kartu

Kartu is a word in Indonesian and Malay that means card, a flat, usually rectangular object that carries information, serves a function, or acts as a token. The term is used for a wide range of items made of paper, plastic, or similar material, and it often appears as the basis of compound terms in everyday language. The word is a loanword from Dutch kaart, which originally referred to a card or a map.

In common usage, kartu appears in many contexts. Financial and identification cards include kartu kredit (credit card), kartu ATM (ATM card), kartu SIM (subscriber identity module), and kartu tanda penduduk or KTP (the Indonesian national identity card). The kartu keluarga (family card) is used in civil registration and administrative processes. Personal and professional items include kartu nama (business card), kartu undangan (invitation card), and kartu pos (postcard). Data storage devices are referred to as kartu memori (memory card), such as SD cards. For games and entertainment, there are kartu remi (playing cards) and kartu domino (domino cards). Loyalty and access cards are also described with kartu, for example kartu loyalti (loyalty card) or kartu anggota (membership card).

The versatility of kartu reflects its role as a general term for numerous discrete objects that share the characteristic of being portable, flat, and informational or functional. In regional usage, kartu is widely understood across Indonesia and other Malay-speaking communities, where many specialized terms are formed by combining kartu with a qualifying noun.