Unjuk

Unjuk is an Indonesian word that means to point, indicate, or show something by gesture or sign. It is used as a base term in various compound forms and appears in both everyday language and more formal or literary contexts. In contemporary Indonesian, the verb form unjuk is less common for pointing with a finger, with the related verb menunjuk being the usual choice. Unjuk tends to appear more often in fixed expressions and in noun forms.

Common usages include unjukan, a noun meaning display or manifestation; unjuk rasa, a public demonstration or protest; and unjuk arah, referring to signs or instructions that indicate direction. The expression unjuk bakat refers to a display of talent, while unjuk rasa is a widely recognized term in news and public discourse for organized protests. As a noun, unjukan can describe a tangible display or a more abstract manifestation of a quality or feeling.

In semantic terms, unjuk conveys the idea of making something visible to others, whether through gesture, sign, or outward demonstration. It often carries a connotation of outwardly presenting or revealing rather than simply pointing. The word remains productive in Indonesian, especially in literary, journalistic, and formal registries, and survives in several commonly used phrases despite the predominance of its synonym, menunjuk, in everyday speech.