jawab

Jawab is a word in Indonesian and Malay that primarily functions as a verb meaning to answer or to reply. As a standalone verb, jawab conveys giving an answer or response to a question, request, or problem. The noun form for the act or result of answering is jawaban in Indonesian and jawapan in Malay. The root is used widely in education, media, and everyday conversation.

Grammatical forms include the active menjawab, formed with the me- prefix, and terjawab, which can indicate that something has been answered or resolved. In both languages, jawab appears in common expressions such as menjawab pertanyaan (to answer a question), jawaban singkat (a short answer), and jawaban yang memuaskan (a satisfactory answer). The Malay variant jawapan is used in similar contexts.

Usage nuances center on the standard noun–verb distinction: jawab is the verb base, while jawaban or jawapan are the corresponding nouns. The word also participates in compound terms and everyday phrases such as jawab cepat (answer quickly) or jawaban tepat (accurate answer), with language-appropriate form choices. In Indonesian contexts, it is common to see sentences like Saya akan menjawab pertanyaan itu, or Pertanyaannya telah terjawab, illustrating both active and passive implications.

See also: jawaban, jawapan, menjawab, terjawab.