Map of where Indonesian is predominantly spoken. Dark blue: as a majority language. Light blue: as a minority language.

Indonesian (Indonesian: Bahasa Indonesia) is the official language and lingua franca of Indonesia, and also widely spoken in East Timor. With over 230 million speakers, there are a lot of people to talk to in Indonesian.

Indonesian is closely related to Malay, and speakers of both languages can generally understand each other. The main differences are in the loan words: Indonesian has been mainly influenced by Dutch, while Malay has been mainly influenced by English. Both loan words from Sanskrit, Arabic and Javanese.

Understand

With over 230 million inhabitants dispersed in their local communities, Indonesian language actually does not exactly serve as a lingua franca (mother language) as they have lived with their own indigenous local language, such as Javanese, Balinese, Betawi, Sundanese, Palembang, Bugis, and the many tribes of Papua. Its purpose is to be a language of unification between all the races of Indonesia, declared so since the Youth Congress on October 28, 1928.

The most correctly assumption is that this originates from the Malay language usually spoken in northeastern Sumatra, and made famous to be spoken all across the country by the Srivijaya Empire, and then as a working language for trading. As the origin comes from neighboring country Malaysia, the two countries share many words in common, but when they were colonized by different countries, new words are formed to suitably adapt their colony.

Pronunciation guide

Indonesian newspeak One legacy of the Sukarno-Suharto era still affecting Indonesia is an inordinate fondness for vaguely Orwellian Newspeak-y abbreviations, chosen more for pronouncability than logic or comprehensibility. For example, the National Monument (Monumen Nasional) is universally known as Monas, the Jakarta-Bogor-Tangerang-Bekasi capital region is called Jabotabek and a police captain at the East Kalimantan HQ (Kepala Kepolisian Resor Kalimantan Timur) would be known as Kapolres Kaltim. Even the socialistic exhortation to stand on your own feet (berdiri diatas kaki sendiri) can be snappily rendered as berdikari and the humble fried rice nasi goreng can be chopped up into nasgor!

Indonesian is very easy to pronounce: it has one of the most phonetic writing systems in the world, with only a small number of simple consonants and relatively few vowel sounds. One peculiarity of the spelling is the lack of a separate sign to denote the schwa. It is written as an 'e', which can sometimes be confusing.

In Indonesia, spelling reforms in 1947 and 1972 have officially eliminated several vestiges of Dutch in the otherwise very phonetic spelling, and the writing system is now nearly identical to Malay. However, the older forms remain in use to some extent (especially in names) and have been noted in parenthesis below.

Stress usually falls on the second-to-last syllable, so in two-syllable words the first syllable is stressed.

Vowels

a

like 'a' in "father" (never like "cat")

e

like 'e' in "vowel" (schwa)

é

like 'ay' in "say", usually the difference between a schwa and an e is not indicated in writing. This phrasebook will distinct both for pronunciation aids.

i (ie, j)

like 'i' in "in" or in "antique"

o

like 'ow' in "low", in open positions or like 'o' in "top" in close positions

u (oe)

like 'oo' in "hoop", in open positions or like 'o' in “hope” in close positions

Consonants

Prefix attack Having trouble finding a word in a dictionary? Trying dropping the extra cruft. Prefixes: be-, bel-, ber-, di-, ke-, me-, mem-, men-, meng-, per-, se-, ter- Postfixes: -an, -i, -kan, -lah, -nya

b

like 'b' in "bed"

bh

like 'b' in "bed", only in Sanskrit borrowings

c (ch, tj)

like 'ch' in "China"

d

like 'd' in "dog"

dh

like 'd' in "dog", only in Sanskrit borrowings

f

like 'ph' in "phone"

g

like 'g' in "go"

h

like 'h' in "help"

j (dj)

like 'dg' in "edge"

k

like 'c' in "cat", or a glottal stop at the end of a word (sounds like it's silent, if you're not used to it).

kh (ch)

like 'ch' in "loch"

l

like 'l' in "love"

m

like 'm' in "mother"

n

like 'n' in "nice"

ng

like 'ng' in "sing" (no hard 'g' sound)

ngg

like 'ng' in "finger" ('ng' plus a hard 'g')

ny

like 'ny' in "canyon"

p

like 'p' in "pig"

q

similar to the 'k' or 'kh' sound (with "u", almost always, only in Arabic borrowings)

r

like 'rr' in Spanish "perro"

s

like 'ss' in "hiss"

sy (sj)

like 'sh' in "sheep"

t

like 't' in "top"

v

the same as 'f' (like 'ph' in "phone")

w

like 'w' in "weight"

x

like 'cks' in "kicks"

y (j)

like 'y' in "yes"

z

Either the same as 's' (like 's' in "hiss"), or like 'z' in "haze", or like 'dg' in "edge"

Common diphthongs

ai

like 'aye' in "eye" or "why"

au

like 'ow' in "cow"

oi

like 'oy' in "boy"

NOTE: when two vowel letters are located beside each other, if it's not a diphthong like above, they must be pronounced as separate syllables

Grammar

	Singular	Plural
1st Person	Saya (SAH-yah) (formal) aku (AH-koo) (informal)	Kita (KEE-tah) (when you include the person you're talking to within a group) Kami (KAH-mee) (when you don't include the person you're talking to)
2nd Person	Kamu (KAH-moo) (informal) Anda (AN-dah) (formal)	Kalian (KAH-lee-an)
3rd Person (regardless of male/female/both)	Dia (DEE-ah)	Mereka (me-ré-KAH)

Indonesian sentences structure is subject-verb-agreement. It more or less resembles English, but with more rules to follow, it actually looks like Spanish (with of course, some exceptions)!

In general, there are no grammatical gender and verb conjugation for person, number or tense, all of which are expressed with adverbs or tense indicators.

Saya makan nasi.

"I eat rice."

Adjectives are simply placed after the noun, not before. In this case, the word "goreng" means "fried":

Saya makan nasi goreng.

"I eat fried rice."

If you want to use an adverb, place it after the adjective (if any) or the verb. Use "dengan" (deng-AN) followed by the adjective:

Saya makan nasi (goreng) dengan gembira.

I eat (fried) rice happily. (lit: I eat (fried) rice with happy)

Negation marker ("tidak") (TEE-dak) is placed before the verb:

Saya tidak makan nasi goreng.

