A1 Collocation Neutral

Cuci baju

Wash clothes

Phrase in 30 Seconds

A fundamental daily life phrase used to describe the act of washing clothes, whether by hand or machine.

  • Means: To wash clothes (the entire laundry process).
  • Used in: Daily routines, household chores, and planning your day.
  • Don't confuse: With 'cuci piring' (washing dishes) or 'cuci muka' (washing face).
👕 + 🧼 + 💧 = Cuci baju

Explanation at your level:

At this level, 'cuci baju' is a simple phrase to learn. 'Cuci' means wash, and 'baju' means clothes. You can use it to talk about your daily routine. For example, 'Saya cuci baju' (I wash clothes). It is very useful for basic communication at home or with friends.
At the A2 level, you should start using time markers and simple conjunctions with the phrase. You can say 'Saya cuci baju setiap hari Sabtu' (I wash clothes every Saturday). You also learn that 'cuci' can be used for other things like 'cuci piring' (wash dishes).
Intermediate learners should understand the difference between 'cuci baju' and the formal 'mencuci pakaian'. You can describe the process: 'Setelah mencuci baju, saya harus menjemurnya di luar' (After washing the clothes, I have to hang them outside). You also begin to use the passive form 'dicuci'.
Upper-intermediate learners can use the phrase in more complex social contexts, such as discussing the 'laundry kiloan' industry or the environmental impact of detergents. You should be comfortable with the informal 'nyuci' and the nuances of the 'me-' prefix in different registers of Indonesian society.
Advanced learners analyze 'cuci baju' through a sociolinguistic lens. This includes understanding the delegation of domestic labor in Indonesia and the linguistic shift toward English loanwords like 'laundry'. You can discuss the etymology of 'baju' from Persian and how it reflects historical trade patterns in the archipelago.
At the mastery level, one explores the cognitive linguistics of 'cuci'. You understand how 'cuci' functions as a light verb in various collocations and its metaphorical extensions in Indonesian literature or political discourse (e.g., 'cuci tangan' meaning to wash one's hands of responsibility). You possess near-native intuition for when to use the nasalized 'nyuci' versus the formal 'mencuci'.

Bedeutung

Doing the laundry.

🌍

Kultureller Hintergrund

The 'Laundry Kiloan' is a lifesaver for urbanites. It's cheap, efficient, and includes ironing (setrika). Washing in the river is still common in some rural areas and is a social event for women. Middle-class families usually have a helper (Mbak) who handles the 'cuci baju' and 'setrika'. Indonesians are experts at 'jemur baju' (sun-drying). A rainy day is a 'laundry emergency'.

💡

Use 'Nyuci'

If you want to sound like a local in Jakarta, use 'nyuci' instead of 'cuci'.

⚠️

Prefix Matters

Don't forget the 'me-' prefix in formal emails or school assignments.

Bedeutung

Doing the laundry.

💡

Use 'Nyuci'

If you want to sound like a local in Jakarta, use 'nyuci' instead of 'cuci'.

⚠️

Prefix Matters

Don't forget the 'me-' prefix in formal emails or school assignments.

🎯

Laundry Kiloan

If you're traveling in Indonesia, look for 'Laundry Kiloan' signs to save money on washing.

💬

The Sun Smell

Indonesians love the smell of sun-dried clothes. Mentioning 'bau matahari' is a great cultural touch.

Teste dich selbst

Fill in the blank with the correct word for 'clothes'.

Saya sedang cuci ___.

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: baju

'Baju' means clothes. 'Piring' is dishes, 'muka' is face, and 'tangan' is hands.

Which sentence is the most formal?

Choose the formal version of 'I wash clothes'.

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: Saya mencuci pakaian.

'Saya' is the formal 'I', 'mencuci' uses the formal prefix, and 'pakaian' is the formal word for clothes.

Complete the dialogue.

A: Ayo pergi ke mal! B: Maaf, aku tidak bisa. Aku harus ___.

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: cuci baju

'Cuci baju' is the only logical chore listed that would prevent someone from going out.

Match the phrase to the situation.

You are at a 'Laundry Kiloan' shop. What do you say?

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: Saya mau cuci baju.

You go to a laundry shop to wash clothes (baju), not dishes (piring), cars (mobil), or a warehouse (gudang).

🎉 Ergebnis: /4

Visuelle Lernhilfen

Types of 'Cuci'

🏠

Household

  • • Cuci baju
  • • Cuci piring
  • • Cuci mobil
👤

Body

  • • Cuci muka
  • • Cuci tangan
  • • Keramas (Hair)

Häufig gestellte Fragen

12 Fragen

It is neutral. For formal contexts, use 'mencuci pakaian'.

