(in indonesia) a person who is not indonesian, especially a white person. See examples of bule used in a sentence. The key takeaway here is that bule generally points to someone who is clearly not local, usually distinguished by their appearance, such as lighter skin or different hair color. Some indonesians with lighter skin tones are even jokingly called “bule” by their friends This shows that the term is more about being “different” from the majority than just skin colour. At its core, the term bule is an indonesian slang word used to refer to people of caucasian or western descent
Originating from the word blue, it historically referenced the blue eyes that are often associated with europeans. The word bule, however, has a more curious origin Linguistic research suggests that bule comes from bulai, a term for animals or people with albinism The meaning and use of the word bule and various expatriate reactions to its use in popular indonesian culture. The word ‘bule’ follows you around indonesia There is no equivalent in english
