Indonesian, locally known as "Bahasa Indonesia," is the official language of Indonesia, serving as a unifying medium of communication among the country's diverse ethnic groups. Derived from the Malay language, it has been influenced by various languages due to Indonesia's rich cultural history yet remains distinct and central to the nation's identity.
Knowing some basic words and phrases in Indonesian can go a long way in making your trip to Indonesia more enjoyable and rewarding. It shows the locals that you are interested in their culture and willing to make an effort to communicate with them.
Even just knowing how to say "hello" and "thank you" in Indonesian can make a big difference in building positive relationships with the locals. Learning some basic phrases like "how much does this cost?" or "where is the bathroom?" can also come in handy in everyday situations.
By familiarizing yourself with these basic words and phrases, you can navigate Indonesia more easily and show your respect for the local customs and culture.
Basics
Terima kasih (TEH-ree-mah KAH-see) Thank you
Sama-sama (SAH-mah SAH-mah) You're welcome
Maaf (mah-AHF) - Sorry
Tolong (TOH-lohng) - Please
Permisi (PEHR-mee-see) - Excuse me
Ya (YAH) Yes
Tidak (TEE-dahk) No
Mohon bantuan (MOH-hohn BAHN-too-ahn) Help, please
Tidak mengerti (TEE-dahk mehng-ehr-TEE) I don't understand
Tolong bicara lebih pelan (TOH-lohng BEE-char-ah LEH-bih PEH-lahn) Please speak more slowly
Mohon maaf, saya tidak bisa bahasa Indonesia (MOH-hohn MAH-af, SAH-yah TEE-dahk BEE-sah bah-HAH-sah In-doh-NEH-syah) I'm sorry, I can't speak Indonesian.
Greetings
Selamat datang (SEH-la-maht DAH-tahng) Welcome
Selamat pagi (seh-LAH-maht PAH-ghee) - Good morning
Selamat siang (seh-LAH-maht see-AHNG) - Good afternoon
Selamat sore (seh-LAH-maht SO-reh) Good evening
Selamat malam (seh-LAH-maht MAH-lahm) Good night
Sampai jumpa (SAHM-pai JOOM-pah) Goodbye
Apa kabar? (AH-pah KAH-bahr) How are you?
Baik-baik saja (BAIK-BAIK SAH-jah) I'm doing fine
Nama saya... (NAH-mah SAH-yah) - My name is...
Senang bertemu dengan Anda (SEH-nahng BEHR-teh-moo DEHN-gahn AHN-dah) Nice to meet you
Directions
Di mana ...? (dee MAH-nah) Where is...?
Saya ingin pergi ke... (SAH-yah EEN-geen PEHR-gee keh) I want to go to...
Kanan (KAH-nahn) - Right
Kiri (KEE-ree) - Left
Lurus (LOO-roos) - Straight ahead
Belok (BEH-lok) - Turn
Di sebelah (dee se-BEH-lah) Next to...
Di depan (dee DEH-pan) In front of...
Di belakang (dee BEH-lah-kahng) Behind
Tidak tahu (TEE-dahk TAH-hoo) I don't know
Di mana ada...? (dee MAH-nah AH-dah) Where can I find...?
Di mana kamar mandi? (dee MAH-nah kah-MAHR MAHN-dee) Where is the bathroom?
At a Market
Berapa harganya? (BEH-rah-pah HAR-gahn-yah) - How much does it cost?
Boleh tawar? (BOH-leh TAH-wahr) Can I bargain?
Saya hanya melihat-lihat (SAH-yah HAHN-yah meh-LEE-haht LEE-haht) I'm just looking
Ada yang lebih murah? (AH-dah yahng LEB-eeh MOO-rah) Is there anything cheaper?
Bisa dibungkus? (BEE-sah DEE-boong-koos) Can you wrap it up?
Saya ingin beli... (SAH-yah EE-neen BEH-lee) I want to buy...
Saya tidak tertarik (SAH-yah TEE-dahk TEHR-tah-reek) I'm not interested
Ini terlalu mahal (EE-nee TEHR-lah-loo MAH-hahl) This is too expensive
Saya butuh... (SAH-yah BOO-tooh) I need...
Saya tidak punya cukup uang (SAH-yah TEE-dahk POON-yah CHOO-koop OO-ahng) - I don't have enough money.
At a Restaurant
Apa khabar? (AH-pah KAH-bar) - How are you? (to the server)
Tolong menu (TOH-lohng MEH-noo) Please bring the menu
Saya ingin memesan... (SAH-yah EE-neen meh-MEH-san) I would like to order...
Ada makanan vegetarian? (AH-dah MAH-kah-nahn veh-jeh-TAH-ree-an) Do you have vegetarian food?
Tolong air putih (TOH-lohng AYE-er POO-tee) - Please bring water
Pedas (PEH-dahs) - Spicy
Tidak pedas (TEE-dahk PEH-dahs) - Not spicy
Tolong hitung (TOH-lohng HEE-toong) Can you bring the bill?
Boleh saya pesan ini tanpa ... ? (BOH-leh SAH-yah PEH-sahn EE-nee TAHN-pah ...) - Can I have this without ..?
Saya alergi terhadap ... (SAH-yah ah-LEHR-gee TEHR-hah-dahp ...) I'm allergic to ...
