Indonesian phrasebook

Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia) is the official language and lingua franca of Indonesia, in addition to East Timor and places with a significant Indonesian diaspora such as Southeast Asia and the Netherlands. With over 230 million speakers, there are a lot of people to talk to in Indonesian.

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

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 languages have lots of loan words from Sanskrit and other Indian languages, Arabic and Javanese.

Malay speakers beware, as there are multiple words that spell the same but convey very different meanings. Among the most familiar are Malay budak (child) to Indonesian budak (slave), Malay percuma (free) to Indonesian percuma (useless), Malay butuh (male genitals) to Indonesian butuh (need) and Malay bisa (poison) to Indonesian bisa (can, able to).

Just like English, Indonesia uses the Latin alphabet system and Arabic numerals.

Understand

With over 230 million inhabitants dispersed in their local communities, the Indonesian language actually does not exactly serve as a mother tongue, as most of its speakers' first languages are local to their region, such as Javanese, Balinese, Betawi, Sundanese, Palembang, Bugis, and the many tribal languages of Papua. Its purpose is to be a language of unification between all the peoples of Indonesia, declared so since the Youth Congress on October 28, 1928.

Indonesia originates from the Malay language usually spoken in northeastern Sumatra, which was made famous by the Srivijaya Empire (7th-14th centuries), and then as a working language for trading ("pasar Malay", used in bazaars). As the origin comes from Malay, the two languages share many words in common, but when they were colonized by different countries, new words were formed from borrowings from their then-colonial overlords.

There are some varieties between local dialects of Indonesian, mostly caused by mixing Indonesian with local mother tongues, but these words are mostly used as a slang language that is heavily used on mass media and thus spoken by children and teenagers. This is especially common in Jakarta (the centre of the country's mass media), the rest of Java, Medan, and Eastern Indonesia. But that being said, all Indonesians can easily switch to the standard language, especially when talking with a foreigner.

Pronunciation guide

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 parentheses below.

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

Vowels

As Indonesians pronounce the letter “e” in two different ways, this guide will highlight both the regular and accented version in the phonetics.

vowel	English equiv.	vowel	English equiv.	vowel	English equiv.
a	art (IPA: a)	e	vowel (IPA: ə)	é	say (IPA: e)
i	see (IPA: i)	o	more (IPA: o)	u	pool (IPA: u)

Consonants

Indonesian abbreviations One legacy of the Sukarno-Suharto era still affecting Indonesia is an inordinate fondness for syllabic abbreviations, chosen more for pronounceability than logic or comprehensibility. For example, the National Monument (Monumen Nasional) is universally known as Monas, the Jakarta-Bogor-Depok-Tangerang-Bekasi capital region is called Jabodetabek 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! Others (not specified, in alphabetical order) Baper (slang)  Bawa perasaan (Put ahead emotions and feelings to everything) Gordat (slang from West Java region)  Goreng Adat (someone who is angry all the time without reasons) Jamber  Jam berapa? (What time is it?) Kanker (not cancer) Kantong kering (When you don't have money or have already spent too much) Lola  Loading lambat (Slow thinker) Titi DJ  Hati-hati Di Jalan (be careful on the way, Titi DJ is an established singer)

Common abbreviations:

Food/Beverages

Buryam 

Bubur Ayam (Chicken congee/porridge)

Es Jerman 

Es Jeruk Manis (Iced orange juice)

Ketoprak 

Ketupat toge digeprak (Vegetarian dish from Jakarta which consists of compressed rice cakes, tofu, rice vermicelli and bean sprouts drizzled with peanut sauce)

Migor 

Mie goreng (Fried noodles)

Nasgor 

Nasi goreng (Fried rice)

Popular highway/toll road names

Cipularang 

Cikampek-Purwakarta-Padalarang (Jakarta-Bandung toll road)

Jagorawi 

Jakarta-Bogor-Ciawi (A highway/toll road link from the south of East Jakarta to Ciawi in West Java)

Jorr 

Jakarta Outer Ring Road (Jakartans usually say this as Jorr instead of saying it per capital letters)

Consonants that use the old spelling style are written in parentheses:

b 

like in bed (IPA: b)

bh 

like bed, only in Sanskrit borrowings

c (ch, tj) 

like check (IPA: t͡ʃ)

d 

like in dog (IPA: d)

dh 

like dog, only in Sanskrit borrowings

f 

like phone (IPA: f)

g 

like g (IPA: ɡ)

h 

like help (IPA: h)

j (dj) 

like job (IPA: d͡ʒ)

k 

like keep (IPA: k); at ends of words, a glottal stop like in the middle of uh-oh (IPA: ʔ)

kh (ch) 

like Scottish loch or Chanukkah (IPA: x)

l 

like love (IPA: l)

m 

like mother (IPA: m)

n 

like nice (IPA: n)

ng 

like sing (IPA: ŋ) (no hard 'g' sound)

ngg 

like finger (IPA: ŋɡ) ('ng' plus a hard 'g')

ny 

like canyon or Spanish ñ (IPA: ɲ)

p 

like pig (IPA: p)

q 

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

r 

like Spanish perro (IPA: r) (trilled/rolled r)

s 

like sick (IPA: s)

sy (sj) 

like sheep (IPA: ʃ)

t 

like top (IPA: t)

v 

the same as 'f'

w 

like weight (IPA: w)

x 

like kicks (IPA: ks)

y (j) 

like yes (IPA: j)

z 

like haze (IPA: z)

Common diphthongs

ai 

like eye (IPA: ai̯)

au 

like cow (IPA: au̯)

oi 

like boy (IPA: oi̯)

NOTE: when two vowels are beside each other, and it's not one of the above diphthongs, they must be pronounced as separate syllables

Note

In the pseudo-pronunciations below, glottal stops are shown as apostrophes, usually at the ends of words. Unaspirated consonants (always the letters T or P, usually at the ends of words) are shown in parentheses.

Grammar

Pronouns	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 (AHN-dah) (formal)	Kalian (KAH-lee-ahn)
3rd Person	Dia (DEE-ah) (informal) he/she Beliau (BUH-lih-yow) (formal) he/she Ia (EE-ah) it	Mereka (muh-REH-kah)

Indonesian sentences structure is subject-verb-object. It more or less resembles English, but with more rules to follow, it actually looks more like Spanish!

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" (DUHNG-an) followed by the adjective:

Saya makan nasi (goreng) dengan gembira.

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

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

Saya tidak makan nasi goreng.

"I don't eat fried rice."

Present continuous marker ("sedang") (suh-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" (buh-LUM):

Saya sudah makan nasi goreng.

"I have eaten fried rice."

Possessive pronouns are simply placed after the noun, with the same form as normal pronouns:

Saya makan nasi goreng ibu saya.

"I am eating my mother's 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 & colour 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 in front of my hotel every day."

Question forms follow the simple structure of question word-pronoun-verb-object:

Apa yang kamu makan? : "What are you eating?

Di mana kamu makan nasi goreng? : "Where are you eating fried rice?"

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- Suffixes: -an, -i, -kan, -lah, -nya

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 or something that has been done, while di- is used for passive actions.

