Around both Jakarta and Jogja on this recent trip, I saw the slang-y phrase “Mas Bro” everywhere. I’d seen it before, but it seems much more common this trip than before.
“Mas Bro” is a uniquely Indonesian construction. It combines “bro” (as in, well, bro, brostep, etc.) with the Javanese-inspired term of address “Mas,” used to refer to a young man. So it’s redundantly redundant. I can’t quite tell, as I’m not fluent enough in bahasa gaul, but I think using it even has the bro-y connotation that bro (or “brah”) have.
Ada apa mas bro? = S’up brah?
And, because Indonesian slang is endlessly playful, the way that you address a young woman is to replace the Mas with Mbak, its female equivalent. So, Mbak Bro.
Tom Pepinsky 
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3 responses to “S'up Mas Bro?”
It was definitely creeping in among young artsy men in Solo last year, to be sure.
Beside “mas Bro” there are also: “mbak Sis” (female parallel of mas bro) and “matur tengkyu” (combination of matur nuwun and thank you).
[…] always laughing, joking and smiling. Taking things into their stride and having lots of fun. The Masbros around, some too- despite being older or even outright fierce looking at times, are still kind and […]