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Learning Bahasa Indonesia
the National Language

Based on the Malay trade dialect, Bahasa Indonesia is the national language of the Republic of Indonesia. It unites the over 254 million people of Indonesia (2014), whose native tongue may be one of the over 300 distinct languages or regional dialects. Older people may speak some Dutch and English is the foreign language of choice for business, tourism and academia.

While it may be technically possible for foreigners to live in Jakarta, Bali, or other big cities without learning/speaking Bahasa Indonesia, it is highly recommended that you obtain a working knowledge of the Indonesian national language. An inability to communicate in Bahasa Indonesia will cut you off from the mainstream of society, and dealing with those Indonesians who don't speak your foreign language will be very difficult. By not learning the language, you also deny yourself the rich cultural experience of fully communicating with those from another culture. Indonesians are very appreciative of foreigners who make the effort to learn Bahasa Indonesia and build relationships with them. Both business and personal relationships with Indonesians will improve because of the effort made to learn their language.

Learning Bahasa Indonesia

The best time to start learning Bahasa Indonesia is before you even make your move to Indonesia, however it may be difficult to find language materials in your home country. You may want to ask your sponsoring company to help you obtain CDs and books several months before you move, so that you can start becoming used to the sound of the language and start familiarizing yourself with its structure and vocabulary. Another option is joining online courses. There are free online Indonesian courses available, even though the materials offered are fairly limited and mostly for beginner level.

Bahasa Indonesia is not as difficult to learn as many other foreign languages; for example, verbs aren't conjugated as in English and French. Bahasa Indonesia also uses the same alphabet as English, making it much easier to learn when compared to other Asian languages where tonal differences and pictograph written languages are common.

Formal Courses

Soon after your arrival in Indonesia, you may want to make it a priority to register for a Bahasa Indonesia course. Often your sponsoring company will pay for at least 40 hours of instruction. There are several excellent schools and community organizations in Jakarta (and other cities) which have comprehensive, structured programs to help you begin learning Indonesian. Theh importance of learning Indonesian properly from the beginning cannot be stressed enough.

An advantage of signing up for a course is that it's a great place to meet other newcomers and make friends. The people that you will be taking the course with will also be facing many of the settling in and adjustment challenges that you too face as a newcomer. Their advice and sharing newly discovered resources will help to ease your transition. Some people find they are more committee to attend a class rather than arrange for a private tutor.

Several schools offer 2 and 4 week intensive programs, in Bali or Yogyakarta, where you can study for the full day and have some enjoyable cultural experiences as well. These schools are suited for expats who need to learn Bahasa Indonesia quickly, such as diplomats or those with jobs where they have a lot of interaction with Indonesians who don't speak English (or another foreign language), or any expat who is fully committed to learning the language early in their stay.

Tutors

Some expats opt for private lessons in their home or office from private tutors because of their time restrictions or wanting to save on travel time. This option tends to be the most expensive, however gives the opportunity for the instruction to be tailored to specifically meet your needs. Even though the tutor may come highly recommended from other expats, that does not ensure the quality of their instruction. Teachers that are employed from quality schools may be the most qualified and have a proven curriculum that they will follow. You may, however, just want to cover specific sections of the course that best meet your specific needs. You may also find it useful to meet with a tutor for a period after you have completed several levels of a formal course. That way they can help you with any special requirements or challenging aspects of the languages that you may be encountering.

Self-Taught Bahasa Indonesia

Some expats opt to learn Bahasa Indonesia on their own. Excellent books to learn Bahasa Indonesia are available in bookstores in the major cities. Once you are in Indonesia, you will have the opportunity to practice your fledgling Indonesian with your household staff, driver, vendors, people you meet in the stores, and social encounters. The diligent will quickly pick up enough Bahasa Indonesia to feel comfortable interacting with Indonesians on a daily basis.

The Bahasa Indonesia that is used on a daily basis by Indonesians is quite different than what you may learn in a formal course, though most Indonesians will certainly understand formal Indonesian grammar as well as the more relaxed versions. Look at your needs and who you will be speaking with to determine the best method for you to learn the language.

Pen Pals and Indonesian Friends

learning indonesian language True fluency in a language requires active use of the language. Many expats find it helpful to get a pen pal or have a "language buddy" relationship with an Indonesian where you help each other to learn a desired language by sharing your skills. This can be as simple as setting up a time to meet once or twice a week where you focus on learning language and developing a friendship over coffee or even just emailing each other any questions you have about the language.

