Jakarta local language

MAH-ger

Aku mager keluar malam ini.

Pronunciation

Too lazy or unwilling to move or do something.

Meaning and local context

Aku mager keluar malam ini. This expression belongs to informal local conversation and may carry different force depending on age, relationship, neighbourhood, and tone.

Example in conversation

I cannot be bothered to go out tonight.

Short for malas gerak; casual youth speech.

Common misunderstanding

Literal translation alone may miss the social meaning. Listen to the surrounding sentence and the speaker’s tone before copying it.

Use with care

How to remember it

Connect the expression with the example above, then compare it with the neutral wording rather than treating it as a universal synonym.

Explore more Jakarta expressions or return to the global dictionary.

Where you may hear it

You are most likely to encounter this expression in relaxed conversation, social media, local entertainment, neighbourhood talk, or messages between people who already share the regional context. Its meaning can shift with tone, age, familiarity, and the situation, so hearing several natural examples is more reliable than copying a single translation.

A clearer neutral alternative

When speaking with someone unfamiliar with the expression, use the plain-language interpretation shown above. That keeps the intended meaning clear without pretending the local term works identically in every country, generation, or social group.