tebak

Tebak is an Indonesian verb meaning to guess, infer, or suppose. It is used in everyday language to indicate forming a guess about something uncertain. The base form tebak can function in imperative contexts, such as "Tebak!" or "Tebak saja," and in statements, as in "Saya tebak jawaban." The more formal or neutral verb is menebak, formed by adding the prefix me- to the root tebak; the word tebak can also appear in noun form as tebakan, meaning a guess or an estimate.

Tebak-tebakan refers to guessing games or riddles, typically involving clues that participants try to interpret to reach a solution. This type of content is common in Indonesian classrooms, family gatherings, and online media, where short wordplay, puzzles, and memes are shared for entertainment. Subtypes include tebak gambar (guess the picture), tebak lagu (guess the song), and tebak kata (guess the word). These activities often rely on wordplay, cultural knowledge, and contextual hints.

In broader usage, tebak supports a range of communicative aims—from casual banter to educational exercises—emphasizing the act of forming a hypothesis rather than presenting a confirmed fact. The term is part of Indonesian vocabulary and is similarly used in Malay, reflecting shared linguistic roots in the region.