kalau

Belait

Etymology

Borrowed from Malay kalau.

Conjunction

kalau

1. if

Indonesian

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Conjunction

kalau

1. if (supposing that)
2. (colloquial) when
   • 2018 March 29, “‘’Dulu, Kalau Ada Anak Merokok Ditamplek Mulutnya...’’ [‘’In the Past, If A Child Smokes, His Mouth is Glued...’’]”, in Suara Merdeka‎^[1], archived from the original on 26 October 2018:

     ‘’Saya geli kalau teringat masa sekolah dulu. Saya pernah dihukum oleh Bu Kunti (guru) gara-gara membiarkan teman-teman mbolos sekolah,’’ kata mantan ketua kelas yang kini tinggal di Jl Aster Condongcatur, Yogyakarta itu.

     "I am amused when I recall my time at school. I was once punished by Mrs. Kunti (teacher) for letting my friends ditch school," said the former class leader who now lives in Jl Aster Condongcatur, Yogyakarta.

Synonyms

• (if): jika, jikalau, seandainya, sekiranya
• (when): bila, apabila

Malay

Alternative forms

• (informal, colloquial) kalo, kalu, kalai

Etymology

From Sanskrit काल (kāla, “occasion, circumstance, time”) + Arabic لَوْ (law, “if”), or alternatively from Hokkien 假如 (ká-lû, “if”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kalau̯/
• Rhymes: -lau̯, -au̯

Conjunction

kalau (Jawi spelling کالاو)

1. if (supposing that)

   Synonyms: jika, jikalau, seandainya, sekiranya

   • 2016 September 15, Assim Hassan, “Kalau tidak kita, siapa lagi? [If not us, then who?]”, in Sinar Harian‎^[2], archived from the original on 16 September 2016:

     Ungkapan panjang, ‘Kalau hendak kenal peribadi bangsa, renunglah pada bahasanya’ kerap kali juga kita dengar sepanjang hidup kita.

     The expression, "If [somebody] wants to get to know the personality of a nation, look at their language," is often heard by us throughout our lives.

Preposition

kalau (Jawi spelling کالاو)

1. (colloquial) as for

   Synonyms: bagi, buat, untuk

   • 2017 June 24, Sim Y. H., “Tidak meriah Hari Raya kalau tidak balik kampung [Hari Raya is not lively if [you] don't go back to hometown]”, in Media Permata‎^[3], archived from the original on 26 October 2018:

     Kalau yang balik kampung tu, cuba-cubalah simpan jauh-jauh gajet-gajet yang biasanya senantiasa ada di tangan. Banyakkan berbual dengan emak ayah, adik-beradik, sanak saudara dan jiran tetangga.

     As for [those] that go back to their hometown, do try to keep away the gadgets that are usually always with you. Have more conversations with your parents, siblings, relatives and neighbors.

Further reading

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

West Makian

Etymology

From Malay kalau.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ka.ˈl̪a.u/

Conjunction

kalau

1. if

   Synonyms: coba, toi

References

• Clemens Voorhoeve (1982) The Makian languages and their neighbours‎^[4], Pacific linguistics