agar-agar

See also: agaragar

English

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Malay agar-agar (“jelly”).

Noun

agar-agar (uncountable)

1. Agar.
   • 2018 July 19, Zoe Williams, “Can ditching meat and dairy open up new taste sensations? My week as a foodie vegan”, in The Guardian‎^[2]:

     That done, you heat soya milk with oil and several flakes of agar-agar – a tasteless vegan alternative to gelatine – which dissolve into the liquid over 10 minutes, except they don’t, not really.

2. (Singapore, Malaysia) A jelly dessert made from agar.

Etymology 2

From Malay agak-agak. Here, the letter k represents a glottal stop, but it is elided by many speakers in Singapore.

Pronunciation

• (Singapore) IPA^(key): /ˈɑɡɑ ˌɑɡɑ/

Verb

agar-agar (invariable)

1. (Singapore, Singlish) Alternative spelling of agak-agak (“to estimate”).
   • 2018, Jean Tay, Sisters & Senang: The Island Plays, Epigram Books, →ISBN, Scene 17, page 99:

     So I just got to agar-agar lor.

Adjective

agar-agar (not comparable)

1. (Singapore, Singlish) Alternative spelling of agak-agak (“involving guesswork”).

Finnish

Alternative forms

• agar

Etymology

From Malay agar-agar.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɑɡɑrˌɑɡɑr/, [ˈɑ̝ɡɑ̝rˌɑ̝ɡɑ̝r]
• Rhymes: -ɑɡɑr
• Syllabification^(key): a‧gar‧a‧gar
• Hyphenation^(key): agar‧agar

Noun

agar-agar

1. agar (material)

Declension

Inflection of agar-agar (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
nominative		agar-agar	agar-agarit
genitive		agar-agarin	agar-agarien
partitive		agar-agaria	agar-agareja
illative		agar-agariin	agar-agareihin
		singular	plural
nominative		agar-agar	agar-agarit
accusative	nom.	agar-agar	agar-agarit
	gen.	agar-agarin
genitive		agar-agarin	agar-agarien
partitive		agar-agaria	agar-agareja
inessive		agar-agarissa	agar-agareissa
elative		agar-agarista	agar-agareista
illative		agar-agariin	agar-agareihin
adessive		agar-agarilla	agar-agareilla
ablative		agar-agarilta	agar-agareilta
allative		agar-agarille	agar-agareille
essive		agar-agarina	agar-agareina
translative		agar-agariksi	agar-agareiksi
abessive		agar-agaritta	agar-agareitta
instructive		—	agar-agarein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of agar-agar (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative agar-agarini agar-agarini accusative nom. agar-agarini agar-agarini gen. agar-agarini genitive agar-agarini agar-agarieni partitive agar-agariani agar-agarejani inessive agar-agarissani agar-agareissani elative agar-agaristani agar-agareistani illative agar-agariini agar-agareihini adessive agar-agarillani agar-agareillani ablative agar-agariltani agar-agareiltani allative agar-agarilleni agar-agareilleni essive agar-agarinani agar-agareinani translative agar-agarikseni agar-agareikseni abessive agar-agarittani agar-agareittani instructive — — comitative — agar-agareineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative agar-agarisi agar-agarisi accusative nom. agar-agarisi agar-agarisi gen. agar-agarisi genitive agar-agarisi agar-agariesi partitive agar-agariasi agar-agarejasi inessive agar-agarissasi agar-agareissasi elative agar-agaristasi agar-agareistasi illative agar-agariisi agar-agareihisi adessive agar-agarillasi agar-agareillasi ablative agar-agariltasi agar-agareiltasi allative agar-agarillesi agar-agareillesi essive agar-agarinasi agar-agareinasi translative agar-agariksesi agar-agareiksesi abessive agar-agarittasi agar-agareittasi instructive — — comitative — agar-agareinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative agar-agarimme agar-agarimme accusative nom. agar-agarimme agar-agarimme gen. agar-agarimme genitive agar-agarimme agar-agariemme partitive agar-agariamme agar-agarejamme inessive agar-agarissamme agar-agareissamme elative agar-agaristamme agar-agareistamme illative agar-agariimme agar-agareihimme adessive agar-agarillamme agar-agareillamme ablative agar-agariltamme agar-agareiltamme allative agar-agarillemme agar-agareillemme essive agar-agarinamme agar-agareinamme translative agar-agariksemme agar-agareiksemme abessive agar-agarittamme agar-agareittamme instructive — — comitative — agar-agareinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative agar-agarinne agar-agarinne accusative nom. agar-agarinne agar-agarinne gen. agar-agarinne genitive agar-agarinne agar-agarienne partitive agar-agarianne agar-agarejanne inessive agar-agarissanne agar-agareissanne elative agar-agaristanne agar-agareistanne illative agar-agariinne agar-agareihinne adessive agar-agarillanne agar-agareillanne ablative agar-agariltanne agar-agareiltanne allative agar-agarillenne agar-agareillenne essive agar-agarinanne agar-agareinanne translative agar-agariksenne agar-agareiksenne abessive agar-agarittanne agar-agareittanne instructive — — comitative — agar-agareinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative agar-agarinsa agar-agarinsa accusative nom. agar-agarinsa agar-agarinsa gen. agar-agarinsa genitive agar-agarinsa agar-agariensa partitive agar-agariaan agar-agariansa agar-agarejaan agar-agarejansa inessive agar-agarissaan agar-agarissansa agar-agareissaan agar-agareissansa elative agar-agaristaan agar-agaristansa agar-agareistaan agar-agareistansa illative agar-agariinsa agar-agareihinsa adessive agar-agarillaan agar-agarillansa agar-agareillaan agar-agareillansa ablative agar-agariltaan agar-agariltansa agar-agareiltaan agar-agareiltansa allative agar-agarilleen agar-agarillensa agar-agareilleen agar-agareillensa essive agar-agarinaan agar-agarinansa agar-agareinaan agar-agareinansa translative agar-agarikseen agar-agariksensa agar-agareikseen agar-agareiksensa abessive agar-agarittaan agar-agarittansa agar-agareittaan agar-agareittansa instructive — — comitative — agar-agareineen agar-agareinensa

