These two Indonesian words look almost the same, but their meanings and functions are completely different. Many learners confuse them, so here’s the simple breakdown.
1. KAYA (adjective/noun)
Meaning: “rich” / “wealthy”
“Kaya” describes someone who has a lot of money or wealth.
It is an adjective and sometimes used as a noun referring to a rich person.
Examples:
- Dia orang kaya.
(She is a rich person.) - Keluarganya sangat kaya.
(His family is very rich.)
2. KAYAK (informal preposition/adverb)
Meaning: “like / similar to”
“Kayak” is informal, commonly used in spoken Indonesian.
It means “like,” “similar to,” or “looks like.”
It is a casual form of the more standard seperti.
Examples:
- Dia kayak ayahnya.
(He is like his father.) - Rasanya kayak cokelat.
(It tastes like chocolate.)
Important:
“Kayak” does NOT mean “rich.”
Learners often confuse it with “kaya,” but the meanings are unrelated.
3. Easy Summary Table
| Word | Meaning | Type | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| kaya | rich / wealthy | adjective | neutral |
| kayak | like / similar to | informal preposition | very casual |
4. Example Sentence Pairs
- Dia orang kaya.
(He is a rich person.) - Dia kayak orang kaya.
(He looks like a rich person / He’s like a rich person.) - Aku suka makanan yang kaya rasa.
(I like food that is rich in flavor.)
➝ “kaya” = rich (in taste), still adjective. - Ini rasanya kayak sup Jepang.
(This tastes like Japanese soup.)
10 Practice Questions (Kaya vs Kayak)
Choose the correct word: kaya or kayak.
- Dia ______ orang terkenal.
- Rasanya ______ stroberi.
- Keluarganya sangat ______, mereka punya tiga rumah.
- Kamu mirip banget, ______ kembaran aku!
- Makanan ini ______ bumbu.
- Dia ngomongnya ______ guru kami.
- Temanku bukan orang ______, tapi dia suka berbagi.
- Langit hari ini merah ______ sunset di Bali.
- Bosku itu orang _______, mobilnya banyak.
- Ini bentuknya ______ donat mini.
