1
Recognise the terminology
Connect familiar concepts in Bahasa Indonesia with the English words used in class and textbooks.
Before you begin
How to use this guide
Cambridge normally calls the first lower-secondary year Stage 7. The exact teaching sequence may differ by school, especially where Cambridge is combined with Kurikulum Merdeka.
The goal is recognition, not perfect memorisation.
A student should be able to recognise the English word, say the Indonesian equivalent,
give one example and understand it inside a question.
Many Grade 7 students already understand the underlying mathematics and science. The new challenge is often the English vocabulary, especially formal algebra, scientific investigations, laboratory language and Cambridge-style command words.
High priority
Essential classroom and question words
These words often determine how much detail a student is expected to provide.
| English instruction | Bahasa Indonesia | What the student should do |
|---|---|---|
| calculate | hitung | Perform a calculation. |
| determine / find | tentukan / cari | Work out the answer. |
| state | nyatakan / sebutkan | Give a brief answer without a long explanation. |
| name | sebutkan nama | Give the correct term. |
| identify | identifikasi / tentukan | Recognise something from information or a diagram. |
| label | beri label | Write names beside parts of a diagram. |
| describe | jelaskan ciri atau proses | Say what happens or what something is like. |
| explain | jelaskan alasannya | Give reasons, not only observations. |
| compare | bandingkan | State similarities and differences. |
| contrast | bedakan | Concentrate on differences. |
| suggest | sarankan / berikan kemungkinan | Give a reasonable scientific or mathematical idea. |
| predict | prediksi | Say what is likely to happen. |
| estimate | perkirakan | Give an approximate answer. |
| justify | berikan alasan atau bukti | Support the answer with reasoning. |
| show your working | tunjukkan cara kerja | Write the calculation steps. |
| simplify | sederhanakan | Rewrite in a simpler equivalent form. |
| solve | selesaikan | Find the value that satisfies an equation or problem. |
| construct | konstruksikan | Draw accurately using mathematical instruments. |
| plot | gambarkan titik pada grafik | Mark coordinates or data on a graph. |
| interpret | tafsirkan | Explain what data, a graph or a result means. |
| evaluate | evaluasi | Discuss strengths, weaknesses or reliability. |
| conclude | tarik kesimpulan | State what the evidence shows. |
Important distinction:
Describe: “The temperature increased.”
Explain: “The temperature increased because the substance absorbed thermal energy.”
Describe: “The temperature increased.”
Explain: “The temperature increased because the substance absorbed thermal energy.”
Subject glossary
Mathematics
The transition is partly vocabulary, while formal algebra, functions, transformations and more detailed statistics may feel newer.
Numbers and calculations
| English term | Bahasa Indonesia | Important note |
|---|---|---|
| number | bilangan | General mathematical quantity. |
| digit | angka / digit | One symbol from 0 to 9. |
| whole number | bilangan cacah | Usually 0, 1, 2, 3, … |
| natural number | bilangan asli | The definition may or may not include zero. |
| integer | bilangan bulat | Negative numbers, zero and positive numbers. |
| positive number | bilangan positif | Greater than zero. |
| negative number | bilangan negatif | Less than zero. |
| number line | garis bilangan | Shows numbers in order. |
| ascending order | urutan naik | Smallest to largest. |
| descending order | urutan turun | Largest to smallest. |
| place value | nilai tempat | Ones, tens, hundreds and so on. |
| operation | operasi hitung | Addition, subtraction, multiplication or division. |
| sum | hasil penjumlahan | Answer to addition. |
| difference | selisih / hasil pengurangan | Answer to subtraction. |
| product | hasil kali | Answer to multiplication. |
| quotient | hasil bagi | Answer to division. |
| remainder | sisa pembagian | Amount left after division. |
| factor | faktor | A number that divides another exactly. |
| multiple | kelipatan | Result of multiplying a number by an integer. |
| common factor | faktor persekutuan | A factor shared by two or more numbers. |
| highest common factor, HCF | FPB | Faktor Persekutuan Terbesar. |
| common multiple | kelipatan persekutuan | A multiple shared by two or more numbers. |
| lowest common multiple, LCM | KPK | Kelipatan Persekutuan Terkecil. |
| prime number | bilangan prima | Has exactly two positive factors. |
| composite number | bilangan komposit | Has more than two positive factors. |
| divisible by | habis dibagi | Divides without a remainder. |
| divisibility test | uji keterbagian | A rule for checking divisibility. |
| square number | bilangan kuadrat | Example: 6² = 36. |
| cube number | bilangan kubik / pangkat tiga | Example: 3³ = 27. |
| square root | akar kuadrat | Example: √49 = 7. |
| cube root | akar pangkat tiga | Example: ∛27 = 3. |
| power / exponent / index | pangkat / eksponen | In 5³, 3 is the exponent. |
| brackets | tanda kurung | Common British terminology. |
| order of operations | urutan operasi hitung | Often called BIDMAS in Cambridge materials. |
| rounding | pembulatan | To the nearest 10, 100, decimal place and so on. |
| estimate | perkiraan | An approximate calculation. |
| decimal point | tanda desimal | English writes 3.5, not Indonesian 3,5. |
Decimal notation warning:
Indonesian notation:
English/Cambridge notation:
English
Indonesian notation:
3,5English/Cambridge notation:
3.5English
1,000 means one thousand.
