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- Jul 15, 2016
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I'm writing a little guide for new expats to hire household staff, and want to list common terminology at the beginning. You would think that after 17 years I would have this down pat, but as I try to lay things out with painstaking accuracy I realize I have some questions and gaps in my knowledge.
Here's what I have written:
Corrections are welcome to any of the above; I'm not sure I've actually ever heard anyone talk about a "pemasak." Is there a different term in common usage for a cook? (I've never hired one, so I've never paid attention to that.)
Some other questions:
Here's what I have written:
- Pembantu – This term literally means “helper” but is usually used to refer to maids/cleaning staff.
- Jaga – This is what expat employers call their guard staff. Penjaga would be more grammatically correct but no one says that. “Satpam” are somewhat similar but these are official security staff hired by businesses and communities.
- Sopir (less often, pengemudi) – Driver
- Pemasak – Cook.
- Babysitter – If you read or hear references to a “babysitter” in Indonesian, it probably refers to a nanny (ie, full time child-care help) rather than what many of us foreigners think of as a “babysitter”: the teenager down the street that you pay for a couple of hours to watch your child on an ad hoc basis.
Corrections are welcome to any of the above; I'm not sure I've actually ever heard anyone talk about a "pemasak." Is there a different term in common usage for a cook? (I've never hired one, so I've never paid attention to that.)
Some other questions:
- Is there an Indonesian word for "nanny" that is in common use, besides "babysitter"?
- Does anyone still use the term "koki"? I was under the impression it is a bit offensive/pathetically dated now - kind of like referring to "negroes" in the United States.
- Isn't there a term for "houseboy" that is now considered offensive as well? I can't remember it but it is on the tip of my tongue - I want to say "jasa" but of course that is not it.
- Is there a word in common usage for gardeners? "Tukang kebun" may be a literal translation but I can't say I have ever heard anyone use it. (On the other hand, I've never hired a gardener, so what do I know?)