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) after a noun 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, such as: laba-laba (spider) vs 'laba' (profit). To avoid confusion, it is better off to use "banyak" (many) instead as a plural form for all objects: banyak laba-laba (spiders).

Indonesian is a so-called agglutinative language, which means 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.

Addressing people

Using direct terms for "you" is not always considered polite in Indonesia. To call anyone "kamu", unless you know them very well, is rude. Opt for "Anda" or an honorific instead.

Frequently used

Bapak (BAH-pah')/pak (pah') 

The default honorific for males of the same age or older than yourself (same as Mr. in English): Pak Joko (Mr. Joko)

Ibu (IH-boo)/bu (boo) 

The default honorific for females of roughly the same age or older than yourself (same as Mrs. in English): Ibu Susi (Mrs. Susi)

Kakak (KAH-kah') 

Informal form for younger males and females, it means older sibling.

Nak (Nah') or Adik (AH-dih') 

For children

Archaic forms

These are less frequently heard but, as a traveller, you may be addressed in this way.

Nona (NOH-nah) 

For single or young ladies (analogous to Miss in English). You might hear it shortened into Non.

Nyonya (NYO-nyah) 

For married or elderly ladies and formal for all females (same as Mrs., or Ma'am in US English usage). Rarely used, especially in big cities, though you might hear it shortened into 'Nyah' in some parts of Central and Eastern Java.

Tuan (too-AHN) 

Formal honorific for males, usually elderly. (same as Mr. or Sir in US English usage). Rarely used in everyday conversation. You'll mostly find it in the phrase 'tuan rumah', meaning 'host'.

Regional variants

Different forms of some of these words are used across the archipelago. The ones below refer to someone who is roughly your own age or slightly older. Broadly analagous to the Indonesian kakak, they are informal so, if in doubt, revert to bapak and ibu. You will hear them being used to address serving staff in restaurants and shops.

in Bali 

bli (blee) for males and mbok (uhm-BO') for females.

in Javanese-speaking communities 

mas (mahss) for a male and mbak (uhm-BAH') for a female. Not to be confused with mbah (uhm-BAH) which means grandfather or grandmother.

in Sundanese-speaking communities (mostly West Java) 

akang (AH-kahng) for males, and teteh (TEH-teh) for females.

among Minang speakers (originally from West Sumatra) 

abang (AH-bahng) or uda (OO-dah) for males and uni (OO-nee) for females.

in Indonesian Chinese communities 

koko (KOH-koh) and cici (CHEE-chee), for male and female, respectively.

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 If it says dilarang, don't even think about it doing it

Hello. 

Halo. (HAH-loh)

Hello. (informal) 

Hai. (high)

Hello. ("Muslim") 

Assalamu 'alaikum (ah-sah-LAH-mu ah-LEH-koom)

note: if someone says this to you, you must reply back Wa'laikum salam (wah-ah-LEH-koom sah-LAHM) regardless of your beliefs, 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-EE', TREE-mah KAH-see)

What is your name? 

Siapa nama? (see-AH-pah NAH-mah?)

My name is ______ . 

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

Nice to meet you. 

Senang bertemu Anda. (suh-NANG buhr-TUH-moo AHN-dah)

Please. (inviting someone to do something) 

Silakan. (SIH-lah-kahn)

Please. (asking for help with an action or service) 

Tolong (TO-long)

Please. (asking to be given something) 

Minta (MIN-tah)

Thank you. 

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

You're welcome. 

Sama-sama. (SAH-mah SAH-mah)

Yes. 

Ya (yah)

No. 

Tidak (TEE-dah'), Tak (tah')

Excuse me. (getting attention) 

Permisi (puhr-MIH-see)

Excuse me. (begging pardon) 

Maaf. (mah-AHF)

I'm sorry. 

Maafkan saya. (mah-AHF-kahn SAH-yah)

Goodbye (to someone staying behind after you are gone) 

Selamat tinggal. (suh-LAH-mah(t) TING-gahl)

Goodbye (to someone leaving you) 

Selamat jalan. (suh-LAH-mah(t) JAH-lahn)

Goodbye (informal) 

Da-da. (DAH-dah)

See you 

Sampai jumpa (SAM-pigh JOOM-pah)

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.

Can you speak {language}? 

Bisakah Anda berbicara bahasa ____? (BEE-sah-kah AHN-dah buhr-bee-CHAH-rah ba-HAH-sah ____)

English 

Inggris (ING-griss)

Chinese 

Mandarin (mahn-dah-RIN)

Dutch 

Belanda (buh-LAHN-dah)

Arabic 

Arab (AH-rahb)

Japanese 

Jepang (JUH-pahng)

What does ___ mean?

Apa artinya ____? (AH-pah AR-tee-nyah)

Is there someone here who speaks English? 

Adakah orang yang bisa bahasa Inggris? (AH-dah-kah OH-rahng yahng BEE-sah ba-HAH-sah ING-griss?)

I can('t) speak Indonesian [well]. 

Saya (tidak) bisa bicara bahasa Indonesia [dengan baik]. (SAH-yah (TEE-dah') BEE-sah bee-CHA-rah ba-HAH-sah in-doh-NEE-zhah [DUHNG-an BAH-ee'])

Speak more slowly, please

Tolong bicara lebih pelan. (TO-long bee-CHA-rah LUH-bee PUH-lahn)

I want to ask

Saya mau bertanya. (SAH-yah MAH-oo buhr-TAH-nyah)

Help! 

Tolong! (TO-long)

Wait! 

Tunggu! (TOONG-gooh!)

Look out! 

Awas! (ah-WAHSS)

Selamat pagi, Bali!

Good morning (dawn until about 11AM). 

Selamat pagi. (suh-LAH-mah(t) PAH-gee)

Good afternoon (from about 11AM until about 3PM). 

Selamat siang. (suh-LAH-mah(t) SEE-yahng)

Good afternoon (from about 3PM until dusk). 

Selamat sore. (suh-LAH-mah(t) SO-ray)

Good evening/night (between dusk and dawn). 

Selamat malam. (suh-LAH-mah(t) MAH-lahm)

Good night (if heading off to bed) 

Selamat tidur. (suh-LAH-mah(t) TEE-door)

How do you say ...? 

Bagaimana Anda mengatakan ...? (bah-GIGH-mah-nah AHN-dah muh-NGA-tah-kahn ...?)

What is this/that called? 

Ini/itu disebut apa? (EE-nee/EE-too dee-suh-BUT AH-pah?)/Ini/itu namanya apa? (EE-nee/EE-too NAH-mah-nyah AH-pah?)

I don't understand. 

Saya tidak mengerti. (SAH-yah TEE-dah' muh-NGUHR-tee)

Where is the toilet? 

Di mana kamar kecil? (dee MAH-nah KAHM-ar kuh-CHEEL?)

How much (does this cost)? 

Berapa harganya? (buh-RAH-pah HAR-gah-nyah)

What time is it (now)? 

Jam berapa (sekarang)? (jahm buh-RAH-pah (suh-KAH-rahng)?)

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 an orange. belum  "Not yet" — used when something has not happened (yet). Sudah makan apel? Have you already eaten 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 nuh-GAH-rah AH-sing) (literally: foreign citizen) or much more common by its acronym, WNA (way-en-ah).

