Carton means a box or pack, for example for milk or eggs, not «karton» (which is cardboard in English).

She bought a carton of milk.

Test yourself: which translation is right?

10 words from this page. One of the options is the trap — the look-alike word.

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Questions

What are false friends?

False friends are words in two languages that look or sound alike but have different meanings, like English «sore» (painful) and Indonesian «sore» (afternoon). Indonesian speakers use the English term «false friends» too.

Why do English and Indonesian have so many look-alike words?

Indonesian took many words from Dutch and English, which themselves owe much of their vocabulary to Latin, so the spelling often matches. Over time the meanings drifted apart in each language, and some pairs, like «jam», only look alike by coincidence.

How do I stop mixing them up?

Learn each word with an example sentence rather than as a one-word translation, and check familiar-looking words too. Practising the tricky ones a few days apart helps the right meaning stick.

Levels (A1–C2) and translations come from the WordStudy dictionary. Spotted a mistake? Write to words.study.project@gmail.com.