"I don't eat fried rice."

Present continuous marker ("sedang") (SE-dang) is placed before the verb; in case of a negative sentence, place it after "tidak":

Saya (tidak) sedang makan nasi goreng.

"I am (not) eating fried rice."

Past participle marker ("sudah") (SOO-dah) is also placed before the verb; in case of a negative sentence, the word is "belum" (BE-loom):

Saya sudah makan nasi goreng."'

"I have eaten fried rice."

If you use a place and/or time signal, they must be placed after the object. The place usually precedes the time signal. You can also place them at the beginning of the sentence, but only one of them is allowed. In this case, setiap hari means everyday.

You can also use a second adjective, but it must be joined by the word yang (lit: which is, that is, who is) after the first adjective. Usually the adjective types country & color are put first before other adjectives:

Saya makan nasi di sebuah restoran Tionghoa yang kecil di seberang hotel saya setiap hari.

"I eat rice at a small Chinese restaurant across my hotel every day."

The official term of verb has the prefixes me-, mem-, or meng- and/or suffix -kan. You most often can leave these out if the root word is already a verb. Use the prefix ter- to state you did something accidentally.

The prefix ber- though, must be used with an noun or adjective so that it means to have and to become, respectively. Use the suffix (-nya) if you think the speaker knows the definite object you are referring to, an equivalent to English's "the".

When plurals are in use, they're often simply a repetition of the singular form, connected by a dash. For example, "mobil-mobil" (cars) is simply the plural form of "mobil" (car). But, beware that some words are tricky enough to be a plural, while it is actually a singular, for example: laba-laba (spider) vs laba (profit). It is better off to use "banyak" (many) instead: "banyak laba-laba" (spiders). The use of singular form doesn't guarantee a single object; the phrase "Ada mobil di depan" (There is; car; in; front) may mean 1 or more.

A characteristic of Indonesian is that it is a so-called agglutinative language, which means that the suffixes are all attached to a base root. So a word can become very long. For example there is a base word hasil which means "result" or "success". But it can be extended as far as ketidakberhasilannya, which means his/her failure: "ke"(the state of)-"tidak"(not)-"ber"(-ing)-"hasil"(success)-"an"(the state of, with ke)-"nya"(his/her). These are largely modular; "berhasil" means "to have (good) result", for example.

If all else fails, simply using standard subject-verb-object form and common particles, while disregarding prefixes and suffixes, is generally unambiguous. For example, to state your intention to find a train station, simply "saya mau pergi ke stasiun" (I; want to; go; to; the station) is both clear and polite.

Phrase list

Unless noted as (informal), phrases in this phrasebook use the formal, polite Anda and saya forms for "you" and "I" respectively.

Basics

Common signs BUKA Open TUTUP Closed MASUK Entrance KELUAR Exit DORONG Push TARIK Pull WC Toilet PRIA Men WANITA Women DILARANG Forbidden DILARANG MASUK! no entry

The shorter the better Colloquial Indonesian shortens commonly used words mercilessly. tidak → tak → nggak → gak no tidak ada → tiada not have sudah → udah → dah already bapak → pak father; you (polite, for men) ibu → bu mother; you (polite, for older women) aku → ku I (informal) kamu → mu you (informal) -ku and -mu also act as suffixes: mobilku is short for mobil aku, "my car". Note that shortened words are often less formal, and there for clarity, the standard form may be preferred. In the case of an object pronoun, you can usually use the word kepada- which means "to be given to..." or punya- which means "to belong to ..." followed by the suffixes -ku means "me", "-mu" is you, "-nya" which refers to him/her, or God (the letter N must be capitalized in this case). Most often you can simply use the usual subject pronoun system though.

Referring to others politely Terms for "you" are considered impolite in Indonesia. To call anyone "kamu" is in itself often condescending; opt for the honorific instead. Bapak/Pak (male)/Ibu/Bu (female) adults. Defaulting to this is usually safe. Kakak/Kak slightly older people, but still in the same age group. E.g. school seniors Adik/Dik younger people. It is also safe to call people by their name (with honorifics) or their title, such as "Pak Guru" (a male teacher). In some areas, local terms are in use, such as "Abang" for older males in the Jakarta region. Using the standard Indonesian phrases are also fine in these situations.

Hello.

Halo. (HAH-lo)

Hello. (informal)

Hai. (HAAy)

Hello. ("Muslim")

Assalamu 'alaikum (AH-Ssal-ahmu AAH-la-ee-koom)

note: if someone says this to you, you must reply back Wa'laikum salam (WAH-la-ee-koom sa-LAM) regardless of what religion you are, thus returning the wish of peace that was bestowed upon you. Not doing so is a serious breach of etiquette.

How are you?

Apa kabar? (AH-pah KAH-bar?)

Fine, thank you.

Baik, terima kasih. (bah-EEK, TREE-mah KAH-see)

What is your name?

Siapa namamu? (see-AH-pah NAH-mah-moo?)

My name is ______ .

Nama saya ______ . (NAH-mah sah-yah _____ .)

Nice to meet you.

Senang bertemu anda. (Se-NAHNG brr-teh-moo AHN-dah)

Please.

Silakan. (sih-LAH-kann)

Please. (request)

Tolong. (TOH-long)

Thank you.

Terima kasih. (Te-REE-mah KAH-see)

You're welcome.

Terima kasih kembali. (… kem-BAH-lee)

Yes.

Ya. (YAH)

No.

Tidak. (TEE-dak/), Tak (TAK/) (short, hard vowel, cut off before "k")

Excuse me. (getting attention)

Maaf, permisi. (mah-AHF, pehr-mee-see)

Excuse me. (begging pardon)

Maaf. (mah-AHF)

I'm sorry.

Maaf. (mah-AHF)

Goodbye

Selamat tinggal. (S'LAH-maht TING-gahl)

Goodbye (informal)

Dadah. (DaH-DaH)

I can('t) speak Indonesian [well].

Saya (tidak) bisa bicara bahasa Indonesia [dengan baik]. (Sah-ya (TEE-dah) BEE-sah bee-chah-rah bah-hah-sah in-do-NEE-sha [ding-an BA-eek])

Can you speak English?