Fractions, percentages, ratio and proportion
| English term | Bahasa Indonesia |
|---|---|
| fraction | pecahan |
| numerator | pembilang |
| denominator | penyebut |
| proper fraction | pecahan dengan pembilang lebih kecil dari penyebut |
| improper fraction | pecahan tidak wajar; pembilang ≥ penyebut |
| mixed number | pecahan campuran |
| equivalent fractions | pecahan senilai |
| simplest form | bentuk paling sederhana |
| reciprocal | kebalikan suatu bilangan |
| decimal | desimal |
| percentage | persentase |
| percentage increase | kenaikan persentase |
| percentage decrease | penurunan persentase |
| ratio | rasio / perbandingan |
| simplify a ratio | sederhanakan rasio |
| share in a ratio | membagi berdasarkan rasio |
| proportion | proporsi |
| direct proportion | perbandingan senilai |
Algebra and graphs
| English term | Bahasa Indonesia | Example |
|---|---|---|
| algebra | aljabar | — |
| expression | bentuk / ekspresi aljabar | 3x + 5 |
| term | suku | 3x and 5 are terms. |
| variable | variabel / peubah | x |
| constant | konstanta | 5 |
| coefficient | koefisien | 3 in 3x |
| like terms | suku sejenis | 3x and 7x |
| collect like terms | gabungkan suku sejenis | 3x + 7x = 10x |
| simplify an expression | sederhanakan bentuk aljabar | — |
| expand brackets | uraikan tanda kurung | 2(x + 3) = 2x + 6 |
| equation | persamaan | x + 3 = 8 |
| inequality | pertidaksamaan | x > 5 |
| equal to | sama dengan | = |
| greater than | lebih besar dari | > |
| less than | lebih kecil dari | < |
| solution | penyelesaian | x = 5 |
| solve an equation | selesaikan persamaan | Find the variable. |
| inverse operation | operasi kebalikan | Addition ↔ subtraction. |
| formula; formulae | rumus | “Formulae” is the British plural. |
| substitute | substitusikan | Replace a variable with a number. |
| sequence | barisan / pola bilangan | 2, 5, 8, 11, … |
| term of a sequence | suku barisan | — |
| term-to-term rule | aturan antar-suku | Add 3 each time. |
| nth term | suku ke-n | General rule. |
| function | fungsi | Connects input to output. |
| input / output | masukan / keluaran | Function machine. |
| coordinate | koordinat | (x, y) |
| x-axis / y-axis | sumbu-x / sumbu-y | — |
| origin | titik asal | (0, 0) |
| plot a point | gambar / letakkan titik | — |
| graph | grafik | — |
| horizontal / vertical | mendatar / tegak | — |
Geometry and measurement
| English term | Bahasa Indonesia |
|---|---|
| point | titik |
| line | garis |
| line segment | ruas garis |
| parallel lines | garis sejajar |
| perpendicular lines | garis tegak lurus |
| intersecting lines | garis berpotongan |
| angle | sudut |
| acute angle | sudut lancip |
| right angle | sudut siku-siku |
| obtuse angle | sudut tumpul |
| straight angle | sudut lurus |
| reflex angle | sudut refleks |
| vertically opposite angles | sudut bertolak belakang |
| protractor | busur derajat |
| compass | jangka |
| construct | mengonstruksi secara akurat |
| polygon | poligon / segi banyak |
| regular polygon | segi banyak beraturan |
| quadrilateral | segiempat |
| congruent | kongruen |
| symmetry | simetri |
| line of symmetry | sumbu simetri |
| rotational symmetry | simetri putar |
| translation | translasi / pergeseran |
| reflection | refleksi / pencerminan |
| rotation | rotasi / perputaran |
| enlargement | pembesaran / dilatasi |
| scale factor | faktor skala |
| 2D shape | bangun datar |
| 3D shape | bangun ruang |
| cube | kubus |
| cuboid | balok |
| face | sisi bangun ruang |
| edge | rusuk |
| vertex; vertices | titik sudut |
| perimeter | keliling |
| area | luas |
| surface area | luas permukaan |
| volume | volume |
| unit conversion | konversi satuan |
| hectare | hektare |
Statistics and probability
| English term | Bahasa Indonesia |
|---|---|
| data | data |
| collect data | mengumpulkan data |
| population | populasi |
| sample | sampel |
| representative sample | sampel yang mewakili |
| tally | turus |
| frequency | frekuensi |
| frequency table | tabel frekuensi |
| two-way table | tabel dua arah |
| bar chart | diagram batang |
| dual bar chart | diagram batang ganda |
| compound bar chart | diagram batang majemuk |
| pie chart | diagram lingkaran |
| infographic | infografik |
| mean | rerata / rata-rata |
| median | median / nilai tengah |
| mode | modus |
| range | jangkauan |
| probability | peluang / probabilitas |
| outcome | hasil yang mungkin |
| event | kejadian |
| equally likely | memiliki peluang sama |
| impossible | mustahil |
| certain | pasti |
| mutually exclusive outcomes | hasil yang saling lepas |
| experimental probability | peluang berdasarkan percobaan |
Subject glossary
Science
Stage 7 commonly brings together biology, chemistry, physics, Earth and space, scientific investigation and science in context.
