What does buat mean?
"Buat" is not a standard English word; readers encountering it are almost certainly seeing a borrowing from Malay or Indonesian, where it functions chiefly as a preposition meaning "for", marking purpose or intended recipient, and secondarily as part of expressions indicating who or what made something. It appears frequently in everyday phrases such as gifts or messages being described as being "for" someone. Because it lacks standing in major English dictionaries, learners of English should treat it as foreign vocabulary rather than an English headword. Its resemblance to familiar English words is coincidental and should not be taken as evidence of an English sense.
preposition (in Malay/Indonesian)In Malay and Indonesian, "buat" is a preposition meaning "for" or "made by", used to indicate purpose, intended recipient, or the maker of something. It is not recorded as a standard word in major English dictionaries.
- In Malay/Indonesian: indicating the person or thing something is intended for ("for").
- In Malay/Indonesian: indicating the agent or maker of something ("made by").
"Kue ini dibuat ibu untuk kamu — this cake was made (buat) by mother for you."
"Hadiah ini buat kamu — this gift is for you."
"Rumah itu dibuat tukang batu — that house was made by a stonemason."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of buat
The word belongs to Malay and Indonesian, where it is a well-established everyday preposition and verb root meaning "to make/do" and "for". It has no verified place in the historical development of English vocabulary, and no reliable English cognates can be cited without further verification.
How buat is actually used
Because "buat" is not part of the standard English lexicon, it should not be presented to English readers as an English vocabulary word; any entry should clearly flag its Malay/Indonesian origin.
Easily confused with buat
"Buat" resembles "boat" only in spelling order reversed-ish; "boat" is an English noun for a watercraft, while "buat" has no such meaning in English.