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

Leave me alone. 

Jangan ganggu saya! (JAHNG-ahn GAHNG-goo SAH-yah)

Don't touch me! 

Jangan pegang saya! (JAHNG-ahn PUH-gahng SAH-yah)

I'll call the police. 

Saya akan panggil polisi. (SAH-yah AH-kahn PAHNG-gihl po-LEE-see)

Police! 

Polisi! (po-LEE-see)

Stop! Thief! 

Berhenti! Maling! (Buhr-HUHN-tee! MAH-lihng!)

Hey! Pickpocket! 

Hey! Copet! (heh! CO-peh(t)!)

I need your help. 

Saya minta tolong. (SAH-yah MEEN-tah TO-long)

It's an emergency. 

Ini darurat. (EE-nee dah-ROO-rah(t))

I'm lost. 

Saya tersesat. (SAH-yah tuhr-SUH-sah(t))

I lost my bag. 

Saya kehilangan tas saya. (SAH-yah kuh-HEE-lahng-ahn tahss SAH-yah)

I lost my wallet. 

Saya kehilangan dompet saya. (SAH-yah kuh-HEE-lahng-ahn DOM-peh(t) SAH-yah)

I'm sick. 

Saya sakit. (SAH-yah SAH-ki(t))

I've been injured. 

Saya terluka. (SAH-yah tuhr-LOO-kah)

I need a doctor. 

Saya perlu dokter. (SAH-yah PUHR-loo DOCK-tuhr)

May I use your phone? 

Bolehkah saya pakai telepon Anda? (BO-leh-kah SAH-yah PAH-keh TEH-luh-pon AHN-dah?)

At the doctor's

Please be careful with my heart The word hati (HAH-tee) in Indonesian has some very different meanings, thus be careful when using the word for one meaning or another! "heart" in the romantic or abstract sense is hati the "heart" that is the organ that pumps blood around your body is jantung (JAHN-toong) another meaning for "hati" in Indonesian is liver. In a restaurant, the dish sambal goreng hati is liver in a spicy sauce the word for "be careful" is hati-hati Take care! There are lots of children

Doctor 

Dokter (DOCK-tuhr)

Nurse 

Perawat (PUH-rah-wah(t)) or suster (SUS-tuhr)

Hospital

Rumah sakit (ROO-mah SAH-ki(t))

Medicine

Obat (O-bah(t))

Emergency room (ER)/Accident and Emergency (A&E)

Unit Gawat Darurat, normally pronounced UGD (oo-gay-day)

Pharmacy/drugstore/chemists

Apotek (AH-po-teh')

I am sick. 

Saya sakit (SAH-yah SAH-ki(t))

My _____ hurts

____ saya sakit (" ____ SAH-yah SAH-ki(t)")

Painful 

nyeri (NYUH-ree)

Body parts Hands  tangan (TAHNG-ahn) Arms  lengan (LUHNG-ahn) Fingers  jari (JAH-ree) Shoulder  pundak (POON-dah') 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-dahn) Eyes  mata (MAH-tah) Ears  telinga (tuh-LING-ah) or kuping (KOO-ping) Nose  hidung (HEE-dung) Face  wajah (WAH-jah) or muka (MOO-kah) Head  kepala (kuh-PAH-lah) Neck  leher (LEH-hehr) Throat  tenggorokan (TUHNG-go-ro'-ahn) Chest  dada (DAH-dah) Abdomen  perut (PUH-root) Hip/Waist  pinggang (PING-gahng) Buttocks  bokong (BO-kong) or pantat (PAHN-tah(t)) Back  punggung (POONG-goong)

Sick/uncomfortable 

sakit (SAH-ki(t))

Itchy/ticklish 

gatal (GAH-tahl)

Swollen 

bengkak (BUHNG-kah')

Sore 

radang (RAH-dahng)

Bleeding 

berdarah (buhr-DAH-rah)

Dizzy 

Pusing (POO-sing)

Swallowed 

Tertelan (tuhr-tuh-LAHN)

Fever 

demam (DUH-mahm)

Cough 

batuk (BAH-too')

Sneeze 

bersin (BUHR-sin)

Diarrhea 

diare (dee-ah-REH)

Vomiting 

muntah(MOON-tah)

Cold/flu 

pilek (PEE-luh')

Cut/wound

Luka (LOO-kah)

Burn

Luka bakar (LOO-kah BAH-kahr)

Fracture

Patah tulang (PAH-tah TOO-lahng)

Numbers

Cardinal numbers

Indonesian uses points/full stops for thousands and commas for decimal places, as in continental Europe.

Knowing numbers is useful for instance when shopping on a market

0 

nol (nol). You will often hear the word kosong (KO-song) meaning empty

1 

satu (SAH-too)

2 

dua (DOO-ah)

3 

tiga (TEE-gah)

4 

empat (UHM-pah(t))

5 

lima (LEE-mah)

6 

enam (UH-nahm)

7 

tujuh (TOO-jooh)

8 

delapan (duh-LAH-pahn)

9 

sembilan (suhm-BEE-lahn)

10 

sepuluh (suh-POO-looh)

11 

sebelas (suh-buh-LAHSS)

12 

dua belas (DOO-ah buh-LAHSS)

13 

tiga belas (TEE-gah buh-LAHSS)

20 

dua puluh (DOO-ah POO-loo)

21 

dua puluh satu (DOO-ah POO-loo SAH-too)

30 

tiga puluh (TEE-gah POO-loo)

50 

lima puluh (LEE-mah POO-loo)

80 

delapan puluh (duh-LAH-pan POO-loo)

100 

seratus (suh-RAH-tuss)

120

seratus dua puluh (suh-RAH-tuss DOO-ah POO-loo)

200 

dua ratus (DOO-ah RAH-tuss)

500 

lima ratus (LEE-mah RAH-tuss)

1000 

seribu (suh-REE-boo)

1100 

seribu seratus (suh-REE-boo suh-RAH-tuss)

1152 

seribu seratus lima puluh dua (suh-REE-boo suh-RAH-tuss LEE-mah POO-loo DOO-ah)

1200 

seribu dua ratus (suh-REE-boo DOO-ah RAH-tuss)

1500 

seribu lima ratus (suh-REE-boo LEE-mah RAH-tuss)

2000 

dua ribu (DOO-ah REE-boo)

2100 

dua ribu seratus (DOO-ah REE-boo suh-RAH-tuss)

5000

lima ribu (LEE-mah REE-boo)

10,000 

sepuluh ribu (suh-RAH-tuss REE-boo)

11,000 

sebelas ribu ("SUH-buh-lass REE-boo")

20,000 

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

A 50,000 rupiah banknote (written in shops as Rp50.000,- or sometimes just 50.)