Many Indonesians want to learn English, or French, or German so if you want to learn Bahasa Indonesia, offer to "trade" skills by investing time in each other's language studies. Obviously you can pay a private tutor to do the same thing, but this type of a relationship is based on mutual benefit and doesn't involve payment which is great if you're on a limited budget. One time you focus on helping the expat to learn Indonesian, and the next time you meet you focus on helping the Indonesian to learn the foreign language.

A place to chat with Indonesians wanting to learn English or to find an Indonesian pen pal is on the Living in Indonesia Expat Forum.

Audio Phrases

To get you started and introduce you to the Indonesian national language, here are some basic phrases in Bahasa Indonesia.

Click on the link to the Indonesian phrase below to hear the phrase in Indonesian:

First Encounters

How are you?	Apa kabar?
Good/ Not so good.	Baik / kurang baik.
What’s your name?	Siapa nama Anda?
My name is Anna.	Nama saya Anna.
Where are you from?	Dari mana Anda berasal?
I’m from Australia.	Saya berasal dari Australia.
Where do you live?	Di mana Anda tinggal?
I live in Jakarta.	Saya tinggal di Jakarta.
Are you married?	Sudah Menikah?
Yes, already/ Not Yet.	Ya, sudah / Belum.
Nice to meet you.	Senang bertemu dengan Anda.
Do you speak English?	Bisa bicara bahasa Inggris?
Does anyone speaks English?	Ada yang bisa bicara bahasa Inggris?
I don’t speak Indonesian [well].	Saya tidak bisa bicara bahasa Indonesia [dengan baik].
Excuse me.	Permisi
May I ask you?	Boleh saya bertanya?
I don’t understand	Saya tidak mengerti.
What is (chair) in Indonesian?	Apa bahasa Indonesianya (chair)?
What does (lampu) mean?	Apa artinya (lampu)?
Thank you.	Terima kasih
You’re welcome .	Sama-sama
May I ask?	Boleh saya bertanya?
Are there any questions?	Ada pertanyaan?
Please pronounce/ say it.	Tolong ucapkan!
Please speak slowly.	Tolong bicara pelan-pelan!
Please repeat.	Tolong ulang!
Please spell it out for me.	Tolong eja!
Please write.	Tolong tulis!
Please listen.	Tolong dengarkan!
Please read.	Tolong baca!
Please come in.	Silakan masuk!
Please sit down.	Silakan duduk!
Don't read it.	Jangan baca.
Don't write it.	Jangan tulis.

Hello, Goodbye and Well Wishes

Good morning (dawn – 11.00am)	Selamat pagi
Good day (11.00am – 3.00pm)	Selamat siang
Good afternoon (3.00pm – sunset)	Selamat sore
Good evening (sunset – dawn)	Selamat malam!
Good bye	Sampai jumpa!
Good bye (lit. Until we meet again)	Sampai jumpa lagi!
Good bye (to someone leaving)	Selamat jalan
Good bye (to someone staying)	Selamat tinggal
Enjoy your meal!	Selamat makan!
Enjoy your drink!	Selamat minum!
Good night!	Selamat tidur!
Happy studying!	Selamat belajar!
Happy working!	Selamat bekerja!
Welcome!	Selamat datang!
Congratulations!	Selamat!
Happy birthday!	Selamat ulang tahun!
Happy wedding anniversary!	Selamat ulang tahun perkawinan!
Happy Wedding! (Lit. Best of luck for entering new life.)	Selamat menempuh hidup baru!
Merry Christmas!	Selamat Hari Natal!
Happy New Year!	Selamat Tahun Baru!
Happy Idul Fitri!	Selamat Hari Raya Idul Fitri!
Happy Vesak Day!	Selamat Hari Raya Waisak!

Asking and Telling Time

What time is it now?	Jam berapa sekarang?
One o’clock.	Jam satu.
Half past three.	Jam setengah empat.
A quarter past nine.	Jam sembilan lebih/lewat seperempat.
A quarter to five.	Jam lima kurang seperempat.
20 minutes to 12.	Jam duabelas kurang duapuluh [ menit].
Ten [minutes] past four.	Jam empat lebih sepuluh [menit].
Five [minutes] past nine.	Jam sembilan lewat lima [menit].
Half	Setengah
A quarter	Seperempat
Past (after the hour)	Lebih/lewat
To (before the hour)	Kurang
What time does the plane/bus/train leave?	Jam berapa pesawat/bis/kereta api berangkat?
The plane/bus/train leaves at (9.00).	Pesawat/bis/kereta api berangkat jam (9.00).
What time does the plane/bus/train arrive?	Jam berapa pesawat/bis/kereta api datang?
The plane/bus/train arrives at (8.00).	Pesawat/bis/kereta api datang jam (8.00).
What time does the museum/shop/office open?	Jam berapa musium/toko/kantor buka?
The museum/shop/office opens at (9.30).	Musium/toko/kantor buka jam (9.30).
What time does the museum/shop/office close?	Jam berapa musium/toko/kantor tutup?
The museum/shop/office closes at (5.00).	Musium/toko/kantor tutup jam (5.00).
What time does the film/school/performance start?	Jam berapa film/sekolah/pertunjukan mulai?
The film/school/performance starts at (6.00).	Film/sekolah/pertunjukan mulai jam (6.00).
What time does the film/school/performance finish?	Jam berapa film/sekolah/pertunjukan selesai?
The film/school/performance finishes at (8.00).	Film/sekolah/pertunjukan selesai jam (8.00).

