maukah

Maukah is an Indonesian verb form created from the word mau, meaning “to want,” with the question particle kah attached to form a polite inquiry. The standard written form is maukah, one word, though it can also appear as mau kah in less formal text. The kah particle serves to turn a statement into a question and is used with various verbs to ask politely.

In usage, maukah is commonly employed to offer or invite something in a courteous manner, often in formal speech or written communication. It is suitable when addressing strangers, people in authority, or in professional contexts. Examples include: Maukah Anda minum teh? (“Would you like some tea?”) or Maukah Saudara menunggu sebentar? (“Would you like to wait a moment?”). The phrase can pair with different second-person pronouns such as Anda, kamu, or saudara, depending on the desired level of formality.

Maukah conveys politeness and a sense of consideration in the request. In everyday casual conversation, Indonesians more often use simpler or less formal forms such as mau, mau nggak, or mau tidak, without the kah particle. The kah construction is part of a broader pattern in Indonesian that attaches kah or other particles to verbs to form questions, as seen in bisa kah, boleh kah, or sanggup kah.

See also: Indonesian particle kah, polite forms in Indonesian, question formation in Indonesian, mau.