49,000 

empat puluh sembilan ribu (UHM-pah(t) POO-loh suhm-BEE-lahn REE-boo)

50,000 

lima puluh ribu (LEE-mah POO-looh REE-boo)

100,000 

seratus ribu (suh-RAH-tooss REE-boo)

150,000 

seratus lima puluh ribu (suh-RAH-tooss LEE-mah POO-looh REE-boo)

156,125 

seratus lima puluh enam ribu seratus dua puluh lima (suh-RAH-tooss LEE-mah POO-looh UH-nahm REE-boo suh-RAH-tooss DOO-ah POO-looh LEE-mah)

250,000 

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

500,000 

lima ratus ribu (LEE-mah RAH-tooss REE-boo)

1,000,000 

satu juta (SAH-too JOO-tah)

1,005,000 

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

2,500,000 

dua setengah juta (DOO-ah STUHNG-ah JOO-tah)

1,000,000,000 

satu milyar (SAH-too MIL-yar)

1,000,000,000,000 

satu trilyun ("SAH-too TRIL-yoon)

number _____ (train, bus, etc.) 

nomor _____ (NO-mor)

Ordinal

The only special word in this case:

1st

pertama("puhr-TAH-mah")

Subsequently, use the suffix "ke-" followed by the number:

2nd

kedua ("kuh-DOO-ah")

3rd

ketiga ("kuh-TEE-gah")

Other words

half 

setengah (STUHNG-ah)

quarter 

seperempat (suh-puhr-UHM-pah(t))

three quarter 

tiga perempat (TEE-gah puhr-UHM-pah(t))

percent

persen (PUHR-sehn)

less 

kurang (KOO-rahng)

more 

lebih (LUH-bee)

Time

Jam Gadang clocktower, a major landmark of Bukittinggi

now 

sekarang (suh-KAH-rahng)

later 

nanti (NAHN-tee)

before 

sebelum ("suh-BUH-lum")

after 

sesudah/setelah ("suh-SOO-dah/suh-TUH-lah")

Clock time

Indonesia uses a 24-hour format. So AM is 00.00 to 11.59, and PM is 12.00-23.59. In practice, however, people are also fine with telling time in 12-hour formats as long as the phase of the day is indicated (see below). For a half hour, look at what number the hour hand will be next.

What time is it now?

Jam berapa sekarang? (JAM buh-RAH-pah suh-KAH-rahng?)

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

---

(Optional) Dawn (01.00-04.59)

dini hari (DEE-nee HAH-ree)

Morning (01.00-10.59)

pagi (PAH-gee)

Midday and early afternoon (11.00-14.59)

siang ("SEE-ahng")

Late afternoon (15.00-18.59)

sore/petang (so-REH/PUH-tahng)

Evening (19.00-00.59)

malam ("MAH-lahm")

---

01.00 

jam satu pagi (jahm SAH-too PAH-gee)

02.00 

jam dua pagi (jahm DOO-ah PAH-gee)

02.01 

jam dua lewat/lebih satu (menit) (jahm DOO-ah LEH-waht/LUH-bee SAH-too MUH-nih(t))

02.15 

jam dua seperempat/jam dua lewat lima belas(jahm DOO-ah suh-puhr-uhm-PA(T)/jahm DOO-ah LEH-wa(t) LEE-mah buh-LAHSS)

02.20 

jam dua lewat duapuluh (jahm DOO-ah LEH-wat DOO-ah POO-looh)

02.30 

jam setengah tiga (jahm STUHNG-ah TEE-gah)

02.40 

jam tiga kurang dua puluh (jahm TEE-gah KOO-rahng DOO-ah POO-looh) The equivalent of saying "twenty to three"

02.45 

jam tiga kurang seperempat/jam tiga kurang lima belas (jahm TEE-gah KOO-rahng suh-puhr-UHM-pa(t)/jahm TEE-gah KOO-rahng LEE-mah buh-LAHSS)

12.00 noon 

tengah hari (TUHNG-ah HAH-ree)

13.00 

jam satu siang (jahm SAH-too SEE-ahng)

14.00 

jam dua siang (jahm DOO-ah SEE-ahng)

00.00 midnight 

tengah malam (TUHNG-ah MAH-lahm)

Duration

_____ minute(s) 

_____ menit (MUH-nih(t))

_____ hour(s) 

_____ jam (jahm)

_____ day(s) 

_____ hari (HAH-ree)

_____ week(s) 

_____ minggu (MING-goo)

_____ month(s) 

_____ bulan (BOO-lahn)

_____ year(s) 

_____ tahun (TAH-hoon)

in ____ 

____ lagi (____ LAH-gee)

Days

Beach in Java

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

today 

hari ini (HAH-ree EE-nee)

yesterday 

kemarin (kuh-MAH-rin)

tomorrow 

besok (BEH-so')

the day after tomorrow

lusa (LOO-sah)

the day before yesterday

kemarin lusa (kuh-MAH-rin LOOH-sah)

this week 

minggu ini (MING-goo EE-nee)

last week 

minggu lalu (MING-goo LAH-loo)

next week 

minggu depan (MING-goo duh-PAHN)

Sunday 

Minggu (MING-goo)

Monday 

Senin (suh-NIN)

Tuesday 

Selasa (suh-LAH-sah)

Wednesday 

Rabu (RAH-boo)

Thursday 

Kamis (KAH-mihss)

Friday 

Jumat (JOO-mah(t))

Saturday 

Sabtu (SAHB-too)

Months

January 

Januari (jah-noo-AH-ree)

February 

Februari (feh-broo-AH-ree)

March 

Maret (MAH-ruh(t))

April 

April (AH-prihl)

May 

Mei (May)

June 

Juni (JOO-nee)

July 

Juli (JOO-lee)

August 

Agustus (ah-GUS-tuss)

September 

September (sehp-TEHM-buhr)

October 

Oktober (ock-TO-buhr)

November 

Nopember (no-PEHM-buhr)

December 

Desember (deh-SEHM-buhr)

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

Colorful clothes made of the traditional fabric batik

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-ning)

green 

hijau (HEE-jow)

orange 

jingga/oranye/oren (JING-gah/o-RAH-nyah/OH-rehn)

purple 

ungu (OO-ngoo)

brown 

coklat (CHOCK-lah(t))

gold

emas (uh-MAHSS)

silver

perak (PEH-rah')

light

terang (TUH-rahng) or muda (MOO-dah)

pink

pink (pin') or merah muda (MEH-rah MOO-dah)

dark

gelap (GUH-lahp) or tua (TOO-ah)

Transportation

Traffic in Jakarta

Bus and train

Train

Kereta (kuh-REH-tah)

How much is a ticket to _____? 

Berapa harga karcis ke _____? (buh-RAH-pah har-GAH kar-CHIHSS kuh _____?)

I want to buy one ticket to _____, please. 

Saya ingin membeli satu karcis ke _____. (SAH-yah IHNG-in muhm-BUH-lee SAH-too kar-CHIHSS kuh _____)

Where does this train/bus go? 

Kereta/bus ini ke mana? (kuh-REH-tah/beuss IH-nee kuh MAH-nah?)

Where is the train/bus to _____? 

Di mana kereta/bus ke _____? (dee MAH-nah kuh-REH-tah/beuss kuh _____?)

Does this train/bus stop in _____? 

Apakah kereta/bus ini berhenti di _____? (AH-pah-kah kuh-REH-tah/beuss IH-nee buhr-HUHN-tee dee _____?)

