pacar

pacar

Indonesian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈpat͡ʃar]
• Hyphenation: pa‧car

Etymology 1

From Malay pacar.

Noun

pacar (plural pacar-pacar, first-person possessive pacarku, second-person possessive pacarmu, third-person possessive pacarnya)

1. henna
   1. A shrub, Lawsonia inermis, having fragrant reddish flowers

      Synonym: inai

   2. The leaves of this plant.

      Synonym: inai

   3. A reddish plant substance, prepared from the dried leaves of this plant, used for temporary tattoos and hair coloring. Hair colorings range from bright red to earth brown to near black.

Compounds

• pacar air
• pacar cina
• pacar keling

 

Etymology 2

From Betawi pacar, from Malay pacar. Related to etymology 1, due to fact that spouse made their nails red with pacar before marriage in Betawi tradition.

Noun

pacar (plural pacar-pacar, first-person possessive pacarku, second-person possessive pacarmu, third-person possessive pacarnya)

1. (informal) A male or female partner in an unmarried romantic relationship; boyfriend; girlfriend.

   Synonyms: bokin, kekasih

   Hyponyms: cewek, cowok

Affixed terms

• berpacaran
• berpacar-pacaran
• memacari
• mempacari
• pacaran

 

Further reading

• “pacar” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Language Development and Fostering Agency — Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic Indonesia, 2016.