maaf

Indonesian

Etymology

From Malay maaf, from Classical Malay maaf, ma'af, from Arabic مُعَاف (muʕāf, “exempt (from taxation)”).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /ˈmaaf/ [ˈma.af]
• Rhymes: -aaf
• Syllabification: ma‧af

Interjection

maaf

1. sorry
2. pardon

Noun

maaf

1. apology

Further reading

• “maaf” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

Malay

Alternative forms

• maap, mahap

Etymology

Borrowed from Classical Persian مُعَاف (mu'āf), from Arabic مُعَافًى (muʕāfan).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ma.ʔaf]
• Rhymes: -af
• Hyphenation: ma‧af

Noun

maaf (Jawi spelling معاف, informal 1st possessive maafku, 2nd possessive maafmu, 3rd possessive maafnya)

1. Pardon, forgiveness.

   Synonym: ampun

Affixations

• bermaaf-maafan
• maafi (“to forgive someone”)
• maafkan (“to forgive something”)
• pemaaf (“forgiver”)
• permaafan

 

Compounds

• beri maaf
• minta maaf

 

Phrases

• maaf zahir dan batin

 

Interjection

maaf (Jawi spelling معاف)

1. Used to express remorse; sorry.

   Maaf, bukan itu yang saya maksudkan.

   Sorry, that's not what I meant.

2. Used as a polite apology in various situations such as when attempting to get someone's attention; excuse me.

   Maaf, adik tahu tak kat mana tandas?

   Excuse me, do you know where the toilet is?

Verb

maaf (Jawi spelling معاف)

1. To forgive someone.

   Synonyms: maafi, ampuni

   Sampai hari kiamat pun aku tak kan maaf dia.

   I won't forgive him even until judgement day.

Further reading

• “maaf” in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu | Malay Literary Reference Centre, Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017.