Scientific investigation
Very high priority: these terms appear in experiments, worksheets,
practical activities and laboratory reports.
| English term | Bahasa Indonesia | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| science | sains / IPA | — |
| scientific enquiry | penyelidikan ilmiah | The process of investigating a question. |
| observation | pengamatan | What is noticed or measured. |
| inference | inferensi / kesimpulan sementara | An interpretation based on observations. |
| question | pertanyaan penelitian | What the investigation examines. |
| prediction | prediksi | The expected result. |
| hypothesis | hipotesis | A testable proposed explanation. |
| variable | variabel | Something that can change. |
| independent variable | variabel bebas | The variable deliberately changed. |
| dependent variable | variabel terikat | The variable measured. |
| control variable | variabel kontrol | A variable kept the same. |
| fair test | percobaan yang adil / terkendali | Only the independent variable changes. |
| apparatus / equipment | alat / peralatan | Laboratory tools. |
| material | bahan | A substance used. |
| method / procedure | metode / prosedur | The steps in an investigation. |
| measurement | pengukuran | — |
| unit | satuan | Metre, second, gram and so on. |
| data | data | Recorded results. |
| qualitative data | data kualitatif | Descriptions. |
| quantitative data | data kuantitatif | Numbers and measurements. |
| evidence | bukti | Information supporting a conclusion. |
| repeat | mengulangi | Perform the procedure again. |
| repeatable | dapat diulang | Similar results are obtained when repeated. |
| accurate | akurat | Close to the accepted value. |
| anomaly | data menyimpang | A result unlike the overall pattern. |
| pattern / trend | pola / kecenderungan | A relationship visible in data. |
| result | hasil | The data obtained. |
| conclusion | kesimpulan | What the results demonstrate. |
| evaluate | mengevaluasi | Judge the quality of the investigation. |
| limitation | keterbatasan | A weakness in a model or method. |
| improvement | perbaikan | How the method could be better. |
| model | model | A simplified representation. |
| representation | representasi | A diagram, graph, model or symbol. |
| hazard | bahaya | Something that could cause harm. |
| risk | risiko | The likelihood and seriousness of harm. |
| safety goggles | kacamata keselamatan | Eye protection. |
Biology
| English term | Bahasa Indonesia |
|---|---|
| living organism | organisme / makhluk hidup |
| cell | sel |
| plant cell | sel tumbuhan |
| animal cell | sel hewan |
| cell membrane | membran sel |
| cell wall | dinding sel |
| cytoplasm | sitoplasma |
| nucleus | inti sel / nukleus |
| chloroplast | kloroplas |
| chlorophyll | klorofil |
| sap vacuole | vakuola getah / vakuola besar |
| mitochondrion; mitochondria | mitokondrion; mitokondria |
| cellulose | selulosa |
| specialised cell | sel khusus / terspesialisasi |
| tissue | jaringan |
| organ | organ |
| organ system | sistem organ |
| structure | struktur |
| function | fungsi |
| microscope | mikroskop |
| magnification | perbesaran |
| microscope slide | kaca objek |
| cover slip | kaca penutup |
| species | spesies |
| characteristic | ciri / karakteristik |
| classification | klasifikasi |
| classification key | kunci klasifikasi |
| dichotomous key | kunci dikotomis |
| microorganism | mikroorganisme |
| bacterium; bacteria | bakteri |
| fungus; fungi | jamur / fungi |
| virus | virus |
| habitat | habitat |
| ecosystem | ekosistem |
| producer | produsen |
| consumer | konsumen |
| decomposer | pengurai / dekomposer |
| food chain | rantai makanan |
| food web | jaring-jaring makanan |
| decay / decomposition | pembusukan / dekomposisi |
| adaptation | adaptasi |
| variation | variasi |
Chemistry
| English term | Bahasa Indonesia |
|---|---|
| matter | materi / zat |
| material | bahan / material |
| particle | partikel |
| solid | padat |
| liquid | cair |
| gas | gas |
| state of matter | wujud zat |