Dates and Days

What date is it now?	Tanggal berapa sekarang?
The first of June, 2015.	Tanggal satu Juni dua ribu lima belas.
January	Januari
February	Februari
March	Maret
April	April
May	Mei
June	Juni
July	Juli
August	Agustus
September	September
October	Oktober
November	November
December	Desember
What day is it today?	Hari apa hari ini?
Today is Monday.	Hari ini hari Senin.
Monday	Senin
Tuesday	Selasa
Wednesday	Rabu
Thursday	Kamis
Friday	Jumaat
Saturday	Sabtu
Sunday	Minggu
What day was yesterday?	Hari apa kemarin?
Yesterday was Sunday	Kemarin Hari Minggu.
Yesterday	Kemarin
Tomorrow	Besok
Day after tomorrow	Lusa
Two days ago	Dua hari lalu
Two weeks ago	Dua minggu lalu
Two months ago	Dua bulan lalu
Two years ago	Dua tahun lalu
Three more days	Tiga hari lagi
Three more weeks	Tiga minggu lagi
Three more months	Tiga bulan lagi
Three more years	Tiga tahun lagi

Asking/Giving Directions

Where is the post office/market/[Australian] consulate?	Di mana kantor pos/pasar/konsulat [Australia]?
Where is the nearest market?	Di mana pasar terdekat?
How can I get there?	Bagaimana saya bisa ke sana?
Can you please show it on the map?	Bisa tolong tunjukkan di peta?
Is there bus/public transportation going there?	Ada bis/angkutan umum ke sana?
Go straight ahead.	Jalan terus/lurus.
Turn left/right.	Belok kiri/kanan.
Zoo	kebun binatang
embassy	kedutaan
consulate	konsulat
mosque	masjid
museum	musium
market	pasar
jail	penjara
library	perpustakaan
petrol station / gas station	pompa bensin
Hindu temple	pura
restaurant	restoran
beauty salon	salon
school	sekolah
train station	stasiun kereta api
park	taman
bus terminal	terminal bis
stationary shop	toko alat tulis
building material shop	toko bahan bangunan
clothing shop	toko baju
hardware shop	toko besi
book shop	toko buku
shoe shop	toko sepatu
supermarket	toko serba ada/ toserba
barber	tukang cukur
university	universitas
Buddhist temple	vihara

Shopping

Do you have batik shirts/necklaces/bracelets?	Ada baju batik/kalung/gelang?
Do you have a plastic bag?	Ada tas plastik?
Do you have a different size?	Ada ukuran lain?
Do you have my size?	Ada ukuran saya?
Do you have (this) in different colors?	Ada warna lain?
Would you take [fifty thousand rupiah]?	Bagaimana kalau [lima puluh ribu]?
How much does this clothing/book/necklace cost?	Berapa harga baju/buku/kalung ini?
Can you send overseas?	Bisa kirim ke luar negeri?
Can I pay by credit card?	Boleh bayar pakai kartu kredit?
Would you accept a lower price?	Boleh kurang?
fixed price	harga pas
This is too big.	Ini terlalu besar.
This is too small.	Ini terlalu kecil.
expensive	mahal
cheap	murah
I want to buy [shoes].	Saya mau beli [sepatu].
I need [dictionary].	Saya perlu [kamus].
I’m losing money	Saya rugi.
I don’t want a plastic bag.	Saya tidak mau tas plastik.
I don’t want it.	Saya tidak mau.
I don’t have any money.	Saya tidak punya uang.
I’m not interested.	Saya tidak tertarik.
Change of money	Uang kembalian
Wow.. that’s very expensive!	Wah, mahal sekali!
Yes, we have./No, we don’t.	Ya, ada. /Tidak ada.
This one.	Yang ini.
That one.	Yang itu.
Which one?	Yang mana?

