sentuh

Sentuh is a verb in Indonesian and Malay meaning to make physical contact with something or someone. It can also be used metaphorically to mean to affect emotionally or to address a topic briefly. The standard active form is menyentuh, as in Dia menyentuh meja. The passive form is disentuh, as in Meja itu telah disentuh. In imperative clauses, the bare root sentuh can be used, for example Sentuh itu.

The noun sentuhan designates the act or result of touching: a physical touch, a light contact, or a figurative influence, such as sentuhan budaya or sentuhan lembut. It is common in both everyday speech and formal writing.

Etymology: The word is native to the Malayic branch of the Austronesian language family, with cognates found across the region.

Usage notes: In Indonesian, menyentuh is the ordinary active form, and disentuh is used for passive constructions. Figurative uses include menyentuh hati (to move someone emotionally) and phrases like sentuhan budaya (cultural influence) that describe a subtle or characteristic influence.

See also: menyentuh, disentuh, sentuhan.