Cuci piring
Wash dishes
Phrase in 30 Seconds
The essential phrase for cleaning up after a meal in any Indonesian home or restaurant.
- Means: To wash the dishes/plates after eating.
- Used in: Daily chores, helping a host, or working in a kitchen.
- Don't confuse: With 'mandi' (to bathe) or 'membersihkan' (to clean generally).
Explanation at your level:
المعنى
Cleaning the plates after a meal
خلفية ثقافية
In villages, washing dishes is a communal activity. Men and women gather at the back of the house to wash hundreds of plates by hand, often using large tubs of water. It is considered polite to offer to wash dishes at a friend's house, but it is equally polite for the host to refuse. Insisting too much can sometimes make the host feel uncomfortable. In middle and upper-class urban homes, 'cuci piring' is almost exclusively the job of a domestic helper. This is changing among younger, more progressive couples. Traditionally seen as a woman's task, modern Indonesian social media often features 'husband goals' content showing men doing the 'cuci piring' to challenge old stereotypes.
Use 'Nyuci' for Instant Fluency
If you want to sound like a local in Jakarta, use 'nyuci' instead of 'cuci' or 'mencuci'.
Don't 'Cuci' Everything
Remember that for floors and tables, Indonesians use 'pel' and 'lap'. 'Cuci' implies a lot of water and soap.
المعنى
Cleaning the plates after a meal
Use 'Nyuci' for Instant Fluency
If you want to sound like a local in Jakarta, use 'nyuci' instead of 'cuci' or 'mencuci'.
Don't 'Cuci' Everything
Remember that for floors and tables, Indonesians use 'pel' and 'lap'. 'Cuci' implies a lot of water and soap.
The Guest Rule
Always offer to wash dishes as a guest, but don't be offended when they say no. It's a scripted social dance.
Sabun Cuci Piring
If you're at a supermarket, look for 'Sunlight' or 'Mama Lemon'—the two most famous brands of dish soap in Indonesia.
اختبر نفسك
Fill in the missing word to complete the daily chore.
Setelah makan malam, saya harus ___ piring.
The correct verb for cleaning dishes is 'cuci'.
Which sentence is the most formal?
Choose the formal version of 'I am washing dishes'.
The use of 'Saya', 'sedang', and the prefix 'me-' makes this the formal version.
Match the phrase to the correct context.
If a politician is 'cuci piring', what are they doing?
This is the figurative meaning of the phrase in Indonesian politics and business.
Complete the dialogue between a host and a guest.
Tamu: 'Makanannya enak! Boleh saya bantu cuci piring?' Tuan Rumah: '___'
In Indonesian culture, hosts typically decline a guest's offer to help with dishes.
🎉 النتيجة: /4
وسائل تعلم بصرية
Kitchen Chores
Cleaning
- • Cuci piring
- • Lap meja
- • Sapu lantai
Formal vs Informal
الأسئلة الشائعة
10 أسئلةNo, it's a collective term for all dishes, including glasses, spoons, and pans.
Yes, but you usually say 'pakai mesin cuci piring' (using a dishwasher machine).
The formal form is 'mencuci piring'.
'Nyuci' is the informal, colloquial version common in Jakarta and casual speech.
Yes, in Indonesian culture, it is generally considered impolite to ask a guest to do chores.
It means cleaning up a mess or scandal left by a previous administration.
You can say 'Aku capek cuci piring'.
Most Indonesian households wash dishes by hand; dishwashers are luxury items.
It is dishwashing liquid/soap.
You can, but 'cuci piring' is the standard phrase even if you are only washing bowls.
عبارات ذات صلة
Cuci baju
similarTo wash clothes
Cuci tangan
similarTo wash hands / To wash one's hands of a situation
Rak piring
builds onDish rack
Sabun cuci piring
specialized formDish soap
Pencuci mulut
contrastDessert
أين تستخدمها
After dinner at home
Anak: Ma, aku sudah selesai makan.
Mama: Ya, jangan lupa cuci piringnya ya!
At a friend's house
Tamu: Makanannya enak! Boleh saya bantu cuci piring?
Tuan Rumah: Eh, tidak usah! Kamu tamu, duduk saja.
In a shared apartment (Kost)
Teman Kost A: Siapa yang belum cuci piring? Wastafelnya penuh!
Teman Kost B: Maaf, itu punyaku. Aku cuci sekarang.
Job Interview for a restaurant
Pewawancara: Apakah Anda punya pengalaman di dapur?
Kandidat: Saya pernah bekerja sebagai tukang cuci piring selama satu tahun.
Political commentary
Presenter: Bagaimana pendapat Anda tentang menteri baru ini?
Pengamat: Dia hanya bertugas cuci piring dari masalah menteri sebelumnya.
Texting a roommate
Roommate: Bro, nyuci piring dong. Udah numpuk nih.
You: Sip, ntar balik kampus gw cuci.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of 'Cuci' as 'Clean' and 'Piring' as 'Plate'. C-P: Clean Plates.
Visual Association
Imagine a giant 'Piring' (plate) being scrubbed with a 'Cuci' (brush) that looks like a giant letter C.
Rhyme
Habis makan, jangan pusing, ayo kita cuci piring!
Story
A king named Cuci loved his golden Piring. Every day after his feast, he would personally wash them to make sure they sparkled. Now, everyone in Indonesia follows King Cuci's rule.
Word Web
تحدٍّ
Next time you finish a meal, say 'Saya mau cuci piring' out loud before you head to the sink.
In Other Languages
Lavar los platos
Spanish often uses the plural 'platos', while Indonesian stays singular 'piring'.
Faire la vaisselle
Indonesian uses a specific verb (wash) whereas French uses a general verb (do).
Geschirr spülen
The verb 'spülen' is more specific to dishes than the general 'cuci'.
皿を洗う (Sara o arau)
Japanese requires the object marker 'o', which Indonesian doesn't use.
غسل الأطباق (Ghasl al-atbaq)
Arabic uses the definite article 'al-', which Indonesian lacks.
洗碗 (Xǐ wǎn)
The focus is on 'bowls' in Chinese vs 'plates' in Indonesian.
설거지하다 (Seol-geoji-hada)
Indonesian is a compound of two common words; Korean is a unique term.
Lavar a louça
Indonesian 'piring' is more specific to the object 'plate' but used collectively.
Easily Confused
Both start with 'Cuci'.
Cuci mata means 'window shopping' or 'looking at something beautiful', not actually washing your eyes.
Both start with 'Cuci'.
Cuci gudang means a 'warehouse sale' or 'clearance sale'.
الأسئلة الشائعة (10)
No, it's a collective term for all dishes, including glasses, spoons, and pans.
Yes, but you usually say 'pakai mesin cuci piring' (using a dishwasher machine).
The formal form is 'mencuci piring'.
'Nyuci' is the informal, colloquial version common in Jakarta and casual speech.
Yes, in Indonesian culture, it is generally considered impolite to ask a guest to do chores.
It means cleaning up a mess or scandal left by a previous administration.
You can say 'Aku capek cuci piring'.
Most Indonesian households wash dishes by hand; dishwashers are luxury items.
It is dishwashing liquid/soap.
You can, but 'cuci piring' is the standard phrase even if you are only washing bowls.