Bisakah Anda bicara bahasa Inggris? (Bee-sah-kah AN-dah bee-chah-rah bah-hah-sah Ing-griss)

Is there someone here who speaks English?

Adakah orang yang bisa bahasa Inggris? (Ah-dah-kah O-rang yang BEE-sah bah-hah-sah ING-griss")

Help!

Tolong! (Toh-long)

Look out!

Awas! (AH-was)

Good morning.

Selamat pagi. (S'LAH-maht PAH-ghee)

Good afternoon.

Selamat siang. (S'LAH-maht SEE-yang)

Good evening.

Selamat sore. (S'LAH-maht soh-ray)

Good night.

Selamat malam. (S'LAH-maht MAH-lahm)

Good night (to sleep)

Selamat tidur. (S'LAH-maht TEE-door)

How do you say ...?

Bagaimana Anda mengatakan ...? (BAH-gay-ma-nah AN-dah me-NGA-ta-kan ...?)

What is this/that called?

Ini/Itu disebut apa? (E-nee/E-tuh dee-SE-boot AH-pah)

I don't understand.

Saya tidak mengerti. (SAHY-yah TEE-dah meeng-GEHR-tee)

Where is the toilet?

Di mana kamar kecil? (Dee MAH-nah kam-AR ke-Chill?)

How much (does this cost)?

Berapa harga ini? (be-RAP-pah HARR-gah EE-nee)

What time is it (now)?

Jam berapa (sekarang) / Pukul berapa (sekarang)? (jam be-RAP-pah (s'KAR-ong)? / poo-kool - )

Problems

No means no Indonesian has a number of ways to say "no". tidak (tak, nggak) "Not" — used to negate verbs and adjectives. Ada apel? (Do you) have an apple? Tidak ada. (No, I) don't have. Apel baik? (Is it a) good apple? Tidak baik. (No, it's) not good. bukan (kan) "No" — used to negate nouns. Ini apel? Is this an apple? Bukan. Ini jeruk. No, it's not. It's an orange. belum "Not yet" — used when something has not happened (yet). Sudah makan apel? (Did you) already eat the apple? Belum. No, not yet. jangan "Don't" — to tell somebody not to do something. Jangan makan apel! Don't eat the apple! dilarang "Forbidden" — used mostly on signs. Dilarang makan apel. Eating apple is forbidden.

Foreigner

Warga Negara Asing (WAR-gah ne-GAH-rah AH-sing) (literally: foreign citizen) or much more common by its acronym, WNA.

NOTE: the commonly used word Bule ("BOO-lay") usually refers to the white Caucasians, but this is a derogatory term as it literally means albino.

Leave me alone.

Jangan ganggu saya! (JAHn-ngan gang-goo SAH-yuh)

Don't touch me!

Jangan pegang saya! (JAHN-ngan pee-gang SAH-yuh)

I'll call the police.

Saya akan panggil polisi. (SAH-yuh AH-khan PANG-geel POH-lee-see)

Police!

Polisi! (POH-lee-see)

Stop! Thief!

Berhenti! Maling! (Brr-HEN-tee! MAH-leeng!)

Hey! Pickpocket!

Hey! Copet! (Hey COH- pet!)

I need your help.

Saya minta tolong. (SAH-yah MEEN-ta to-long)

It's an emergency.

Ini darurat. (E-nee DAH-roo-raat)

I'm lost.

Saya tersesat. (SAH-yah TER-se-sat)

I lost my bag.

Saya kehilangan tas saya. (SAH-yah KE-hee-lang-an tas SAH-yah)

I lost my wallet.

Saya kehilangan dompet saya. (SAH-yuh KE-hee-lang-an dom-pet SAH-yah)

I'm sick.

Saya sakit. (SAH-yah SAH-kit)

I've been injured.

Saya terluka. (SAH-yah ter-loo-kah)

I need a doctor.

Saya perlu dokter. (SAH-yah PER-loo DOK-ter)

May I use your phone?

Bolehkah saya pakai telepon Anda? (BO-lei-kah SAH-yah PA-kay TE-LE-pon AN-dah ?)

In the doctor

Please be careful with my heart The word hati (HA-tee) in Indonesian has some very different meanings, thus be careful when using the word for one meaning or another! The word "heart" that has a romance or abstract meaning is hati The "heart" that literally means the specific organ that pumps blood in a living body is jantung (JAN-toong) The word "hati" in Indonesian literally means liver in English; its use is often discouraged within the formal & medical society. The word for "be careful" is hati-hati; but when talking about avoiding involvement with crimes, waspada (was-PA-dah) can also be used.

Doctor

Dokter (DOC-ter)

Nurse

perawat (PER-rah-what) or suster (SOO-ster)

Hospital

rumah sakit (ROO-mah SAH-kit) (literally: sick house)

medicine

obat (OH-bat)

Emergency room

UGD (oo-gay-day) (short for Unit Gawat Darurat)

Pharmacy/drugstore

apotek (AH-po-tech)

I am sick.

Saya sakit (SAH-yah SAH-kit)

My _____ hurts

____ saya sakit (" ____ SAH-yah SAH-kit")

Painful.

nyeri (NYEH-ree)

Sick/Uncomfortable.

sakit (SAH-kit)

Itchy/ticklish.

gatal (GAH-tall)

Swell

bengkak (BENG-kak)

Sore

radang (RAH-dang)

Fever

demam (DE-mom)

Cough

batuk (BAH-took)

Sneeze

bersin (BRR-shin)

Diarrhea

diare (DEE-ah-re)

Vomiting

muntah（MOON-tah)

Cold/flu

pilek (PEEL-lek)

Cut/wound

Luka (LOO-ka)

Burn

Luka bakar (LOO-ka BAH-car)

Hands.

tangan (TANG-an)

Arms.

lengan (LENG-an)

Fingers.

jari (JAH-ree)

Wrist.

pergelangan tangan (PER-geh-lang-an TANG-an)

Shoulder.

pundak (POON-dak) or bahu (BAH-hoo)

Feet

kaki (KAH-kee)

Toes

jari kaki (JAH-ree KAH-kee)

Legs

tungkai (TOONG-kai)

Nails

kuku (KOO-koo)

Body

tubuh (TOO-booh) or badan (BAH-dan)

