Javanese is a significant language in Central and Eastern Java, in Indonesia.
For many Javanese people it is the mother tongue before Indonesian.
In the Javanese palaces of Yogyakarta and Surakarta, refined Javanese involves a wide range of interactive codes and sophisticated acknowledgement of social level in the usage of vocabulary. Another way to put it, status and position in relation to the person being spoken with, determines word use, and grammar.
A very good indicator of how Javanese nuances can even be heard in a single word, the word Inggih or yes, can determine a persons status and standing, whether it sounds more gg or more jj in the pronunciation. When in a palace, if you can, without being impolite, listen to courtiers, or other people clearly of status, and hear if you can distinguish their usage, and hence identify whether they are higher or lower in status.
In the vocabulary informal refers to the lower level usage. If a local thinks they can speak with you in Javanese, they will tend to use higher status words when spekaing with you.
Pronunciation guide
Vowels
- a
- like 'a' in "father" or like 'o' in "top"
- 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
- i
- like 'i' in "thin", sometimes like 'ay' in "say"
- o
- like 'ow' in "low" or like 'o' in "top"
- u
- like 'oo' in "hoop", sometimes like 'o' in “hope”
Consonants
b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s , t, v, w, x, y, z, bh, dh, kh, ny,
Common diphthongs
Phrase list
Some phrases in this phrasebook still need to be translated. If you know anything about this language, you can help by plunging forward and translating a phrase.
Basics
- Hello.
- (Halo)
- How are you?
- (Piyé kabaré?)
- How are you? (informal)
- (Kadọs pundi kabaripun?)
- Fine, thank you.
- ('Pangéstinipun saé, matur nuwun' )
- What is your name?
- ('Asmanipun panjenengan sinten?' )
- My name is ______
- ______ . ('Nami kula' _____ .)
- Nice to meet you.
- (Kulạ seneng kepanggih panjenengan.)
- Please.
- (Monggo.)
- Thank you.
- (Matur nuwun.)
- Thank you. (very formal)
- (Matur sembah panuwun.)
- Thank you. (informal)
- (Matur nuwun.)
- You're welcome.
- (Sami-sami.)
- Yes.
- (Inggih.)
- Yes. (informal)
- (Iyo.)
- No.
- (Mboten.)
- No. (informal)
- (Ora.)
- Excuse me. (getting attention)
- (Nuwun sewu.)
- Excuse me. (begging pardon)
- (Ngapunten.)
- I'm sorry.
- (Nyuwun pangapunten.)
- Goodbye!
- (Kepanggih malih nggih!)
- Goodbye! (informal)
- (Da-da!)
- I can't speak name of language [well].
- (Kula mboten saged ______ [saé])
- Do you speak English?
- (Panjenengan saged basa inggris ?)
- Is there someone here who speaks English?
- (Punapa wonten ingkang saged basa Inggris?)
- Help!
- (Tulung!)
- Look out!
- (Awas!)
- Good morning.
- (Sugeng enjing./Sugeng enjang.)
- Good evening.
- (Sugeng sonten.)
- Good night.
- (Sugeng dalu.)
- Good night (to sleep)
- (Sugeng dalu.)
- I don't understand.
- ("Kula mboten ngertos.")
- I don't understand. (informal)
- (Aku ora mudeng.)
- Where is the toilet?
- (Paturasanipun wọnten pundi?)
Problems
- Police!
- Polisi!
- Stop! Thief!
- Mandeg! Maling!
- I'm lost.
- Kula kesasar./Kula nyasar.
Numbers
Angka | Ngoko | Krama |
---|---|---|
1 | siji | setunggal |
2 | loro | kalih |
3 | telu | tiga |
4 | papat | sekawan |
5 | lima | gangsal |
6 | enem | enem |
7 | pitu | pitu |
8 | wolu | wolu |
9 | sanga | sanga |
10 | sepuluh | sedasa |
11 | sewelas | setunggal welas (sewelas) |
12 | rolas | kalih welas |
13 | telulas | tiga welas |
14 | patbelas | sekawan welas |
15 | limalas | gangsal welas |
16 | nembelas | enem welas |
17 | pitulas | pitulas |
18 | wolulas | wolulas |
19 | sangalas | sangalas |
20 | rong puluh | kalih dasa |
21 | selikur | selikur/kalih dasa setunggal |
22 | rolikur | kalih likur |
23 | telulikur | tigang likur |
24 | patlikur | sekawan likur |
25 | selawé | selangkung |
26 | nemlikur | nemlikur |
30 | telung puluh | tigang dasa |
31 | telung puluh siji | tigang dasa setunggal |
32 | telung puluh loro | tigang dasa kalih |
40 | patang puluh | sekawan dasa |
41 | patang puluh siji | sekawan dasa setunggal |
42 | patang puluh loro | sekawan dasa kalih |
50 | sèket | sèket |
51 | sèket siji | sèket setunggal |
52 | sèket loro | sèket kalih |
60 | swidak | swidak |
61 | swidak siji | swidak setunggal |
62 | swidak loro | swidak kalih |
70 | pitung puluh | pitu dasa |
80 | wolung puluh | wolu dasa |
90 | sangang puluh | sanga dasa |
100 | satus | setunggal atus |
101 | satus siji | setunggal atus setunggal |
102 | satus loro | setunggal atus kalih |
120 | satus rong puluh | setunggal atus kalih dasa |
121 | satus selikur | setunggal atus kalih dasa setunggal |
200 | rong atus | kalih atus |
500 | limang atus | gangsal atus |
1.000 | sèwu | setunggal èwu |
1.001 | sèwu siji | setunggal èwu setunggal |
1.002 | sèwu loro | setunggal èwu kalih |
1.500 | sèwu limang atus | setunggal èwu gangsal atus |
1.520 | sèwu limang atus rong puluh | setunggal èwu gangsal atus kalih dasa |
1.550 | sèwu limang atus sèket | setunggal èwu gangsal atus sèket |
1.551 | sèwu limang atus sèket siji | setunggal èwu gangsal atus sèket setunggal |
2.000 | rong èwu | kalih èwu |
5.000 | limang èwu | gangsal èwu |
10.000 | sepuluh èwu | sedasa èwu |
100.000 | satus èwu | setunggal atus èwu |
500.000 | limang atus èwu | gangsal atus èwu |
1.000.000 | sayuta | setunggal yuta |
1.562.155 | sayuta limang atus swidak loro èwu satus sèket lima | setunggal yuta gangsal atus swidak kalih èwu setunggal atus sèket gangsal |
Time
- morning = esuk
- afternoon = awan
- evening = sore
- night = bengi
Clock time
Duration
- _____ minute(s)
- _____ menit
- _____ hour(s)
- _____ jam
- _____ day(s)
- _____ dina
- _____ week(s)
- _____ minggu
- _____ month(s)
- _____ wulan
- _____ year(s)
- _____ taun
Days
Monday = Senen
Tuesday = Selasa
Wednesday = Rebo
Thursday = Kemis
Friday = Jumat
Saturday = Setu
Sunday = Minggu
Months
Writing time and date
Colors
Transportation
Bus and train
Directions
- left
- kiwo
- right
- tengen
- straight ahead
- lurus/kenceng
- north
- ler/lor
- south
- kidul
- east
- wetan
- west
- kilen/kulon