Numbers

one	satu
two	dua
three	tiga
four	empat
five	lima
six	enam
seven	tujuh
eight	delapan
nine	sembilan
ten	sepuluh
eleven	sebelas
twelve	duabelas
thirteen	tigabelas
twenty	dua puluh
thirty	tiga puluh
fifty	lima puluh
seventy five	tujuh puluh lima
eighty nine	delapan puluh sembilan
hundred	ratus
one hundred	seratus
two hundred	dua ratus
two hundred thirteen	dua ratus tiga belas
one thousand	seribu
two thousand	dua ribu
four thousand three hundred fifty	empat ribu tiga ratus lima puluh
ninety seven thousand	sembilan puluh tujuh ribu
million	juta
one million	satu juta
two million five hundred sixty thousand	dua juta lima ratus enam puluh ribu
eight million four hundred fifty seven thousand	delapan juta empat ratus lima puluh tujuh ribu
one hundred million	seratus juta
five hundred million	lima ratus juta
nine hundred thirty five million	sembilan ratus tiga puluh lima juta

Colors

Red	Merah
Orange	Jingga, oranye
Yellow	Kuning
Green	Hijau
Blue	Biru
Purple	Unggu
Black	Hitam
White	Putih
Grey	Abu-abu
Brown	Coklat
Light red, pink	Merah muda
Light blue	Biru muda
Dark blue	Biru tua
Light green	Hijau muda
Dark green	Hijau tua
Gold	Emas
Silver	Perak

Emergencies

My child is missing!	Anak saya hilang!
Watch out!	Awas!
Stop!	Berhenti!
Pickpocket!	Copet!
My chest hurts	Dada saya sakit
Where is the nearest police office/hospital?	Di mana kantor polisi/rumah sakit terdekat?
I lost my wallet/passport [lit. my wallet/passport is lost].	Dompet/paspor saya hilang.
Be careful!	Hati-hati!
This is an emergency!	Ini darurat!
This is my insurance card.	Ini kartu asuransi saya.
My wife/husband/child fainted!	Isteri/suani/anak saya pingsan!
Leave me alone!	Jangan ganggu saya!
Don't touch/hold me!	Jangan peggang saya!
Fire!	Kebakaran!
My car/motorbike is missing.	Mobil/sepeda motor saya hilang.
Call the police/doctor/ambulance!	Panggil polisi/dokter/ambulans!
Thief!	Pencuri! / Maling!
Perampok	Robber
Someone hit me.	Saya dipukul orang.
I’ve been robbed.	Saya dirampok.
I was hit by a car/motorbike.	Saya ditabrak mobil/sepeda motor
I want to report a missing person.	Saya ingin melaporkan orang hilang
I want to make a report for loss of items.	Saya ingin membuat laporan kehilangan.
I fell off the motorcycle.	Saya jatuh dari sepeda motor.
I’ve run out of my medication.	Saya kehabisan obat.
I got poisoned.	Saya keracunan.
I’m calling the police now!	Saya panggil polisi sekarang!
I’m bleeding.	Saya pendarahan.
I need to go to the hospital/police station.	Saya perlu ke rumah sakit/kantor polisi.
I need an interpreter/doctor.	Saya perlu penerjemah/dokter.
I’m pregnant.	Saya sedang hamil.
I’m pregnant.	Saya tersesat!
I can’t get up.	Saya tidak bisa bangun.
I can’t breathe.	Saya tidak bisa bernafas.
I don’t have insurance.	Saya tidak punya asuransi.
Please send a fire engine!	Tolong kirim pemadam kebakaran!
Please help me!	Tolong saya!
Please call my insurer.	Tolong telepon asuransi saya.
Please call the {Australian] consulate.	Tolong telepon konsulat [Australia].
Help!	Tolong!

Illnesses and Medical Symptoms/Conditions

cough	batuk
swollen	bengkak
heat rash	biang keringat
blister	bisul
measles	cacar air
fever	demam
diabetes	diabetes/ kencing manis
diarrhea	diare/mencret
stung by a bee	disengat lebah
infection	infeksi
acne	jerawat
cancer	kanker
sprained (ankle)	keseleo
malnourished	kurang gizi
scrape	lecet
wound	luka
bruised	memar
broken bone	patah tulang
sexually transmitted disease	penyakit menular seksual
cold	pilek
faint/unconscious	pingsan
dizzy	pusing
fractured bone	retak tulang
rash	ruam
toothache	sakit gigi
headache	sakit kepala
stomachache	sakit perut
heart attack	serangan jantung
difficult to breath	sesak nafas
low blood pressure	tekanan darah rendah
high blood pressure	tekanan darah tinggi
gout	asam urat
cavity	gigi berlubang

Indonesian Words and Phrases - a phrase book for expats

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