Further reading

• “agar-agar”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[3] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2 July 2023

Indonesian

Etymology

From Malay agar-agar (“jelly”), from Classical Malay اڬر٢ (agar-agar, “jelly”), اڬر٢ (agar2).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /ˌaɡar ˈaɡar/ [ˌa.ɡar ˈa.ɡar]
  • Rhymes: -aɡar
• (colloquial, nonstandard) IPA^(key): /ˌaɡər ˈaɡər/ [ˌa.ɡər ˈa.ɡər]

Noun

agar-agar

1. agar-agar
   1. agar (a material obtained from a marine alga)
   2. (cooking) a jelly dessert made from agar.
2. agar (chemistry)

Alternative forms

• agar (sciences)
• ager (informal)

Derived terms

• agar-agar darah
• agar-agar kertas
• agar-agar mikofili
• agar-agar tepung

Further reading

• “agar-agar”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016

Kristang

Etymology

Borrowed from Malay agar-agar.

Noun

agar-agar (plurale tantum)

1. jelly; jam

Malay

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aɡa(r) aɡa(r)/
• Rhymes: -aɡa(r), -ɡa(r), -a(r)

Noun

agar-agar

1. agar (a material obtained from a marine alga), agar-agar
2. agar (chemistry)

Descendants

• Indonesian: agar-agar
• Kristang: agar-agar
• → English: agar-agar
• → Finnish: agar-agar
• → Portuguese: agar-agar
• → Spanish: agar-agar
• → Tausug: agal-agal

Polish

agar-agar

Etymology

Borrowed from Malay agar-agar. First attested in 1890.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈa.ɡar ˈa.ɡar/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Syllabification: a‧gar-a‧gar

Noun

agar-agar m inan (indeclinable)

1. agar, agar-agar (gelatinous material obtained from red algae, especially Gracilaria species, used as a bacterial culture medium, in electrophoresis, and as a food additive)

   Synonym: agar

2. agar, agar-agar (type of red algae)

   Synonym: agar

Declension

Declension of agar-agar

	singular
nominative	agar-agar
genitive	agar-agaru
dative	agar-agarowi
accusative	agar-agar
instrumental	agar-agarem
locative	agar-agarze
vocative	agar-agarze

or

Indeclinable.

Related terms

adjectives

• agarowy

nouns

• agar

Further reading

• “agar-agar”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[4] (in Polish)

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French agar-agar or German Agar-Agar.

Noun

agar-agar n (uncountable)

1. agar

Declension

singular only	indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	agar-agar	agar-agarul
genitive-dative	agar-agar	agar-agarului
vocative	agar-agarule

Spanish

Alternative forms

• agar, agaragar

Etymology

Borrowed from Malay agar or agar-agar, both meaning jelly.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aˌɡaɾ aˈɡaɾ/ [aˌɣ̞aɾ aˈɣ̞aɾ]
• Syllabification: a‧gar-a‧gar

Noun

agar-agar m (plural agar-agares)

1. agar

Further reading

• “agar-agar”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025

Tagalog

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish agar-agar, from English agar-agar, from Malay agar-agar.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ˌʔaɡaɾ ˈʔaɡaɾ/ [ˌʔaː.ɣ̠ɐɾ ˈʔaː.ɣ̠ɐɾ]
• Rhymes: -aɡaɾ
• Syllabification: a‧gar-a‧gar

Noun

agar-agar (Baybayin spelling ᜀᜄᜇ᜔ᜀᜄᜇ᜔)

1. agar

See also

• gulaman
• helatina

Further reading

• “agar-agar”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, 2018