Eyes

mata (MAH-ta)

Ears

telinga (tel-LING-ah) or kuping (KOO-ping)

Nose

hidung (HEE-dong)

Face

wajah (WA-jah) or muka (MOO-kah)

Hair

rambut (RAM-boot)

Head

kepala (ke-PA-lah)

Neck

leher (LEH-heir)

Throat

tenggorokan (TENG-go-rock-an)

Chest

dada (DAH-da)

Abdomen

perut (PER-root)

Hip/Waist

pinggang (PING-gang)

Buttocks

bokong (BO-kong) or pantat (PAN-tat)

Back

punggung (POONG-goong)

Numbers

Cardinal numbers

0

nol / kosong (COS-song)

1

satu (SAH-too)

2

dua (DOO-ah')

3

tiga (TEE-gah')

4

empat (OM-phat)

5

lima (LEE-ma)

6

enam (O-nam)

7

tujuh (TOO-jooh')

8

delapan (day-LA-pan)

9

sembilan (sem-BEE-lan)

10

sepuluh (SE-poo-looh)

11

sebelas (SE-b´las)

12

dua belas (DOO-ah b'las)

13

tiga belas (TEE-gah b´las)

14

empat belas (OMPHAT b´las)

20

dua puluh (DOO-ah Poo-looh')

21

dua puluh satu (DOO-ah Poo-looh sah-too')

22

dua puluh dua (DOO-ah Poo-looh DOO-ah)

23

dua puluh tiga (DOO-ah POO-looh TEE-gah')

30

tiga puluh (TEE-gah POO-looh')

40

empat puluh (OM-phat POO-looh)

50

lima puluh (LEE-ma POO-looh)

100

seratus (Se- RAH-toos)

200

dua ratus (DOO-ah RAH-toos)

300

tiga ratus (TEE-gah RAH-toos)

1000

seribu (se-REE-boo)

1100

seribu seratus (se-REE-boo Se-RAH-toos)

1152

seribu seratus lima puluh dua (se-REE-boo se-RAH-tus LEE-ma POO-looh DOO-ah)

1200

seribu dua ratus (se-REE-boo DOO-ah RAH-toos)

1500

seribu lima ratus (se-REE-boo LEE-ma RAH-toos)

2000

dua ribu (DOO-ah REE-boo)

2100

dua ribu seratus (DOO-ah REE-boo se-RAH-tus)

10,000

sepuluh ribu (se-POO-looh REE-boo)

11,000

sebelas ribu ("se-b'las REE-boo")

20,000

dua puluh ribu (DOO-ah POO-looh REE-boo)

100,000

seratus ribu (se-RAH-toos REE-boo)

150,000

seratus lima puluh ribu (se-RAH-toos LEE-ma POO-looh REE-boo)

156,125

seratus lima puluh enam ribu seratus dua puluh lima (se-RAH-toos LEE-ma POO-looh REE-boo se-RAH-toos DOO-ah POO-looh LEE-ma)

250,000

dua ratus lima puluh ribu (DOO-ah RAH-toos LEE-ma POO-looh REE-boo)

500,000

lima ratus ribu (LEE-ma RAH-toos REE-boo)

1,000,000

satu juta (SAH-too Joo-tah)

1,005,000

satu juta lima ribu (SAH-too JOO-tah LEE-ma REE-boo)

2,500,000

dua setengah juta (DOO-ah se-TENG-ah JOO-tah)

1,000,000,000

satu milyar (SAH-too MIL-yard)

1,000,000,000,000

satu trilyun("SAH-too TREE-lee-yoon)

number _____ (train, bus, etc.)

nomor _____ (NO-more)

Ordinal

The only special word in this case:

1st

pertama("per-TAH-mah")

Other than that, use the suffix "ke-" followed by the number:

2nd

kedua ("ke-DOO-ah")

3rd

ketiga ("ke-TEE-gah")

Other words

half

setengah (Se-teng-ah)

quarter

seperempat (se-per-OM-pat)

three quarter

tiga perempat (TEE-ga PER-em-pat)

percent

persen (PER-send)

less

kurang (KOO-rang)

more

lebih (LE-beeh)

Time

now

sekarang (se-KAH-rang)

later

nanti (NUN-tee)

before

sebelum ("se-BEH-loom")

after

sesudah/setelah ("se-SOO-dah / se-TELL-lah")

Clock time

Indonesia uses a 24 hour format. So AM is 00.00 to 11.59, and PM is 12.00-23.59. For a half hour, look at what number the hour hand will be next.

What time is it now?

Jam berapa sekarang? (JAM beh-RAH-pah seh-KAH-rang?)

NOTE: the word time, when used to tell how many times or multiplications, is kali ("KAH-lee"). The word itself is waktu (WHACK-too")

---

(Optional) Dawn (01.00-04.59)

dini hari (DEE-nee HA-ree)

Morning (01.00-10.59)

pagi (PAH-gee)

Midday & early afternoon (11.00-14.59)

siang ("SEE-ang")

Late afternoon (15.00-18.59)

sore/petang (so-REH/PE-tang)

Evening (19.00-00.59)

malam ("MAH-lam")

---

01.00

jam satu pagi (jam sah-TOO PAH-gee)

02.00

jam dua pagi (jam doo-AH PAH-gee)

02.01

jam dua lewat / lebih satu (menit) (jam doo-AH LEE-wat / LEE-beeh sah-TOO me-neet)

02.15

jam dua seperempat / jam satu lewat lima belas(jam doo-AH se-PER-em-PAT / jam doo-AH LEE-wat LEE-ma be-LAS)

02.20

jam dua lewat duapuluh (jam doo-AH LEE-wat doo-AH POO-looh)

02.30

jam setengah tiga (jam se-teng-AH TEE-gah)

02.40

jam tiga kurang dua puluh (jam TEE-gah KOO-rang doo-Ah POO-looh")

02.45

jam tiga kurang seperempat / jam tiga kurang lima belas (jam TEE-gah KOO-rang se-PER-em-PAT / jam TEE-gah KOO-rang LEE-ma be-LAS)

12.00 noon

tengah hari (TENG-ah HA-ree)

13.00

jam satu siang (jam sah-TOO SEE-ang)

14.00

jam dua siang (jam doo-AH SEE-ang)

