penutur

Penutur is a term in Indonesian and Malay that refers to a person who tells or relates a story. It is commonly translated as narrator or storyteller and can describe the narrative voice in a literary work, a speaker in an oral tale, or a voice actor providing narration in audio and film.

In literature, penutur denotes the narrator who conveys the events of a story to the reader. The penutur’s point of view can be first person, third person, or an external observer, and the reliability of the narration may vary. Studies of penutur often focus on perspective, bias, and the relationship between the teller and the events described.

In media and performance, penutur also applies to someone who delivers narration in audiobooks, documentaries, radio programs, and dubbing. The craft involves controlled delivery, pacing, intonation, and clear articulation to support comprehension and engagement.

The term is formed with the Indonesian-Malay prefix pen- attached to the root tutur, meaning to tell or relate. It is gender-neutral and widely used in literary criticism, education, and media contexts. While penutur is common, synonyms in Indonesian include narator and pencerita, depending on nuance and regional usage.