berbau

Berbau is a word used in Indonesian and Malay that functions as a verb or as a stative adjective meaning to have a smell or to emit an odor. It describes the presence of an odor and can refer to both pleasant and unpleasant scents, depending on the context.

Etymology and form: The word is formed from the root bau, meaning smell or scent, with the prefix ber- which marks a state or condition. In Indonesian and Malay, ber- indicates a characteristic of the subject rather than the action of smelling, so berbau describes something that possesses an odor rather than a person actively smelling it.

Usage and examples: Berbau is commonly paired with adjectives to specify the nature of the odor. Frequent collocations include berbau harum (fragrant), berbau busuk (rotten), berbau amis (acrid), and berbau tengik (stale). Examples: "Kue itu berbau harum" (The cake smells fragrant). "Daging itu berbau busuk" (The meat has a rotten smell). The term can also appear in phrases describing odors associated with people or places, such as bau badan (body odor) or bau mulut (bad breath). In many contexts, speakers may simply use bau to refer to the smell itself.

See also: bau (smell), harum (fragrant), busuk (rotten), amis (acrid), tengik (stale), bau badan, bau mulut.