Pembokat
/id/Source Language: The language or dialect this term originates from (ID).Indonesian•1 meaning found
Noun
A word that functions as the name of a specific object or set of objects, such as living creatures, places, actions, qualities, states of existence, or ideas.
A casual and informal term for a “domestic helper”, referring to a person employed to carry out household tasks such as cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, and managing daily domestic needs within another person's home.
asisten rumah tangga
A more modern term often considered more polite or professional than 'pembantu rumah tangga'.
babysitter
Someone employed to look after children, often also performing light household duties; a loanword from English.
jongos
A male servant (especially in a restaurant or hotel); a male domestic helper.
pembantu rumah tangga
Someone employed to perform domestic tasks in another person's home; the standard and formal term.
PRT
Official acronym for 'Pekerja Rumah Tangga' (Domestic Worker), used in formal, legal, and labor policy contexts as a neutral equivalent of 'pembokat'.
babu
Another informal or slang synonym for a domestic helper, but tends to carry a more derogatory and demeaning tone compared to 'pembokat'.
The word pembokat is a slang form derived from a phonetic distortion and truncation of pembantu, specifically pembantu rumah tangga (domestic helper). The word formation involves modification of the final syllable, where the suffix -tu is replaced with -kat, likely influenced by urban colloquial speech patterns that favor phonetic distortion to create a humorous or familiar tone. The term is widely circulated among urban Indonesian communities, particularly on social media and in informal conversations, as a more casual and playful alternative to its formal counterpart. Contextual awareness is advised, as the term may be perceived as demeaning by some.
Pembokat lagi nyuci piring, jangan ganggu dulu dong.
Representative of real-world usage and contextual accuracy.