Adek

Adek is a term used in Indonesian and Malay languages to refer to a younger sibling or a younger person. It functions as an informal, affectionate form of address and is typically spoken by older family members or adults toward a child or younger relative. In everyday use, adek carries a sense of familiarity and care, similar to terms like “little one” or “youngster” in English.

In standard Indonesian, the more formal word for a younger sibling is adik. Adek is a regional or colloquial variant that appears in casual speech and in informal contexts. The pronunciation and spelling may vary across dialects, with ade sometimes used as an even shorter or more casual form. While adik remains the formal, widely understood term, adek is commonly heard in conversation, media, and among friends who share a familial or friendly closeness.

Beyond family address, adek can be used more broadly to refer to a younger person or peer in a friendly way, though it retains a personal, affectionate tone rather than a formal one. The word also appears in Indonesian popular culture, including songs and dialogues, where characters address younger characters as adek.

Adek can also be found as a given name or nickname in various Indonesian-speaking communities, though it is not a specific personal-name convention with a fixed meaning beyond its familiar connotations. Overall, adek is a widely understood, informal counterpart to adik, conveying warmth and closeness in interpersonal relationships.