00.00 midnight

tengah malam (TENG-ah MAH-lam)

Duration

_____ minute(s)

_____ menit (MEH-neet)

_____ hour(s)

_____ jam (jam)

_____ day(s)

_____ hari (HA-ree)

_____ week(s)

_____ minggu (MEENG-goo)

_____ month(s)

_____ bulan (BOO-lan)

_____ year(s)

_____ tahun (TAH-hoon)

Days

A week is from Monday to Sunday, although in calendars, it is Sunday to Saturday.

today

hari ini (HAH-ree EE-nee)

yesterday

kemarin (ke-MAHR-reen)

tomorrow

besok (beh-SOAK)

this week

minggu ini (MEENG-goo EE-nee)

last week

minggu lalu (MEENG-goo LAH-loo)

next week

minggu depan (MEENG-goo dah-PAHN)

Sunday

Minggu (MEENG-goo)

Monday

Senin (se-NEEN)

Tuesday

Selasa (S'LAH-sah)

Wednesday

Rabu (RAH-boo)

Thursday

Kamis (KAH-mees)

Friday

Jum’at (joom/-AHT)

Saturday

Sabtu (SAHB-too)

Months

January

Januari (jaa-noo-AH-ree)

February

Februari (FE-boo-AH-ree)

March

Maret (MAR-ruht)

April

April (AH-preel)

May

Mei (May)

June

Juni (JOON-nee)

July

Juli (JOOL-lee)

August

Agustus (a-GOOS-tuhs)

September

September (sep-TEHM-burr)

October

Oktober (ok-TOH-burr)

November

Nopember (no-PEM-burr)

December

Desember (day-SEM-burr)

Writing time and date

Date

First one should write the day, after that the month and then the year.

August 17th 1945

17 Agustus 1945

Colors

black

hitam (HEE-tahm)

white

putih (POO-teeh)

gray

abu-abu (AH-boo AH-boo)

red

merah (MEH-rah)

blue

biru (BEE-roo)

yellow

kuning (KOO-neeng)

green

hijau (HEE-jow)

orange

jingga/oranye (JEENG-gah / oh-RAHN-nyah)

purple

ungu (OO-ngoo)

brown

coklat (choh-KLAHT) (also the word for chocolate)

Transportation

Bus and train

How much is a ticket to _____?

Berapa harga karcis ke _____? (Brr-AH-pah hahr-GAH car-CHEESE ke _____?)

One ticket to _____, please.

Tolong, satu karcis ke _____. (Toh-LONG, SAH-too car-CHEESE ke _____)

Where does this train/bus go?

Kereta/bus ini ke mana? (Ku-REH-tah / Boos EE-nee ke MAH-nah?)

Where is the train/bus to _____?

Di mana kereta/bus ke _____? (Dee MAH-nah ke-REH-tah / boos ke _____?)

Does this train/bus stop in _____?

Apakah kereta/bus ini berhenti di _____? (AH-pah-kah ke-REH-tah / boos EE_nee brr-HEN-tee dee _____?)

What time does the train/bus for _____ leave?

Jam berapa kereta/bus ke _____ berangkat? (Jahm brr-AH-pah ke-REH-tah / boos keh _____ brr-AHG-kaht?)

What time does this train/bus arrive in _____?

Jam berapa kereta/bus ini sampai di _____? (Jahm brr-AH-pah ke-REH-tah / boos EE-nee sam-PAY dee _____?)

Directions

How do I get to _____ ?

Bagaimana saya pergi ke _____ ? (Ba-GAY-ma-nah SAH-ye per-GEEH kuh ____)

...the train station?

...stasiun kereta api? (S'ta-see-oon Ke-RÉh-tah A-pee?)

...the bus station?

...terminal bus? (tér-MEE-nal boos)

...the airport?

...bandara? (ban-DA-ra)

...downtown?

...pusat kota? (POO-sat KOH-tah)

...the _____ hotel?

... hotel _____ ? (ho-TEL ____)

...the American/Canadian/Australian/British embassy/consulate?

... Kedutaan Besar/Konsulat Amerika/Kanada/Australia/Inggris ? (Ke-DOO-Tah-An/Con-Sool-lat ...)

Where are there a lot of...

Di mana ada banyak... (DEE Ma-nah a-dah bah-nyak)

...hotels?

...hotel? (HO-TEL)

... inn?

...penginapan (pung-ee-NAP-an)

...restaurants?

...rumah makan? (ROO-mah Mah-kan)

...bars?

...bar? (BAR)

...sites to see?

...tempat-tempat wisata? (TEM-pat TEM-pat wee-SAH-tah?)

Can you show me on the map?

Bisa anda tunjukkan di peta? (BEE-SAH an-dah TOON-jook-kann dee PEY-TAH?)

street

jalan (JAH-lan)

left

kiri (KEEH-rih)

right

kanan (Kah-naan')

straight ahead

lurus (LOO-roos)

towards the _____

menuju _____ (me-NOO-joo)

past the _____

melewati _____ (me-LÉ-what-ee')

before the _____

sebelum _____ (se-BE-loom)

after the ____

sesudah ____ (se-soo-DAH)

near the

dekat _____ (DE-khat)

in front of

di depan _____ (dee duh-PAN)

intersection

persimpangan (per-seem-PANG-an)

(over) there

di sana ((dee) SA-nah)

north

utara (oo-TAH-rah)

south

selatan (se-LAH-tan)

east

timur (TEE-moor')

west

barat (BAH-rat')

north-east

timur laut (TEE-moor LAH-oot)

nort-west

barat laut (BAH-rat LAH-oot)

south-east

tenggara (tuhng-GAH-rah)

south-west

barat daya (BAH-rat DA-yah)

Taxi

Taxi!

Taksi! (TUKS-see)

Take me to _____, please.

Tolong antar saya ke _____. (TOH-long AN-tar SAH-yah ke ____ )

How much does it cost to get to _____?

Berapa harganya ke _____? (Be-RAH-pah har-GA-nyah ke ____ )

Turn left.

Belok kiri. (BEH-lock KEE-ree)

Turn right.

Belok kanan. (BEh-lock KAH-nan)

Turn around. (U-turn)

Putar balik. (POO-tar BA-leek)

Watch for the _____.

