biru

Biru is the Indonesian and Malay word for the color blue. It is used across Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, and other Malay-speaking communities to describe shades ranging from light sky blue to deep navy. In everyday language, phrases such as biru langit (sky blue) and biru tua (navy blue) are common, while biru muda refers to light blue.

The term biru is part of the basic color vocabulary in Austronesian languages and is a native word in Indonesian and Malay, with cognates appearing in related languages. The precise historical origin of the word is not exhaustively documented in popular sources, but biru has been established in the lexicon for many centuries.

In modern usage, biru appears frequently in fashion, interior design, branding, and education as a straightforward color descriptor. It is also used metaphorically to convey feelings such as calmness, stability, and reliability, consistent with common associations of blue in many cultures. In heraldry and flag design in Southeast Asia, blue hues appear in institutional and regional symbols, though meanings vary by context.

For language learners, distinguishing biru from related color terms like biru muda and biru tua is a basic building block in Indonesian and Malay color vocabulary. The term is widely understood by speakers of both languages and is a standard entry in dictionaries and language courses.