mengkuak

Mengkuak is a verb used in Indonesian and Malay that denotes exposing or revealing information, as well as the act of cracking something open. In the sense of information, mengkuak means to disclose or leak details that were previously hidden. The term often carries a spectrum of nuance from neutral to negative, depending on whether the disclosure is considered beneficial, sensational, or a breach of confidentiality. In formal writing, verbs such as mengungkap or membocorkan are more common; mengkuak is generally seen as informal or regional.

Etymology and usage: mengkuak derives from kuak, meaning to crack open or uncover, with the prefix me- forming an active transitive verb. The form mengkuak is less widespread than menguak (a closely related variant), and many speakers regard it as dialectal or older. Both forms share the core idea of bringing something hidden into the light.

Physical sense: kuak can also refer to cracking open objects. In standard Indonesian, however, more common verbs for this physical action are memecahkan or membuka. Mengkuak in this sense appears mainly in regional usage and is less typical in everyday cooking or manual contexts.

Related terms include menguak, mengungkap, and membocorkan, which cover similar meanings of disclosure or revelation in various registers.