What time does the train/bus for _____ leave? 

Jam berapa kereta/bus ke _____ berangkat? (jahm buh-RAH-pah kuh-REH-tah/beuss kuh _____ buh-RAHNG-kah(t)?)

What time does this train/bus arrive in _____? 

Jam berapa kereta/bus ini sampai di _____? (jahm buh-RAH-pah kuh-REH-tah/beuss IH-nee SAHM-pigh dee _____?)

Directions

How do I get to _____ ? 

Bagaimana saya pergi ke _____ ? (Bah-GIGH-mah-nah SAH-yah puhr-GEE kuh ____)

...the train station? 

...stasiun kereta api? (STAHS-yoon kuh-REH-tah AH-pee?)

...the bus station? 

...terminal bus? (TUHR-mihn-ahl beuss)

...the airport? 

...bandara? (bahn-DAH-rah)

...downtown? 

...pusat kota? (POO-sah(t) KOH-tah)

...the _____ hotel? 

... hotel _____ ? (HO-tehl ____)

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

... Kedutaan Besar/Konsulat Amerika/Kanada/Australia/Inggris ? (kuh-DOO-tah-ahn buh-SAR/KON-soo-lah(t) ...)

Where are there a lot of... 

Di mana ada banyak... (dee MAH-nah AH-dah BAHN-yah')

...hotels? 

...hotel? (HO-tehl)

... inn? 

...penginapan (puhng-ihn-AHP-ahn)

...restaurants? 

...rumah makan/restoran? (ROO-mah MAH-kahn or REHST-tor-ahn)

...bars? 

...bar? (bar)

...sites to see? 

...tempat-tempat wisata? (TUHM-pah(t) TUHM-pah(t) wee-SAH-tah?)

Can you show me on the map? 

Bisakah Anda tunjukkan di peta? (BEE-sah-kah AHN-dah TOON-jook-kahn dee PEH-tah?)

street 

jalan (JAH-lahn)

left 

kiri (KEEH-ree)

right 

kanan (KAH-nahn)

straight ahead 

lurus (LOO-rooss)

towards the _____ 

menuju _____ (muh-NOO-joo)

past the _____ 

melewati _____ (muh-LEH-wah-tee)

before the _____ 

sebelum _____ (suh-BUH-loom)

after the ____ 

sesudah ____ (suh-SOO-dah)

near the 

dekat _____ (DEH-kaht)

in front of 

di depan _____ (dih duh-PAHN)

Intersection in Yogyakarta

intersection 

persimpangan (puhr-sim-PAHNG-ahn)

(over) there

(di) sana ((dih) SAH-nah)

(over) here

(di) sini ((dih) SEE-nee)

north 

utara (oo-TAH-rah)

south 

selatan (suh-LAH-tahn)

east 

timur (TEE-moor)

west 

barat (BAH-raht)

north-east 

timur laut (TEE-moor LAH-oot)

north-west 

barat laut (BAH-raht LAH-oot)

south-east 

tenggara (tuhng-GAH-rah)

south-west 

barat daya (BAH-raht DAH-yah)

Taxis and ride-sharing

Speaking on the phone to drivers When using an app to book a taxi or ride-share, the driver will often call you straight after accepting the job, because the maps in the apps are sometimes not accurate, and they cannot tell exactly where you are. Here are some phrases you might hear and how to respond: Posisi di mana? (poh-ZIH-see dee MAH-nah?)  Where are you? Posisi saya di _____ (poh-ZIH-see SAH-yah dee _____)  I am at/in _____ Pas di depan (pass dee duh-PAHN)  Right in front Di pinggir jalan (dee PING-geer JAH-lahn)  By the side of the road Dekat mana? (DEH-ka(t) MAH-nah?)  Where is it near? Patokannya di mana? (PAH-tohk-kahn-nyah dee MAH-nah?)  Where is the place exactly? (Patokan in English means a criterion or a standard, but in Indonesian, it is used to navigate the drivers to the exact location, by pointing out the most popular/well-known point of interest.) Dekat _____ (DEH-ka(t) _____ )  It is near _____ Pakai baju warna apa? (PAH-keh BAH-joo WAHR-nah AH-pah?)  What colour shirt/top are you wearing? Baju saya ____ (BAH-joo SAH-yah ____ )  My shirt/top is _____ Sebelah mana? (SUH-buh-lah MAH-nah?)  What side are you on? Sebelah kanan (SUH-buh-lah KAH-nahn)  The right side Sebelah kiri (SUH-buh-lah KEE-ree)  The left side Tunggu ya (TOONG-goo yah)  Please wait Sebentar (suh-buhn-TAR)  Just a second

Taxis are pretty dependable in most cities and large towns

Taxi! 

Taksi! (TAHCK-see)

Take me to _____, please. 

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

How much does it cost to get to _____? 

Berapa harganya ke _____? (buh-RAH-pah har-GAH-nyah kuh ____ )

Turn left. 

Belok kiri. (BEH-lo' KEE-ree)

Turn right. 

Belok kanan. (BEH-lo' KAH-nahn)

Turn around. (U-turn) 

Putar balik. (POO-tar BAH-lee')

Watch for the _____. 

Lihat _____. (LEE-hah(t) ____)

Stop here. 

Berhenti di sini. (buhr-HUHN-tee dih SEE-nee)

Wait here. 

Tunggu di sini. (TUNG-goo dih SEE-nee)

Lodging

Evening view to the sea from a "splurge" hotel in Bali

Do you have any rooms available? 

Apakah Anda punya kamar kosong? (AH-pah-kah AHN-dah POON-nyaa KAH-mar KOH-song?)

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

Berapa harga kamar untuk satu/dua orang? (buh-RAH-pah HAR-gah KAHM-ahr OON-too' SAH-too/DOO-ahO-rahng?)

Does the room come with... 

Apakah kamarnya ada... (AH-pah-kah KAH-mar-nyah AH-dah)

...bedsheets? 

...seprei? (suh-PREH)

...a bathroom? 

...kamar mandi? (KAH-mar MAHN-dee)

...a telephone? 

...telepon? (TEH-luh-pon)

...a TV? 

...Televisi/TV? (TEH-luh-VI-see/TEE-fee)

...a refrigerator 

...kulkas? (KOOL-kahs)

May I see the room first? 

Bolehkah saya lihat kamarnya dulu? (BOH-leh-kah SAH-yah LEE-ah(t) KAH-mar-nyah DOO-loo?)

Do you have anything quieter? 

Apakah ada kamar yang lebih tenang? (AH-pah-kah AH-dah KA-mar yahng LUH-bee TUH-nahng)

...bigger? 

...besar? (buh-SAR?)

...cleaner? 

...bersih? (buhr-SIH?)

...cheaper? 

...murah? (MOO-rah?)

OK, I'll take it. 

Baik saya ambil. (bigh', SAH-yah AHM-bihl)

I will stay for _____ night(s). 

Saya akan tinggal selama _____ malam. (SAH-yah AH-kahn TING-gahl suh-LAH-mah ____ MAH-lahm.)

Can you suggest another hotel? 

Bisakah Anda menyarankan hotel lainnya? (BEE-sah-kah AHN-dah muh-NYA-rahn-kahn HO-tehl LIGH-nyah?)