Yes, 'cuci mobil' is the correct term for washing a car.

'Baju' usually means shirt or clothes in general, while 'pakaian' is more formal and collective (apparel).

It is 'mesin cuci'.

It is the informal, spoken version of 'mencuci'.

Rarely. Most people hang clothes in the sun ('jemur').

You can say 'Bisa cuci baju di sini?'

No, specify 'cuci kering' for dry cleaning.

Yes, they share the same root meaning 'clean' or 'pure'.

It is 'deterjen' or 'sabun cuci'.

You say 'baju kotor'.

It is 'keranjang baju' or 'keranjang cucian'.

Verwandte Redewendungen

🔗

Cuci piring

similar

Washing dishes

🔗

Cuci tangan

similar

Washing hands

🔗

Jemur baju

builds on

Hanging clothes to dry

🔗

Setrika baju

builds on

Ironing clothes

🔗

Cuci kering

specialized form

Dry cleaning

Wo du es verwendest

🏠

At home with a roommate

Andi: Banyak sekali baju kotor di sini.

Budi: Iya, aku mau cuci baju sore ini.

informal
🧺

At a laundry shop

Pelanggan: Mbak, saya mau cuci baju dua kilo.

Petugas: Baik, mau cuci kering atau setrika juga?

neutral
🚫

Declining an invitation

Siska: Ayo kita nonton film!

Maya: Maaf, aku tidak bisa. Aku lagi nyuci baju.

informal
🤝

Asking for help

Ayah: Bisa tolong Ayah cuci baju?

Anak: Bisa, Yah. Nanti aku kerjakan.

neutral
📱

On a dating app

User A: Lagi apa?

User B: Lagi jadi babu nih, nyuci baju sendiri haha.

informal
🏢

In a hostel/dorm

Tono: Mesin cucinya kosong?

Rudi: Kosong, aku baru selesai cuci baju.

informal

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of 'Cuci' as 'Cleaning Up' and 'Baju' as 'Body Jackets'. You clean your body jackets!

Visual Association

Imagine a giant bar of soap (Sabun) scrubbing a colorful Indonesian Batik shirt in a sunny garden.

Rhyme

Cuci baju di hari Sabtu, supaya bersih selalu.

Story

Budi had a dirty shirt (baju). He took it to the river to wash (cuci) it. Now Budi is happy because his baju is clean.

Word Web

Sabun (Soap)Air (Water)Mesin cuci (Washing machine)Jemur (Dry in sun)Kotor (Dirty)Bersih (Clean)Setrika (Iron)

Herausforderung

Go to your laundry basket and say 'Saya harus cuci baju' out loud three times.

In Other Languages

Spanish high

Lavar la ropa

Spanish requires the definite article 'la'.

French moderate

Faire la lessive

French uses 'do' while Indonesian uses 'wash'.

German high

Wäsche waschen

German word order can change in subordinate clauses.

Japanese moderate

洗濯をする (Sentaku o suru)

Japanese treats 'laundry' as a noun-verb compound.

Arabic high

غسل الملابس (Ghasl al-malabis)

Arabic uses a formal genitive construction (Idafa).

Chinese high

洗衣服 (Xǐ yīfu)

Virtually no difference in basic structure.

Korean moderate

빨래를 하다 (Ppal-lae-reul hada)

Korean uses an object marker 'reul'.

Portuguese high

Lavar a roupa

Portuguese uses the definite article 'a'.

Easily Confused

Cuci baju vs. Cuci gudang

Learners might think it means cleaning a warehouse.

It actually means 'Clearance Sale'.

Cuci baju vs. Cuci mata

Sounds like 'washing eyes'.

It means 'window shopping' or 'looking at beautiful things/people'.

FAQ (12)

It is neutral. For formal contexts, use 'mencuci pakaian'.

Yes, 'cuci mobil' is the correct term for washing a car.

'Baju' usually means shirt or clothes in general, while 'pakaian' is more formal and collective (apparel).

It is 'mesin cuci'.

It is the informal, spoken version of 'mencuci'.

Rarely. Most people hang clothes in the sun ('jemur').

You can say 'Bisa cuci baju di sini?'

No, specify 'cuci kering' for dry cleaning.

Yes, they share the same root meaning 'clean' or 'pure'.

It is 'deterjen' or 'sabun cuci'.

You say 'baju kotor'.

It is 'keranjang baju' or 'keranjang cucian'.

War das hilfreich?

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