hirup

Hirup is a verb in Indonesian and Malay meaning to inhale or draw something into the lungs, i.e., to take a breath. It commonly refers to inhaling air, but can also describe drawing in smoke, a scent, or other substances. The most common form is menghirup, as in menghirup udara segar (to inhale fresh air) or menghirup asap rokok (to inhale cigarette smoke). Another example is menghirup aroma kopi (to smell or inhale the aroma of coffee).

Usage and nuance: Hirup is used for both literal breathing and the act of drawing in substances through the mouth or nose. In everyday language, it can also convey absorbing a scent or impression, but in many contexts speaker may choose more precise verbs depending on the sense (for example, “mengambil inspirasi” to take inspiration or “menyerap informasi” to absorb information).

Etymology: Hirup is a native Malay‑Indonesian word. It is related semantically to breath and inhalation, and the form menghirup is the standard morphological construction for a transitive verb in modern Indonesian and Malay.

Related terms: nafas (breath), napas (less common variant for breath), menghembuskan napas (to exhale) as the opposite action.

See also: respiration, breath, inhalation, aroma.