Mau begins with volition: wanting, being willing, or intending to do something. In everyday Indonesian it also presents a practical plan, asks whether someone accepts an offer, and describes an event that looks ready to happen: Mau makan?, Dia tidak mau, Hujan mau turun. The extension from personal desire to imminence depends on contextual control—what a person is disposed to do, or what a situation appears poised to do.
This page treats mau as a modal-like word before an unchanged predicate. It does not analyze voice morphology or individual lexical verbs. Compare neutral desire ingin and prospective akan on their dedicated pages.
Desire and everyday intention
Saya mau makan sebelum rapat dimulai.
I want to eat before the meeting begins.
Rina mau belajar memasak makanan Padang.
Rina wants to learn to cook Padang food.
Kami mau menonton film itu akhir pekan ini.
We want/plan to watch that film this weekend.
Anak-anak mau bermain di luar setelah hujan reda.
The children want to play outside after the rain stops.
The same form can describe a wish or a practical intention. Saya mau pindah may mean “I want to move” before any plan exists, or “I am going to move” when arrangements are settled. Time phrases and evidence decide.
Saya mau pindah suatu hari nanti, tetapi belum tahu ke mana.
I want to move someday, but I do not yet know where.
Saya mau pindah hari Senin; truknya sudah dipesan.
I am moving on Monday; the truck has already been booked.
Willingness and consent
Mau can answer whether someone consents to perform an action.
Dodi mau membantu kami membawa meja.
Dodi is willing to help us carry the table.
Apakah Anda mau menunggu beberapa menit?
Would you be willing to wait a few minutes? (polite/neutral)
Aku mau ikut kalau masih ada tempat.
I'm willing to come along if there is still room. (informal)
Dia tidak mau menandatangani surat itu tanpa membaca isinya.
He/She refuses to sign the letter without reading its contents.
English will sometimes asks willingness, but Indonesian akan is mainly prospective. Use mau when consent is the real question.
Offer questions
Indonesian often uses a short mau question to offer food, drink, an object, or an activity.
Mau makan?
Would you like to eat? (informal)
Mau kopi atau teh?
Would you like coffee or tea?
Mau ikut ke pasar bersama kami?
Would you like to come to the market with us?
Mau saya ambilkan kursi tambahan?
Would you like me to get an extra chair?
Ibu mau duduk di dekat jendela?
Would you like to sit near the window, ma'am? (polite through address term)
The object or subject can be omitted when recoverable. In Mau saya ambilkan...?, the addressee is the beneficiary, while saya is understood as the person who will act. Word order conveys the offer without conjugation.
Plans and colloquial future
In conversation, mau often presents the speaker's or another person's intended next action.
Besok aku mau ke kantor lebih pagi.
Tomorrow I'm going to the office earlier. (informal)
Kami mau berangkat setelah makan siang.
We intend to leave after lunch.
Rina bilang dia mau menelepon malam ini.
Rina said she was going to call tonight.
Kamu mau menginap di mana nanti?
Where are you planning to stay later?
This is an intentional future, not a universal future tense. Nonvolitional predictions normally use akan/bakal or a time phrase.
Harga tiket akan naik bulan depan menurut pengumuman resmi.
Ticket prices will rise next month according to the official announcement.
Saying harga tiket mau naik can personify the price or sound colloquial and imminent; it is not the neutral official prediction.
Imminence with nonhuman subjects
Indonesian extends mau to situations that appear poised to change.
Hujan mau turun; sebaiknya kita masuk.
It looks like it is about to rain; we should go inside.
Lampunya mau mati karena baterainya hampir habis.
The light is about to go out because the battery is almost dead.
Gelas itu mau jatuh dari tepi meja.
That glass is about to fall off the edge of the table.
Airnya mau mendidih, jadi kecilkan apinya.
The water is about to boil, so lower the heat.
Rain, lights, glasses, and water do not literally “want.” Visible conditions support an imminent-event reading. English speakers must not reject these subjects as illogical or translate every mau as personal want.
