Phrase in 30 Seconds
Mata-mata is the Indonesian word for a spy or someone who secretly watches others to gather information.
- Means: A spy or secret agent who observes others covertly.
- Used in: Movies, news reports, or joking about a nosy friend.
- Don't confuse: With 'kacamata' (glasses) or just looking with your eyes.
あなたのレベルに合った解説：
意味
Someone who secretly watches others
文化的背景
The term 'Intel' is often used interchangeably with 'mata-mata' in daily life, referring to undercover police. It's a common joke to say someone is an 'intel' if they have a short haircut and look suspicious. In Javanese culture, there is a strong emphasis on 'unggah-ungguh' (etiquette). Being a 'mata-mata' or nosy is generally frowned upon as it disrupts social harmony ('rukun'). On social media, 'mata-mata' is being replaced by 'stalking' or 'stalker'. However, 'mata-mata' is still used when the spying is perceived as more 'serious' or 'organized'. During the revolution (1945-1949), 'mata-mata' were crucial for the Indonesian side to track Dutch troop movements. Many ordinary villagers became 'mata-mata' for the guerrillas.
Easy Plural
Don't worry about making it plural. 'Mata-mata' can mean one spy or many spies depending on the context.
Verb Form
Always use 'memata-matai' when you want to use it as an action. 'Dia mata-mata saya' sounds like 'He is my spy', not 'He is spying on me'.
Easy Plural
Don't worry about making it plural. 'Mata-mata' can mean one spy or many spies depending on the context.
Verb Form
Always use 'memata-matai' when you want to use it as an action. 'Dia mata-mata saya' sounds like 'He is my spy', not 'He is spying on me'.
Slang Alternative
Use 'intel' if you want to sound more like a local when joking about someone being nosy.
Context Matters
In Indonesia, calling someone a 'mata-mata' in a serious context is a heavy accusation. Use it carefully!
自分をテスト
Fill in the blank with the correct form of 'mata-mata'.
Dia sedang _______ tetangganya dari balik jendela.
The sentence requires a verb. 'Memata-matai' is the verb form of 'mata-mata'.
Which sentence uses 'mata-mata' correctly?
Choose the correct sentence:
Sentence 1 should use 'kacamata'. Sentence 3 should use 'mata'. Sentence 4 should use 'memata-matai'.
Match the Indonesian word with its English equivalent.
Match the following:
These are common words related to the root 'mata' or the theme of spying.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Kenapa kamu sembunyi di sana? B: Aku sedang _______ musuh.
The context of hiding to watch an enemy implies the action of spying.
🎉 スコア： /4
ビジュアル学習ツール
Spy vs. Detective
練習問題バンク
5 問題Dia sedang _______ tetangganya dari balik jendela.
The sentence requires a verb. 'Memata-matai' is the verb form of 'mata-mata'.
Choose the correct sentence:
Sentence 1 should use 'kacamata'. Sentence 3 should use 'mata'. Sentence 4 should use 'memata-matai'.
左の各項目を右のペアと一致させてください:
These are common words related to the root 'mata' or the theme of spying.
A: Kenapa kamu sembunyi di sana? B: Aku sedang _______ musuh.
The context of hiding to watch an enemy implies the action of spying.
🎉 スコア： /5
よくある質問
12 問Not necessarily. In movies, they are heroes. In real life, it depends on who they are spying for!
Yes, you can, but 'stalker' is also commonly used in Indonesian slang now.
The verb is 'memata-matai'.
'Spion' is a loanword from Dutch and is slightly more formal or technical. 'Mata-mata' is the common native term.
Yes, Indonesian is gender-neutral. A 'mata-mata' can be anyone.
Yes, 'mata-mata bisnis' or 'mata-mata industri' refers to corporate espionage.
Reduplication in Indonesian often creates a new noun related to the root word's function.
No, you must say the full 'mata-mata'.
It's better to use 'detektif swasta' for a professional private investigator.
Literally yes, but contextually it always means 'spy'. For 'eyes', just say 'mata'.
Yes, it is the standard term used in Indonesian journalism.
It is 'mata-mata ganda'.
関連フレーズ
Agen rahasia
synonymSecret agent
Spionase
specialized formEspionage
Informan
similarInformant
Cepu
contrastSnitch
Penyusup
builds onInfiltrator
Detektif
similarDetective
どこで使う？
Watching a spy movie
A: Siapa karakter favoritmu di film ini?
B: Tentu saja si mata-mata itu, dia sangat keren!
Joking with a nosy friend
A: Kenapa kamu tanya-tanya terus tentang pacarku?
B: Aku cuma mau tahu saja!
A: Dasar mata-mata!
Discussing office politics
A: Hati-hati kalau bicara di kantin.
B: Kenapa?
A: Katanya ada mata-mata bos di sana.
Reading the news
News Anchor: Seorang mata-mata ditangkap di perbatasan pagi ini.
Siblings bickering
Kakak: Ibu tahu aku pulang telat!
Adik: Hehe, aku yang kasih tahu.
Kakak: Kamu memang mata-mata kecil!
Playing a game (like Among Us)
Player 1: Aku rasa si Merah itu mata-mata.
Player 2: Setuju, dia selalu mengikuti kita.
暗記しよう
記憶術
Think of a spy as someone who needs 'Double Eyes' (Mata-Mata) to see everything twice as well.
視覚的連想
Imagine a person wearing a trench coat and sunglasses, but instead of two eyes, they have four eyes—two pairs of 'mata'—peeking through a newspaper.
Rhyme
Mata-mata, rahasia nyata. (Spy, the secret is real.)
