How do you address someone respectfully in Indonesian? (Pak, Bu, Mas, Mbak)

Short answer

Indonesian honorifics are obligatory in polite speech. Use Pak (older man), Bu (older woman), Mas (peer or younger man), and Mbak (peer or younger woman) before someone\'s first name or alone. For very formal contexts, use the full forms Bapak and Ibu. Skipping the honorific can come across as rude.

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