Pembaca

Pembaca is a noun in Indonesian and Malay that denotes a person who reads or, more broadly, an audience member of reading activity. It is formed from the verb membaca (to read) with the prefix pem- and the suffix -a, yielding "the reader" or "one who reads." The term is used for both everyday readers and specialized roles.

In everyday language, pembaca refers to anyone who reads texts, such as books, articles, or poetry. It can be used descriptively, as in "Dia seorang pembaca yang tekun" (He/She is a diligent reader).

In media and performance contexts, pembaca berita refers to a news reader or news presenter who reads news scripts aloud on radio or television. The phrase pembaca can also appear in titles such as "pembaca teks" (reader of a text) or "pembaca e-book" to describe a person who uses an electronic reading device, though more common terms exist in specific contexts.

In technology and information systems, pembaca is used for devices that read data, for example barcode readers are "pembaca kode batang," magnetic stripe readers are "pembaca pita magnetik," and RFID readers are "pembaca RFID." These devices convert encoded information into human- or machine-readable output.

The word is used in both Indonesian and Malay with similar meanings, though regional usage may vary.