Lihat _____. (LEE-hat ____)

Stop here.

Berhenti di sini. (brr-HEN-TEE dee see-nee)

Wait here.

Tunggu di sini. (Toong-goo dee see-nee)

Lodging

Do you have any rooms available?

Ada kamar kosong? (AH-dah KHAM-mar cos-SONG?)

How much is a room for one person/two people?

Berapa harga kamar untuk satu/dua orang? (beh-RAH-pah har-GAH KHAM-mar oon-took SAH-tu/DOO-AH orang?)

Does the room come with...

Apakah kamarnya ada... (ah-PAH-kah KHAM-mar-nya AH-dah)

...bedsheets?

...seprei? (se-PREY)

...a bathroom?

...kamar mandi? (KHAM-mar man-dee)

...a telephone?

...telepon? (Tel-le-phon)

...a TV?

...Televisi/TV? (tel-le-vi-see/tee-FEE)

May I see the room first?

Boleh lihat kamarnya dulu? (Boh-LEH lee-HAT KHAM-mar-nya doo-LOO?)

Do you have anything quieter?

Ada kamar yang lebih tenang? (ah-DAH KHAM-Mar yang leh-BEEH Ten-nang)

...bigger?

...besar? (be-saar?)

...cleaner?

...bersih? (ber-seeh?)

...cheaper?

...murah? (moo-rah?)

OK, I'll take it.

Baik saya ambil. (BAYK, sah-yah AM-beel)

I will stay for _____ night(s).

Saya akan tinggal selama _____ malam. (SAH-yah Ah-khan TING-gal Sel-LAH-mah ____ mah-LAM.)

Can you suggest another hotel?

Anda bisa sarankan hotel lainnya? (AN-dah BEE-sah sah-RAN-khan HO-tel La-in-nya?)

Do you have a safe?

Apakah Anda punya brankas? (AH-pah-kah AN-dah POO-nya Bran-kash?)

...lockers?

...lemari berkunci? (le-MAH-ree ber-KOON-chi)

Is breakfast/supper included?

Apakah sudah termasuk sarapan/makan malam? (AH-pah-kah SOO-dah ter-MA-sook sa-RAH-pan/MAH-kan ma-LAM)

What time is breakfast/supper?

Jam berapa Sarapan/makan malam? (jam BEH-ra-pah sa-RAH-pan/MAH-kan ma-LAM)

Please clean my room.

Tolong bersihkan kamar saya. (TOH-long BER-seeh-khan KHAM-mar SAH-yah)

Can you wake me at _____?

Bisakah saya dibangunkan jam _____? (BEE-sah-kah SAH-yah DEE-bang-oon-khan jam ____)

I want to check out.

Saya mau check out. (SAH-yah MAH-hoo check aut)

Money

Do you accept American/Australian/Canadian dollars?

Bisa pakai dollar Amerika /Australia / Kanada? (BEE-sa PAH-kay do-lar)

Do you accept British pounds?

Bisa pakai poundsterling Inggris? (BEE-sa PAH-kay Poundsterling Ing-ge-rees)

Do you accept credit cards?

Bisa pakai kartu kredit? (BEE-sah PAH-kay KAR-too KRE-deet)

Can you change money for me?

Bisakah anda tukar uang untuk saya? (BEE-sa-kah AN-dah TOO-kar OO-wang OON-tok SAH-yah)

Where can I get money changed?

Di mana saya bisa tukar uang? (dee-MA-nah SAH-ya BEE-sah TOO-car OO-wang)

Can you change a traveler's check for me?

Bisakah anda tukar cek perjalanan? (BEE-sah-kah AN-dah TOO-kar check PER-jah-lan-an)

Where can I get a traveler's check changed?

Di mana saya bisa tukar cek perjalanan? (DEE MA-nah SAH-yah BEE-sa TOO-kar check PER-jah-lan-an)

What is the exchange rate?

Apa kursnya? (AH-pah kurs-nya)

Where is an automatic teller machine (ATM)?

Di mana ada ATM? (dee MAN-nah AH-dah AH-TEY-EM)

Eating

Edible adjectives asin (AH-seen) Salty asam (Ah-sam) Sour manis (MAH-nees) Sweet pedas (PE-dash) Hot (spicy) pahit (PA-heat) Bitter enak (EH-nak) Delicious tawar (TAH-war) Tasteless, bad dingin (DEE-ngeen) Cold sejuk (SAY-juke) Cool hangat (HANG-at) Warm panas (PA-nas) Hot (temperature)

How would you like it to be done? raw mentah (MEN-tah) fresh segar (SEH-gar) cooked matang (MAH-tang) baked panggang (PANG-gang) grilled bakar (BAH-kar) stir-fried tumis (TOO-miss); cah ("CAH") (in Chinese restaurants) fried goreng (GO-ring) boiled rebus (RE-boos) steamed kukus (KOO-koos) mixed campur (CHAM-poor)

A table for one person/two people, please.

Tolong, satu meja untuk satu/dua orang. (TOH-long SAH-too ME-jah oon-took SAH-too/DOO-ah OH-rang)

Can I look at the menu, please?

Bolehkah saya lihat menunya? (BO-lei-kah SAH-yah LEE-hat Me-NOO-nya)

Is there a house specialty?

Adakah makanan istimewa? (A-dah-kah ma-KAH-nan is-tee-MÉ-wah?)

Is there a local specialty?

Adakah makanan khas daerah ini? (A-dah-kah ma-KAH-nan kas da-É-rah e-nee)

I'm a vegetarian.

Saya vegetarian. (SA-yah VE-ge-ta-ree-an)

I don't eat pork.

Saya tidak makan babi. (SA-yah TEE-dak MAH-kan BA-bee)

I don't eat beef.

Saya tidak makan sapi. (SA-yah TEE-dak MAH-kan SAH-pee)

I don't eat seafood.

Saya tidak makan hasil laut (SA-yah TEE-dah MAh-kan HA-seal LAH-oot)

Can you make it "lite", please? (less oil/butter/lard)

Bisa dibuat dengan minyak sedikit saja? (Bee-sah DEE-boo-at deng-AN mee-nyak se-DEE-kit sah-JAH?)

I want _____.

Saya mau pesan _____. (SAH-yoo MAH-hu PEH-son)

I want a dish containing _____.

