jaga
(Malaysia, Singapore) A guard or watchman.
Etymology timeline
Born ~2014 · 1 year of recorded useSeen in the wild
Flera engelska klubbar uppges jaga Gatti https://fotbolltransfers.com/nyheter/flera-engelska-klubbar-uppges-jaga-gatti/215902
Please help [improve this article](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Jaga_(Kongo) "Special:EditPage/Jaga (Kongo)") by [adding citations to reliable sources](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Referencing_…
### Jaga Jazzist Jaga Jazzist is an experimental jazz band from Norway that rose to prominence when the BBC named their second album, A Livingroom Hush, the best jazz album of 2002.
Martin formed Jaga Jazzist together with [Ivar Christian Johansen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravi_(Ivar_Johansen) "Ravi (Ivar Johansen)") in 1994 while they still were in their teens, though Johansen later left th…
Definitions
(Malaysia, Singapore) A guard or watchman.
The driver, holding a bunch of keys, approached the jaga, and told him that the kepala of the company, the Hock Lam Company, — in North Bridge Road, had sent him to collect some goods.
“Flera engelska klubbar uppges jaga Gatti https://fotbolltransfers.com/nyheter/flera-engelska-klubbar-uppges-jaga-gatti/215902”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Please help [improve this article](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Jaga_(Kongo) "Special:EditPage/Jaga (Kongo)") by [adding citations to reliable sources](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Referencing_for_beginners "Help:Referencing for beginners").”
“### Jaga Jazzist Jaga Jazzist is an experimental jazz band from Norway that rose to prominence when the BBC named their second album, A Livingroom Hush, the best jazz album of 2002.”
“Martin formed Jaga Jazzist together with [Ivar Christian Johansen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravi_(Ivar_Johansen) "Ravi (Ivar Johansen)") in 1994 while they still were in their teens, though Johansen later left the group.”
Comments
(Manglish, Singlish) To keep watch, to watch over.
I better go to Ma’s place. You jaga the girls.
"jaga" means to keep watch, to watch over. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
"jaga" is informal English meaning to keep watch, to watch over. It is used widely across English varieties. A more formal or neutral equivalent would be something like "to keep watch" expressed in standard vocabulary. A common mistake is to assume "jaga" can replace its standard equivalent in every register; keep it for spoken or casual situations and use the formal form in writing. If you are a B2 or C1 learner, it is useful to recognise this word when you hear or read it, but think carefully about whether the situation really calls for it before using it yourself.
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