Do you have a safe? 

Apakah Anda punya brankas? (AH-pah-kah AHN-dah POO-nyah BRAHN-kahs?)

...lockers? 

...lemari berkunci? (luh-MAH-ree buhr-KOON-chee)

Is breakfast/supper included? 

Apakah sudah termasuk sarapan/makan malam? (AH-pah-kah SOO-dah tuhr-MAH-sook SAH-rah-pahn/MAH-kahn MAH-lahm)

What time is breakfast/supper? 

Jam berapa mulai sarapan/makan malam? (jahm BUH-rah-pah muh-LIGH SAH-rah-pahn/MAH-kahn MAH-lahm?)

Please clean my room. 

Tolong bersihkan kamar saya. (TOH-long BUHR-sih-kahn KAH-mahr SAH-yah)

Can you wake me at _____? 

Bisakah saya dibangunkan jam _____? (BEE-sah-kah SAH-yah dih-BAHNG-oon-kahn jahm ____)

I want to check out. 

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

Money

A full spread of newer Indonesian banknotes

Do you accept American/Australian/Canadian dollars? 

Apakah Anda menerima dollar Amerika/Australia/Kanada? (AH-pah-kah AHN-dah muh-nuh-REE-mah DO-lar ah-MEH-ree-kah/os-TRAH-lee-ah/KAH-nah-dah)

Do you accept British pounds? 

Apakah Anda menerima poundsterling Inggris? (AH-pah-kah AHN-dah muh-nuh-REE-mah pon-stuhr-lihng IHNG-grihss)

Do you accept credit cards? 

Apakah Anda menerima kartu kredit? (AH-pah-kah AHN-dah muh-nuh-REE-mah KAR-too KREH-di(t))

Can you change money for me? 

Bisakah Anda tukar uang untuk saya? (BEE-sah-kah AHN-dah TOO-kar OO-ahng OON-tu' SAH-yah)

Where can I get money changed? 

Di mana saya bisa tukar uang? (dih MAH-nah SAH-yah BEE-sah TOO-kar OO-ahng)

Can you change a traveler's check for me? 

Bisakah Anda tukar cek perjalanan? (BEE-sah-kah AHN-dah TOO-kar chehk puhr-JAH-lah-nahn)

Where can I get a traveler's check changed? 

Di mana saya bisa tukar cek perjalanan? (DIH MAH-nah SAH-yah BEE-sah TOO-kar chehck puhr-JAH-lah-nahn)

What is the exchange rate? 

Berapa kursnya? (buh-RAH-pah KEURS-nyah)

Where is an automatic teller machine (ATM)? 

Di mana ada ATM? (dih MAH-nah AH-dah AH-TEH-EHM)

Eating

Edible adjectives asin (AH-sihn) Salty asam (AH-sahm) Sour manis (MAH-nihss) Sweet pedas (puh-DAHS) Hot (spicy) pahit (PAH-hee(t)) Bitter enak (EH-nah') Delicious tawar (TAH-wahr) Tasteless dingin (DIHNG-ihn) Cold sejuk (SUH-ju') Cool hangat (HAHNG-ah(t)) Warm panas (PAH-nahss) Hot (temperature) Finding the tea too sweet? Try teh tawar instead

A table for one person/two people, please. 

Tolong beri saya satu meja untuk satu/dua orang. (TOH-long BUH-ree SAH-yah SAH-too MEH-jah OON-too' SAH-too/DOO-ah O-rahng)

Can I look at the menu, please? 

Bolehkah saya lihat menunya? (BOH-leh-kah SAH-yah LEE-ah(t) MEH-noo-nyah)

Is there a house specialty? 

Adakah makanan istimewa? (AH-dah-kah MAH-kah-nahn IHS-tee-MEH-wah?)

Is there a local specialty? 

Adakah makanan khas daerah ini? (AH-dah-kah MAH-kah-nahn khass dah-EH-rah IH-nee)

I'm a vegetarian. 

Saya vegetarian. (SAH-yah VEH-geh-TAH-ree-ahn)

I don't eat pork. 

Saya tidak makan babi. (SAH-yah TEE-dah' MAH-kahn BAH-bee)

I don't eat beef. 

Saya tidak makan sapi. (SAH-yah TEE-dah' MAH-kahn SAH-pee)

I don't eat seafood. 

Saya tidak makan hasil laut (SAH-yah TEE-dah' MAH-kahn HAH-sihl LAH-oo(t))

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

Bisakah dibuat dengan minyak sedikit saja? (BEE-sah-kah dee-BU-ah(t) DUHNG-ahn MIN-yah' suh-DEE-ki(t) SAH-jah?)

I want _____. 

Saya mau pesan _____. (SAH-yah MAH-oo puh-SAHN)

breakfast

sarapan (pagi) (SAH-rah-pahn (PAH-gee))

lunch

makan siang (MAH-kahn SEE-ahng)

dinner/supper

makan malam (MAH-kahn MAH-lahm)

snack

camilan (CHAH-mee-lahn)

I want a dish containing _____. 

Saya mau makanan yang mengandung _____. (SAH-yah MAH-oo MAH-kah-nahn yahng muhng-AHN-doong)

I'm allergic to ____

Saya alergi akan ____ (SAH-yah AH-luhr-gee AH-kahn ____)

chicken 

ayam (AH-yahm)

How would you like it to be done? raw  mentah (MUHN-tah) fresh  segar (SUH-gar) cooked  matang (MAH-tahng) baked  panggang (PAHNG-gahng) grilled  bakar (BAH-kar) stir-fried  tumis (TOO-mihss); cah ("CAH") (in Chinese restaurants) fried  goreng (GO-rehng) boiled  rebus (RUH-booss) steamed  kukus (KOO-kooss) mixed  campur (CHAHM-poor)

beef 

daging sapi (DAH-ging SAH-pee)

fish 

ikan (EE-kahn)

pork 

daging babi (DAH-ging BAH-bee)

lamb 

daging kambing (DAH-ging KAHM-bing)

prawn 

udang (OO-dahng)

crab 

kepiting (KUH-pit-ing)

squid 

cumi (CHOO-mee)

oyster 

tiram (TEE-rahm)

sausage 

sosis (SO-siss)

cheese 

keju (KEH-joo)

eggs 

telur (tuh-LOOR)

tofu 

tahu (TAH-hoo)

tempeh 

tempe (TEHM-peh)

---

Just some of the vegetable bounty of Padang Panjang in West Sumatra

(fresh) vegetables 

sayuran (SAH-yoo-rahn)

cucumber 

timun (TEE-mun)

carrot 

wortel (WOR-tehl)

lettuce 

selada (suh-LAH-dah)

cauliflower 

kembang kol (KUHM-bahng kol)

tomato 

tomat (TOH-mah(t))

corn 

jagung (JAH-goong)

water spinach (a common leafy vegetable) 

kangkung (KAHNG-koong)

amaranth/spinach 

bayam (BAH-yahm)

squash 

labu (LAH-boo)

bean 

kacang (KAH-chahng)

potato 

kentang (KUHN-tahng)

cassava 

singkong (SING-kong)

purple yam 

ubi (OO-bee)

sweet potato 

ubi jalar (OO-bee JAH-lar)

onion 

bawang bombay (BAH-wahng BOM-bay)

garlic 

bawang putih (BAH-wahng POO-tee)

shallot 

bawang merah (BAH-wahng MEH-rah)

mushroom 

jamur (JAH-moor)