Saya mau makanan yang mengandung _____. (SAH-yah MA-oo ma-KAH-nan yang meng-GAN-doong)

I'm allergic to ____

Saya alergi akan ____ (SAH-yah AH-ler-gee AH-kan ____)

chicken

ayam (A-yam)

beef

daging sapi (DA-king sah-pee)

fish

ikan (ee-KAHN)

pork

daging babi (DA-king BA-bee)

lamb

daging kambing (DA-king KAHM-bing)

prawn

udang (OO-dang)

crab = kepiting (ke-PEE-teeng)

squid = cumi (COO-mee)

oyster = tiram (TEE-ram)

cuttlefish = sotong (SO-tong)

sausage

sosis (SO-sis)

cheese

keju (KÉ-joo)

eggs

telur (TE-loor)

tofu

tahu (TA-hoo)

---

(fresh) vegetables

sayuran (SAH-yoo-ran)

cucumber

timun (TEE-moon)

carrot

wortel (WAR-tel)

lettuce

selada (se-LAH-dah)

cauliflower

kembang kol (KEHM-bang KOHL)

tomato

tomat (TOHM-mat)

radish

lobak (loh-BACK)

corn

jagung (JAH-goong)

water spinach (a common green, leafy vegetable)

kangkung (kahng-KOHNG)

amaranth/spinach

bayam (BAH-yahm)

squash

labu (LAH-boo)

bean

kacang (KAH-chahng)

long bean

kacang panjang (...pahn-JAHNG)

potato

kentang (KUHN-tahng)

cassava

singkong (SING-kong)

purple yam

ubi (OO-bee)

sweet potato

ubi jalar (OO-bee JAH-lard')

onion

bawang bombay (BAH-wahng BOM-bay)

garlic

bawang putih (BAH-wahng POO-teh)

shallot

bawang merah (BAh-wahng MEH-rah)

mushroom

jamur (JAH-moor)

---

(fresh) fruit

buah (BOO-ah)

apple

apel (AH-pehl)

banana

pisang (PEE-sang)

orange

jeruk (JEH-rook)

watermelon

semangka (se-MAHNG-kah)

grape

anggur (ANG-goor)

papaya

pepaya (peh-PA-yah)

mango

mangga (MANG-gah)

guava

jambu (JAM-boo)

pineapple

nanas (NAH-nash)

persimmon

kesemek (keh-SEH-mek)

cantaloupe

blewah (B'le-WAH)

melon

melon (ME-lon)

coconut

kelapa (KEH-lah-pah)

starfruit

belimbing (BEH-lim-beeng)

jackfruit

nangka (NANG-kah)

breadfruit

sukun (SOO-kuhn)

rambutan

rambutan (RAHM-boo-tan)

mangosteen

manggis (MAHNG-gees)

soursop

sirsak (SHEER-sack)

durian

durian/duren (doo-REE_an/DOO-rén)

---

bread

roti (ROH-tee)

toast

roti bakar (ROH-tee BAH-car)

noodles

mie (MEE)

rice

nasi (NA-see)

porridge

bubur (boo-boor)

ice cream

es krim (ES Cr'im)

cake

kue ('KOO-eh')

May I have a glass of _____?

Saya bisa minta satu gelas _____? (SAH-yah BEE-sah MEEN-tah SAH-too GEL-las)

May I have a cup of _____?

Saya bisa minta satu cangkir_____? (SAH-yah BEE-sah MEEN-tah SAH-too CHANG-keer)

May I have a bottle of _____?

Saya bisa minta satu botol _____? (SAH-yah BEE-sah MEEN-tah SAH-too BOH-toll)

coffee

kopi (CO-pee)

tea (drink)

teh (TEH)

juice

jus (JOOS)

(bubbly) water

air (bersoda) (AH-eer (ber-SO-dah))

water

air (AH-eer)

beer

bir (BEER)

red/white wine

anggur merah/putih (ANG-goor MEH-rah/POO-teeh)

May I have some _____?

Saya bisa minta _____? (SAH-yah BEE-sah MEEN-tah)

salt

garam (GAH-ram)

black pepper

merica hitam (MREE-chah HEE-tam)

chili sauce

saus sambal (SAH-oos SAM-bal)

tomato sauce

saus tomat (SAH-oos TO-mat)

butter

mentega (muhn-TEY-gah)

Excuse me, waiter? (getting attention of server)

Permisi (PER-mee-seeh)

I'm finished.

Saya sudah selesai. (SAH-yah SOO-dah se-le-SAY)

I'm full.

saya kenyang (SAH-yah KEN-yang)

It was delicious.

Tadi enak rasanya. (TA-dee EH-nak RAH-sa-nya)

Please clear the plates.

Tolong ambil piringnya. (TOH-long AM-bill PEE-ring-nya.)

The check, please.

Minta bon. (MEEN-tah Bond)

Bars

Do you serve alcohol?

Apakah Anda menyajikan alkohol? (ah-PAH-kah An-dah me-nya-jee-khan al-ko-HALL?)

A beer/two beers, please.

Tolong, satu/dua bir. (TOH-long, SAh-too/DOO-ah beer)

A glass of red/white wine, please.

Tolong, satu gelas anggur merah/putih. (TOH-long, SAH-too ge-las ANG-goor MÉ-rah / POO-teeh)

A bottle, please.

Tolong, satu botol. (TOH-long, SAH-too BO-toll)

_____ (hard liquor) and _____ (mixer), please.

_____ dan _____, please. ( TOH-long, ___ dan ___)

whisky

whiskey (WHEES-key)

vodka

vodka (VOD-ka)

rum

rum (RAM)

local spirits

arak (AH-rack)

water

air (AH-eer)

sparkling water

cair soda (Ah-eer SO-dah)

tonic water

air tonik (AH-eer TO-nick)

orange juice

jus jeruk (joss JEH-rook)

Coke (soda)

Coca cola (Co-CA Co-la)

Do you have any bar snacks?

Ada makanan kecil? (A-dah MA-kah-nan KEH-chill)

One more, please.

Tolong, satu lagi. (TOH-long SAH-too LAH-gee)

Another round, please.

Tolong, satu ronde lagi. (TOH-long SAH-too RON-de LAH-gee)

When is closing time?

