kembar

Kembar is a word in Indonesian and Malay that denotes a twin or a pair of two related or identical items. It functions as both a noun and an adjective. As a noun, kembar can refer to one member of a twin pair; as an adjective, it describes things that come in pairs or are closely matched.

Common uses include phrases such as anak kembar (a twin child), pasangan kembar (a twin pair), and kembar identik (identical twins). A historical or less formal term is kembar siam, which has been used to describe conjoined twins; in contemporary usage it is often replaced by more precise or neutral expressions, such as kembar identik or kongenital twins.

Outside human biology, kembar can describe any two items that are paired or mirror each other, a meaning that appears in everyday language and in literature to convey similarity or coordination. The word has cognates in other Malayic languages and reflects regional emphasis on pairing and similarity in description.

In cultural contexts, twins are noted differently across communities in Indonesia and Malaysia, but the basic concept expressed by kembar—two beings or objects linked or matched—remains consistent. The term is widely understood across Malay-speaking regions and is also encountered in media, education, and everyday speech.