Every time we go to a new country where the language isn’t English, we try to learn a few useful phrases in the local language before we get there. Firstly, it makes our lives easier. Secondly, we see it as a sign of respect towards the culture(s) we will encounter.
Josh and I also grew up learning Bahasa Indonesia, the national language of Indonesia. Bahasa Indonesia is not (in our opinions) a terribly difficult language to learn. So we thought we might share some useful phrases with those of you who might travel to Indonesia sometime. Of course, if you buy a proper phrase book then you’ll learn much more of the language, but if you’re just going to be in Indonesia for a short time, or if you don’t think buying a phrase book is worth it, then hopefully these phrases will be helpful.
1. Selamat pagi/siang/sore/malam: “Good morning/mid-day/afternoon/night.”
Pagi refers to any time up to 10 or 11ish (am), siang can be used for after 10am until around 3pm, sore is for after 3pm and the early evening, and malam is night.
2. Terima Kasih: “Thank you.” In some provinces this is shortened to simply trims.
3. Berapa harganya?: “How much for this?”
4. Aduh! Mahal sekali! Bisa kurang sedikit?: “Oh no! Very expensive! Can you go lower?” (a useful bargaining phrase)
5. Name siapa? Nama saya…: “What is your name? My name is…”
6. Tau dimana…?: “Do you know where … is?”
7. Apa Kabar?: “How are you?” (Possible answers include: Bagus! (Good), Baik-baik saja (Okay), Kurang baik (not good), sakit (sick)).
8. Saya hanya ada … rupiah: “I only have … rupiah.”
9. Saya harus ke…: “I have to go to…”
10. Pakai meter?: “Do you use a meter?” This is handy for not getting ripped off by taxi drivers!
Optional Extras:
Permisi: “Excuse me.”
Maaf: “Sorry.”
Kamar Kecil: “Toilet”
Numbers 1-10: satu, dua, tiga, empat, lima, enam, tujuh, delapan, sembilan, sepuluh.
100: seratus
1000: seribu
1,000,000: satu juta
Some tips for pronunciation:
‘a’ is pronounced like the ‘a’ in “bath”
‘e’ is pronounced like the ‘e’ in “ethnography”
‘i’ is pronounced like the ‘ee’ in “feet”
‘o’ is pronounced like the ‘o’ in “cot”
‘u’ is pronounced like the ‘u’ in “rue”
‘r’ is generally rolled, and ‘c’ is pronounced ‘ch.’
If you have any questions about these or other phrases in Bahasa Indonesia, feel free to ask! Do you like to learn some local phrases when you visit somewhere new?
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Filed under: Bali, Gili Islands, Indonesia, Language, West Papua Tagged: Bahasa Indonesia, Indonesia, Indonesian, language learning, phrases, travel