This extension is most natural in conversation (informal/neutral spoken). Careful forecasts use akan or diperkirakan akan.
Negative refusal and delayed willingness
Tidak mau often means “does not want to” or “refuses to.”
Dia tidak mau menjawab pertanyaan itu.
He/She does not want to answer that question.
Anaknya tidak mau tidur meskipun sudah malam.
Their child refuses to sleep even though it is late.
Komputer ini tidak mau menyala sejak tadi pagi.
This computer refuses to turn on/has not been willing to start since this morning. (informal personification)
The computer example extends refusal metaphorically to a malfunction. Belum mau says willingness or readiness has not arisen yet, leaving later change open.
Bayi itu belum mau makan makanan padat.
The baby is not willing to eat solid food yet.
Mesinnya belum mau hidup setelah dua kali dicoba.
The engine still will not start after two attempts. (informal)
The ordinary order is tidak/belum + mau + predicate.
Mau versus ingin, hendak, and akan
| Marker | Main viewpoint | Typical register |
|---|---|---|
| mau | desire, willingness, everyday intention, imminence | neutral/informal |
| ingin | personal desire, often more inward or polite | neutral |
| hendak | purposeful intention | formal/literary |
| akan | prospect, prediction, commitment | neutral/formal |
Saya ingin belajar di Jepang suatu hari nanti.
I want to study in Japan someday.
Saya mau mendaftar program itu minggu ini.
I intend to apply for that program this week.
Saya hendak mengajukan permohonan secara tertulis.
I intend to submit an application in writing. (formal)
Panitia akan menutup pendaftaran pada Jumat sore.
The committee will close registration on Friday afternoon.
These are tendencies, not a one-word translation chart. A real plan can use mau or akan, but the first foregrounds volition and the second prospect.
Spelling and marker order
Write mau separately: mau makan, tidak mau datang, masih mau mencoba. Existing affixes stay attached to their verb.
Kami masih mau mempertimbangkan usulan itu.
We are still willing to consider that proposal.
Dia sudah mau berbicara setelah diberi waktu.
He/She is willing to talk now after being given time.
Sudah mau presents a change into willingness; masih mau says willingness continues.
Common Mistakes
Translating nonhuman mau as literal desire
❌ Dalam ‘Hujan mau turun’, hujan mempunyai keinginan.
Incorrect analysis—the construction presents imminent rain.
✅ Awan sudah gelap; hujan mau turun sebentar lagi.
The clouds are dark; it is about to rain.
Using akan for a question about willingness
❌ Kamu akan membantu saya sekarang?
Misleading for the intended willingness question—this asks about a prospect.
✅ Kamu mau membantu saya memindahkan lemari ini?
Are you willing to help me move this cabinet?
Putting negation after mau
❌ Dia mau tidak datang ke acara itu.
Wrong for ordinary refusal—the neutral order is tidak mau.
✅ Dia tidak mau datang ke acara itu sendirian.
He/She does not want to come to that event alone.
Joining mau to the verb
❌ Kami mauberangkat setelah makan siang.
Incorrect spelling—mau is a separate word.
✅ Kami mau berangkat setelah makan siang bersama.
We intend to leave after lunch together.
Treating every plan as a personal wish
❌ Jadwal resmi mengatakan kereta mau tiba pukul delapan.
Wrong register and stance for a neutral timetable.
✅ Menurut jadwal resmi, kereta akan tiba pukul delapan.
According to the official timetable, the train will arrive at eight.
Key Takeaways
- Mau covers desire, willingness, everyday intention, offers, and contextually imminent events.
- Offer questions often omit recoverable material: Mau makan? Mau saya bantu?
- Tidak mau expresses refusal; belum mau leaves future willingness open.
- Nonhuman mau describes a situation poised to change, not literal desire.
- Use akan for neutral predictions, ingin for personal desire, and hendak for formal purposeful intention.
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