---

An array of tropical fruits sold in Bali

(fresh) fruit 

buah (BOO-ah)

apple 

apel (AH-pehl)

banana 

pisang (PEE-sahng)

orange 

jeruk (JUH-roo')

watermelon 

semangka (suh-MAHNG-kah)

grape

anggur (AHNG-goor)

papaya 

pepaya (puh-PAH-yah)

mango 

mangga (MAHNG-gah)

guava 

jambu (JAHM-boo)

pineapple 

nanas (NAH-nahss)

persimmon 

kesemek (kuh-SEH-me')

cantaloupe 

blewah (BLEH-wah)

melon 

melon (MEH-lon)

coconut

kelapa (kuh-LAH-pah)

starfruit

belimbing (buh-LIM-beeng)

jackfruit

nangka (NAHNG-kah)

breadfruit

sukun (SOO-kuhn)

rambutan 

rambutan (RAHM-boo-tahn)

mangosteen 

manggis (MAHNG-gihss)

soursop

sirsak (SEER-sah')

durian

durian/duren (DOO-ree-ahn/DOO-rehn)

---

Sundanese dishes at a food stall

Bread 

Roti (ROH-tee)

Toast 

Roti bakar (ROH-tee BAH-kar)

Noodles 

Mie (mee)

Rice 

Nasi (NAH-see)

Porridge

Bubur (BOO-boor)

Beans or nuts

Kacang (KAH-chahng)

Ice cream

Es krim (ess krim)

Cake

Kue (KOO-eh)

Soup 

Sup/soto (soup/SOH-toh)

Spoon 

Sendok (SUHN-do')

Fork 

Garpu (GAR-poo)

Knife 

Pisau (PEE-sow)

Chopsticks 

Sumpit (SOOM-pi(t))

Excuse me, waiter! (getting attention of server) 

Permisi! (PUHR-mih-see)

May I have a glass of _____? 

Bolehkah saya minta satu gelas _____? (BOH-leh-kah SAH-yah MIN-tah SAH-too guh-LAHSS_____?)

May I have a cup of _____? 

Bolehkah saya minta satu cangkir_____? (BOH-leh-kah SAH-yah MIN-tah SAH-too CHAHNG-keer _____?)

May I have a bottle of _____? 

Bolehkah saya minta satu botol _____? (BOH-leh-kah SAH-yah MIN-tah SAH-too BOH-tol _____?)

Coffee 

Kopi (KO-pee)

Tea 

Teh (teh)

Juice 

Jus (joos)

Sparkling water 

Air soda (AH-eer SOH-dah)

Water 

Air (AH-eer)

Beer 

Bir (beer)

Red/white wine 

Anggur merah/putih (AHNG-goor MEH-rah/POO-tee)

May I have some _____? 

Bolehkah saya minta _____? (BOH-leh-kah SAH-yah MIN-tah)

Salt 

Garam (GAH-ram)

Black pepper 

Lada hitam (LAH-dah HEE-tahm)

Chili sauce 

Saus sambal (SAH-ooss SAHM-bahl)

Tomato sauce 

Saus tomat (SAH-ooss TOH-mah(t))

Butter 

Mentega (muhn-TEH-gah)

I'm finished. 

Saya sudah selesai (SAH-yah SOO-dah suh-luh-SIGH)

I'm full. 

Saya kenyang (SAH-yah KUH-nyahng)

It was delicious. 

Tadi enak rasanya. (TAH-dee EH-nah' RAH-sah-nyah)

Please clear the plates. 

Tolong ambil piringnya. (TO-long AHM-bil PIH-ring-nyah)

Please clean the table. 

Tolong bersihkan mejanya. (TOH-long BUHR-seeh-kahn MEH-jah-nyah)

The check/bill, please. 

Minta bon. (MIN-tah bon)

Bars

Mini bar in the town of Bira, Sulawesi. Bir is beer in Indonesian.

Do you serve alcohol? 

Apakah menyajikan alkohol? (AH-pah-kah muh-NYAH-jee-kahn AHL-koh-hol?)

I want a beer/two beers. 

Saya mau minta satu/dua bir. (SAH-yah MAH-oo MIN-tah SAH-too/DOO-ah beer)

I want a glass of red/white wine 

Saya mau minta satu gelas anggur merah/putih. (SAH-yah MAH-oo MIN-tah SAH-too guh-LAHSS AHNG-goor MEH-rah/POO-tee)

I want a bottle 

Saya mau minta satu botol. (SAH-yah MAH-oo MIN-tah SAH-too BO-tol)

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

Saya mau minta _____ dan _____. (SAH-yah MAH-oo MIN-tah ___ dahn ___)

Whisky 

Whisky (WIS-kee)

Vodka 

Vodka (VOD-kah)

Rum 

Rum (rahm)

Local palm nectar spirit 

Arak (AH-rah')

Water 

Air putih (AH-eer POO-tee)

Sparkling water 

Air soda (AH-eer SOH-dah)

Tonic water 

Air tonik (AH-eer TO-ni')

(Orange) juice 

Jus (jeruk) (juss JUH-roo')

Coca Cola 

Coca Cola (KOH-kah KOH-lah)

Do you have any bar snacks? 

Apakah ada makanan kecil? (AH-pah-kah AH-dah MAH-kah-nahn KUH-cheel)

One more, please. 

Saya mau minta satu lagi. (SAH-yah MAH-oo MIN-tah SAH-too LAH-gee)

Another round, please. 

Saya mau minta satu ronde lagi. (SAH-yah MAH-oo MIN-tah SAH-too RON-deh LAH-gee)

When is closing time? 

Jam berapa tutup? (jahm buh-RAH-pah TOO-too(p)?)

Cheers! 

Bersulang! (Buhr-SOOH-lang)

Shopping

Saying no to single-use plastic Indonesia is drowning in single use plastic. Cheap, low-quality plastic bags are handed out freely in shops, and a cold drink is never served without a plastic straw. These clog up landfills, if they get there at all. They are either burned or dumped in rivers where they eventually get to the ocean. Indonesia is the world's 2nd biggest contributor of plastic trash in the oceans. Please do your bit by saying no to plastic bags and drinking straws, like this: No thanks, I don't need a plastic bag  Terima kasih, saya tidak perlu kresek (tuh-REE-mah KAH-see, SAH-yah TEE-dah' PUHR-loo KREH-seh'). I don't want to use a straw  Saya tidak mau pakai sedotan (SAH-yah TEE-dah' MAH-oo PAH-kay suh-DOT-ahn).

Sell 

Jual (JOO-ahl)

Buy 

Beli (BUH-lee)

Bargaining

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

Do you have this in my size? 

Apakah ini ada yang ukuran saya? (AH-pah-kah IH-nee AH-dah yahng OO-koo-rahn SAH-yah?)

