Macam

Macam is a common word in Malay and Indonesian that can function as a noun meaning “kind” or “type,” and as a particle meaning “like” or “similar to.” It is widely used in everyday speech across Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, and Singapore. In formal writing, Malay speakers may prefer terms such as jenis or sebagaimana, while macam remains a staple of colloquial language.

The word has several related usages. As a noun, it appears in phrases like macam-macam, which means “various kinds” or “all sorts of.” For example, macam-macam hal happened translates to “all sorts of things happened.” As an adjective or comparative, it can indicate similarity, as in dia macam ayah saya, meaning “he is like my father.” It also serves in questions and expressions of wonder, such as macam mana nak buat? meaning “how to do this?”

Macam also appears in common conversational patterns and can function as a filler or intensifier in informal speech, roughly analogous to the English “like” in casual dialogue. Because of its versatility, macam is a key element of everyday Malay and Indonesian, though in formal contexts speakers may opt for more precise terms or formal constructions.

Etymologically, macam is native to Malay and Indonesian and is deeply embedded in the languages’ vocabularies. It is widely understood in the broader Malay-speaking world and serves as a bridge between literal type or kind and figurative resemblance.