biSIK

Bisik is a verb in Indonesian and Malay meaning to speak in a soft voice or to whisper. The base form is commonly used with the verb berbisik, which denotes the act of whispering by a subject to another person, as in Dia berbisik kepadaku. The word can also describe the sound of a whispered voice.

In addition to its literal sense, bisik appears in reduplicated form as bisik-bisik. This noun phrase refers to whispered conversations or chatter, and it is often used to imply secrecy, privacy, or rumors. Bisik-bisik can carry a negative connotation when describing informal or unofficial information circulating within a community, similar to gossip.

Pronunciation is typically described as bisik with the stress on the second syllable: bi-SIK. The term is widely understood across Indonesian and Malay-speaking communities. In formal writing, berbisik is preferred for the act of whispering, while bisik-bisik is used to discuss the phenomenon of whispered communication or rumors rather than a single act of speaking softly.

Related terms include membisikkan (to whisper something to someone, often with emphasis or secrecy) and gosip or rumor, which capture the broader concept of whispered information outside intimate settings. Bisik therefore exists both as a straightforward verb and as a cultural shorthand for discreet communication and informal chatter.