| change of state | perubahan wujud |
| melting | mencair / peleburan |
| freezing | membeku / pembekuan |
| boiling | mendidih / pendidihan |
| evaporation | penguapan |
| condensation | pengembunan / kondensasi |
| water cycle | siklus air |
| atom | atom |
| element | unsur |
| Periodic Table | tabel periodik |
| chemical symbol | simbol kimia |
| compound | senyawa |
| chemical formula | rumus kimia |
| mixture | campuran |
| pure substance | zat murni |
| metal | logam |
| non-metal | nonlogam |
| alloy | paduan logam |
| property | sifat |
| physical property | sifat fisika |
| chemical property | sifat kimia |
| soluble | larut |
| insoluble | tidak larut |
| solute | zat terlarut |
| solvent | pelarut |
| solution | larutan |
| separation | pemisahan |
| filtration | penyaringan / filtrasi |
| filter paper | kertas saring |
| residue | residu / ampas |
| filtrate | filtrat / hasil saringan |
| acid | asam |
| alkali | basa, khususnya basa yang larut |
| neutral | netral |
| indicator | indikator asam-basa |
| pH scale | skala pH |
| neutralisation | netralisasi |
| chemical reaction | reaksi kimia |
| reactant | reaktan / pereaksi |
| product | produk / hasil reaksi |
| physical change | perubahan fisika |
| chemical change | perubahan kimia |
Physics, Earth and space
| English term | Bahasa Indonesia | Important note |
|---|---|---|
| force | gaya | A push or pull. |
| gravity | gravitasi | An attractive force between masses. |
| mass | massa | Measured in grams or kilograms. |
| weight | berat / gaya berat | A force measured in newtons. |
| newton, N | newton | The unit of force. |
| energy | energi | — |
| energy source | sumber energi | — |
| energy transfer | perpindahan energi | — |
| renewable | terbarukan | — |
| non-renewable | tidak terbarukan | — |
| Solar System | Tata Surya | — |
| planet | planet | — |
| orbit | orbit | The path around another object. |
| rotation | rotasi | Turning on an axis. |
| revolution | revolusi | Movement around another body. |
| tide | pasang surut | — |
| sound wave | gelombang bunyi | — |
| vibration | getaran | A source of sound. |
| reflection of sound | pemantulan bunyi | — |
| echo | gema | Reflected sound. |
| crust | kerak bumi | — |
| mantle | mantel bumi | — |
| core | inti bumi | — |
| tectonic plate | lempeng tektonik | — |
| solar eclipse | gerhana Matahari | — |
| lunar eclipse | gerhana Bulan | — |
| electricity | listrik | — |
| electric current | arus listrik | — |
| electrical circuit | rangkaian listrik | — |
| component | komponen | A device in a circuit. |
| electrical cell | sel listrik | A source of electrical energy. |
| battery | baterai | Scientifically, usually two or more cells. |
| wire | kabel / kawat | — |
| switch | sakelar | — |
| lamp / bulb | lampu / bohlam | — |
| ammeter | amperemeter | Measures electric current. |
| ampere, A | ampere | The unit of current. |
| conductor | konduktor / penghantar | Allows current to flow. |
| insulator | isolator | Resists current flow. |
| series circuit | rangkaian seri | Has one main path. |
| circuit diagram | diagram rangkaian | — |
| circuit symbol | simbol rangkaian | — |
Practical preparation
Highest-priority terms for the week before school
Do not try to memorise the entire glossary at once. Start with these core words.
🧮 Mathematics
integernegativefactor
multipleHCFLCM
square rootdecimal point
numeratordenominator
ratiopercentage
expressionvariable
equationsolve
substitutesequence
functioncoordinate
parallelperpendicular
areavolume
meanprobability
🔬 Science
observationprediction
variablefair test
evidenceconclusion
cellnucleus
tissueorgan
speciesmicroorganism
particleatom
elementcompound
mixtureacid
alkalipH
forcemass
weightenergy
currentcircuit
conductorinsulator
📝 Instructions
stateidentify
describeexplain
comparecalculate
estimatejustify
plotinterpret
evaluate
A realistic readiness target
- Recognise the English word.
- Say the Indonesian equivalent.
- Give one example.
- Understand the word when it appears in a question.
Further reading