Story
A man named Mata wanted to know everyone's secrets. He looked so much that people said he had two Matas. Eventually, everyone called him Mata-Mata whenever he was caught hiding behind a bush.
In Other Languages
In English, we say 'to be all eyes', which is similar to the Indonesian logic of doubling the word for eye to show intense watching.
Word Web
チャレンジ
Try to find one 'mata-mata' character in a movie you watch today and describe them using the word.
Review this word on day 1, 3, and 7. Focus on the verb form 'memata-matai' on day 7.
発音
Pronounced with a clear 'a' sound like in 'father'.
Simply repeat the word 'mata' twice with equal stress.
フォーマル度スペクトル
Beliau adalah seorang agen intelijen. (Describing someone's secret role)
Dia adalah seorang mata-mata. (Describing someone's secret role)
Dia itu mata-mata. (Describing someone's secret role)
Dia mah intel. (Describing someone's secret role)
Derived from the Malay word 'mata' (eye). Reduplication is a standard feature of Austronesian languages to create new meanings or indicate plurality.
豆知識
In some older Malay dialects, 'mata-mata' was also a term for a low-ranking police officer or constable.
文化メモ
The term 'Intel' is often used interchangeably with 'mata-mata' in daily life, referring to undercover police. It's a common joke to say someone is an 'intel' if they have a short haircut and look suspicious.
“Hati-hati, tukang bakso itu mungkin intel! (Careful, that meatball seller might be an undercover cop!)”
In Javanese culture, there is a strong emphasis on 'unggah-ungguh' (etiquette). Being a 'mata-mata' or nosy is generally frowned upon as it disrupts social harmony ('rukun').
“Aja dadi mata-mata. (Don't be a spy/nosy person.)”
On social media, 'mata-mata' is being replaced by 'stalking' or 'stalker'. However, 'mata-mata' is still used when the spying is perceived as more 'serious' or 'organized'.
“Dia jadi mata-mata di grup WhatsApp kita.”
During the revolution (1945-1949), 'mata-mata' were crucial for the Indonesian side to track Dutch troop movements. Many ordinary villagers became 'mata-mata' for the guerrillas.
“Pejuang kita dibantu oleh banyak mata-mata lokal.”
会話のきっかけ
Apakah kamu suka film tentang mata-mata?
Menurutmu, apakah mata-mata itu pekerjaan yang berbahaya?
Pernahkah kamu merasa ada orang yang memata-matai kamu?
Apa perbedaan antara mata-mata dan detektif menurut pendapatmu?
よくある間違い
Orang mata
Mata-mata
L1 Interference
Mematai dia
Memata-matai dia
L1 Interference
Dia mata-mata saya
Dia memata-matai saya
L1 Interference
Kacamata itu
Mata-mata itu
L1 Interference
In Other Languages
Espía
Indonesian uses reduplication of 'eye', Spanish uses a dedicated root.
Espion
French has a specific masculine/feminine form (espion/espionne), whereas Indonesian is gender-neutral.
Spion
German 'Spion' is a loanword in Indonesian, but 'mata-mata' is the indigenous idiom.
スパイ (Supai) / 間者 (Kanja)
Japanese relies on loanwords for modern spying, while Indonesian uses a native metaphor.
جاسوس (Jasous)
Arabic focuses on the 'sensing' aspect, while Indonesian focuses on the 'seeing' aspect.
间谍 (Jiàndié)
Chinese emphasizes the 'infiltration' aspect, Indonesian emphasizes the 'observation' aspect.
간첩 (Gancheop)
Korean 'Gancheop' is almost exclusively political/military, while 'mata-mata' is also used for nosy neighbors.
Espião
Portuguese uses the suffix '-ão' to denote the agent, while Indonesian uses reduplication.
Spotted in the Real World
“Mata-Mata: The New Generation”
A popular police procedural drama set in post-war Singapore/Malaysia area.
“Australia dituduh mengirim mata-mata ke Indonesia.”
Reporting on a real-world diplomatic spying scandal.
“Kau mata-mata yang mengintai gerak-gerikku.”
A song about a jealous or overprotective partner.
“Hati-hati dengan mata-mata kolonial.”
Pramoedya Ananta Toer's masterpiece set in the colonial era.
“Jangan jadi mata-mata di akun mantan!”
A tweet advising someone not to stalk their ex's profile.
間違えやすい
Both words start with 'mata' and involve seeing.
Remember 'Kaca' means glass. So 'Kacamata' is 'eye-glass'. 'Mata-mata' is just 'eyes-eyes'.
Learners might think this is a 'spy of the foot'.
The word for ankle is 'mata kaki' (eye of the foot). It is never reduplicated to 'mata-mata kaki'.
よくある質問 (12)
Not necessarily. In movies, they are heroes. In real life, it depends on who they are spying for!
basic understandingYes, you can, but 'stalker' is also commonly used in Indonesian slang now.
usage contextsThe verb is 'memata-matai'.
grammar mechanics'Spion' is a loanword from Dutch and is slightly more formal or technical. 'Mata-mata' is the common native term.
comparisonsYes, Indonesian is gender-neutral. A 'mata-mata' can be anyone.
grammar mechanicsYes, 'mata-mata bisnis' or 'mata-mata industri' refers to corporate espionage.
usage contextsReduplication in Indonesian often creates a new noun related to the root word's function.
grammar mechanicsNo, you must say the full 'mata-mata'.
practical tipsIt's better to use 'detektif swasta' for a professional private investigator.
practical tipsLiterally yes, but contextually it always means 'spy'. For 'eyes', just say 'mata'.
basic understandingYes, it is the standard term used in Indonesian journalism.
cultural usageIt is 'mata-mata ganda'.
usage contexts