Jam berapa tutup? (jam be-RAH-PAH too-toop?)

Shopping

Sell

Jual (JOO-al)

Buy

Beli (BELL-lee)

Bargaining

Tawar (TAH-war) (NOTE: the word can also mean to offer)

Do you have this in my size?

Barang ini ada yang ukuran saya? (BAH-rang e-nee AH-dah yang oo-KOO-ran SAH-yah?)

How much is this?

Berapa harganya? (beh-RAH-pah Har-GAH-nya?)

That's too expensive.

Terlalu mahal. (ter-LAH-loo ma-HALL)

Would you take _____?

Kalau _____ bagaimana? (KAH-low ____ bah-gay-MA-nah?)

expensive

mahal (Ma-hall)

cheap

murah (MOO-rah)

I can't afford it.

Saya tidak bisa beli itu. ('SAH-yah TEE-dak BEE-sah BELL-lee EE-tuh)

I don't want it.

‘nggak mau (informal) Saya tidak mau (formal) (SAH-yah TEE-dak MA-uh)

You're cheating me.

Kau menipu saya (KA-oo me-NEE-poo SAH-yah)

I'm not interested.

Saya tidak tertarik. (SAH-yah TEE-dak ter-TA-reek)

The quality is not good.

Kualitasnya tidak bagus. (K'wa-LEE-tas-nya TEE-dak BAH-goose)

OK, I'll take it.

Baiklah, saya beli. (Ba-EEK-lah, SAH-yah BELL-lee)

Can I have a bag?

Ada kantong? (A-dah KAN-tong?)

NOTE: a bag as tas usually means a bag with an open & close system (zipper or buttons). kantong or bungkus usually means a packing bag. "Kantong" also usually means pocket in a clothing, although you can use "saku"(SAH-koo) instead.

Do you ship (overseas)?

Bisakah dikirim (ke luar negeri)? (BEE-sah-kah dee-KEE-reem (ke LOO-ar ne-GER-eeh?))

I need...

Saya perlu... (SAH-yah PER-loo)

...toothpaste.

...pasta gigi. (PAS-ta GEE-gee)

...a toothbrush.

...sikat gigi. (SEE-kat GEE-gee)

...condoms.

...kondom. (CON-dome)

...tampons.

...softeks / pembalut. (phem-BAH-loot)

...soap.

...sabun. (SAH-boon)

...shampoo.

...sampo. (SAM-po)

...pain reliever. (e.g., aspirin or ibuprofen)

...obat pereda sakit (aspirin, parasetamol, …) (Note: ibuprofen is not widely available). (OH-bat per-RE-da SAH-keet)

...cold medicine.

...obat masuk angin. (OH-bat MA-sook ANG-geen)

...stomach medicine.

...obat sakit perut. (OH-bat SAH-keet PER-oot)

...a razor.

...cukuran. (choo-koor-an)

...an umbrella.

...payung. (PAH-yoong)

...a postcard.

...kartu pos. (KAR-too post)

...postage stamps.

...perangko. (per-RANG-kO)

...batteries.

...baterai. (BAH-ter-ray)

...writing paper.

...kertas. (KER-tas)

...a pen.

...pulpen. (POOL-pen)

...English-language books.

...buku-buku bahasa Inggris. (BOO-koo boo-koo BAH-has-sa ING-grees)

...English-language magazines.

...majalah bahasa Inggris. (mah-JA-lah BAH-has-sa ING-grees)

...an English-language newspaper.

...surat kabar/koran (bahasa Inggris). (SOOR-at KHA-bar/KOR-an (BAH-has-sa ING-grees))

NOTE: the Koran islamic holy book is called the al-Quran (al KOOR-an)

...an English-Indonesian dictionary.

...kamus Inggris-Indonesia. (KAH-moos ING-grees In-do-NE-syah)

Driving

I want to rent a car.

Saya mau sewa mobil. (SAH-yah MAH-oo SE-wah MO-beel)

Can I get insurance?

Saya bisa minta asuransi? (SAH-yah BEE-sah MEEN-ta a-soo-RAN-see)

traffic

lalu lintas("LAH-loo LEAN-tas")

traffic jam

macet("MAH-chute")

stop

berhenti("ber-HEN-tee")

stop (on a street sign)

stop (stop)

one way

Satu arah (SAH-too AH-rah)

no parking

Dilarang Parkir (DEE-la-rang PARK-keer)

accident

kecelakaan("ke-chel-LA-kha-an")

gas (petrol) station

Pom Bensin or SPBU (abbreviation for Stasiun Pengisian Bahan bakar Umum) (Pom BEN-zine)

petrol

bensin (Ben-zine)

diesel

diesel, solar (SOL-lard)

Authority

What happened?

Apa yang terjadi? (AH-pah yang ter-JAH-dee?)

What are you doing?

Apa yang sedang Anda lakukan(AH-pah yang SEH-dang AN-dah lah-koo-khan)

I haven't done anything wrong.

Saya tidak berbuat salah. (SAH-yah TEE-dak brr-BOO-at SAH-lah)

It was a misunderstanding.

Itu kesalahpahaman. (EE-too KE-SAH-lah-PAH-ham-an)

Where are you taking me?

Ke mana saya dibawa ? (Ke-mah-nah SAH-yah DEE-ba-wah?)

Am I under arrest?

Apakah saya ditahan ? (Ah-PAH-kah SAH-yah DEE-ta-han)

I am an American/Australian/British/Canadian citizen.

Saya warga negara Amerika /Australia / Inggris / Kanada. (SAH-yah WAR-gah ne-GAH-rah ____)

I want to talk to the American/Australian/British/Canadian embassy/consulate.

Saya ingin bicara dengan Kedutaan Besar/Konsulat Amerika / Australia / Inggris / Kanada. (SAH-yah een-geen BEE-ca-rah deng-an Ke-doo-TA-AN /Kon-SOOL-at ____)

I want to talk to a lawyer.

Saya mau bicara dengan pengacara/advokat. (SAH-yah een-geen BEE-ca-rah deng-an peng-ah-CAH-rah)

Can I just pay a fine here now?

Bisakah saya bayar denda di tempat saja? (BEE-sa-kah SAH-yah BAH-yar DEN-dah di TEM-pat SAH-jah)

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