How much is this? 

Berapa harganya? (buh-RAH-pah HAR-gah-nyah?)

That's too expensive. 

Terlalu mahal. (tuhr-LAH-loo MAH-hahl)

Would you take _____? 

Kalau _____ bagaimana? (KAH-low ____ BAH-gigh-MAH-nah?)

Expensive 

Mahal (mah-HAHL)

Cheap 

Murah (MOO-rah)

I can't afford it. 

Saya tidak mampu beli itu. (SAH-yah TEE-dah' MAHM-poo BUH-lee IH-too)

I don't want it. 

Saya tidak mau (SAH-yah TEE-dah' MAH-oo)

You're cheating me. 

Kau menipu saya (KAH-oo muh-NEE-poo SAH-yah)

I'm not interested. 

Saya tidak tertarik. (SAH-yah TEE-dah' tuhr-TAH-ri')

The quality is bad/not good. 

Kualitasnya jelek/tidak bagus. (kwah-lee-TAHS-nyah JUH-leh'/TEE-dah' BAH-gooss)

OK, I'll buy it. 

Baiklah, saya beli. (BIGHK-lah, SAH-yah BUH-lee)

Do you ship (overseas)? 

Bisakah dikirim (ke luar negeri)? (BEE-sah-kah dee-KIH-rim (kuh LOO-ahr nuh-GREE?))

Shoes in an Indonesian department store

I need... 

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

...toothpaste. 

...pasta gigi/odol. (PAHS-tah GEE-gee, O-dol)

...a toothbrush. 

...sikat gigi. (SEE-kah(t) GIH-gee)

...condoms. 

...kondom. (KON-dom)

...tampons. 

...softek/pembalut. (puhm-BAH-loot)

...soap. 

...sabun. (SAH-boon)

...shampoo. 

...sampo. (SAHM-poh)

...pain relief. 

...obat pereda sakit. (O-baht puh-REH-dah SAH-keet)

...cold medicine. 

...obat pilek. (O-baht PIH-luh')

...upset stomach medicine. 

...obat sakit perut. (O-baht SAH-kee(t) PUH-roo(t))

...a razor. 

...cukuran. (CHUH-koor-ahn)

...an umbrella. 

...payung. (PAH-yoong)

...a postcard. 

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

...postage stamps. 

...perangko. (puh-RAHNG-koh)

...batteries. 

...baterai. (BAH-tuh-ray)

...writing paper. 

...kertas. (KUHR-tahss)

...a pen. 

...pulpen. (POOL-pehn)

...English-language books. 

...buku-buku bahasa Inggris. (BOO-koo boo-koo bah-HAH-sah ING-griss)

...English-language magazines. 

...majalah bahasa Inggris. (mah-JAH-lah bah-HAH-sah ING-griss)

...an English-language newspaper. 

...surat kabar/koran (bahasa Inggris). (SOO-rah(t) KAH-bar/KOR-ahn (bah-HAH-sah ING-gris))

NOTE: the Islamic holy book is referred to as al-Quran (ahl KOOR-ahn)

...an English-Indonesian dictionary. 

...kamus Inggris-Indonesia. (KAH-mooss ING-griss in-doh-NEH-zhah)

Family

Wedding procession in Lombok

Are you married? 

Apakah Anda sudah menikah? (AH-pah-kah AHN-dah SOO-dah muh-NEE-kah?)

I am married. 

Saya sudah menikah (SAH-yah SOO-dah muh-NEE-kah.)

I am not married yet. 

Saya belum menikah (SAH-yah buh-LOOM muh-NEE-kah.)

Do you have brothers and sisters? 

Apakah punya saudara? (AH-pah-kah POON-yah sow-DAH-rah?)

Do you have any children? 

Sudah punya anak? (SOO-dah POON-yah AHN-ah'''?)

Father 

Ayah (AH-yah)

Mother 

Ibu (IH-boo)

Older brother 

Kakak laki-laki (KAH-kah' LAH-kee LAH-kee)

Older sister 

Kakak perempuan (KAH-kah' puh-RUHM-poo-WAHN)

Younger brother 

Adik laki-laki (AH-di' LAH-kee LAH-kee)

Younger sister 

Adik perempuan (AH-di' puh-RUHM-poo-WAN)

Grandfather 

Kakek (KAH-keh')

Grandmother 

Nenek (NEH-neh')

Uncle 

Paman (PAH-mahn)/om (ohm)

Aunt 

Bibi (BIH-bee)/tante (TAHN-tuh)

Husband 

Suami (SWAH-mee)

Wife 

Istri (ISS-tree)

Son 

Putra (POO-trah)

Daughter 

Putri (POO-tree)

Grandchild 

Cucu　(CHOO-choo)

Cousin

Sepupu (suh-POO-poo)

Nephew/niece

Keponakan (kuh-POH-nah-kahn)

Father/mother-in-law

Mertua (muhr-TOO-ah)

Son/daughter-in-law

Menantu (muh-NAHN-too)

Driving

Decorated toll plaza, Bali

I want to rent a car 

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

Can I get insurance? 

Bisakah saya minta asuransi? (BEE-sah-kah SAH-yah MIN-tah ah-soo-RAHN-see)

Traffic 

Lalu lintass (LAH-loo LIN-tahss)

Traffic jam 

Macet (MAH-cheh(t))

Stop! 

Berhenti! (buhr-HUHN-tee)

Stop (on a street sign) 

Stop

One way 

Satu arah (SAH-too AH-rah)

No parking 

Dilarang parkir (DEE-lah-rahng PAR-keer)

Dead end 

Jalan buntu (JAH-lahn BOON-too)

Accident 

Kecelakaan (kuh-chuh-LAH-kah-ahn)

Gas (petrol) station 

Pom bensin (pom BEHN-zeen)

Petrol/gas 

Bensin (BEHN-zeen)

Diesel 

Solar (SOH-lar)

Authority

Traffic police in Jakarta

What happened? 

Apa yang terjadi? (AH-pah yahng tuhr-JAH-dee?)

What are you doing? 

Apa yang sedang Anda lakukan (AH-pah yang SUH-dahng AHN-dah LAH-koo-kahn)

I haven't done anything wrong. 

Saya tidak berbuat salah. (SAH-yah TEE-dah' buhr-BOO-ah(t) SAH-lah)

It was a misunderstanding. 

Itu kesalahpahaman. (IH-too kuh-SAH-lah-PAH-hahm-ahn)

Where are you taking me? 

Ke mana saya dibawa ? (kuh MAH-nah SAH-yah dee-BAH-wah?)

Am I under arrest? 

Apakah saya ditahan? (AH-pah-kah SAH-yah dee-TAH-han?)

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

Saya warga negara Amerika/Australia/Inggris/Kanada. (SAH-yah WAR-gah nuh-GAH-rah ah-MEH-ree-kah/oss-TRAH-lee-yah/ING-gris/KAH-nah-dah)

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 ING-in bih-CHAH-rah DUHNG-ahn kuh-DOO-tah-ahn/kon-SOO-laht ah-MEH-ree-kah/oss-TRAH-lee-yah/ING-gris/KAH-nah-dah)

I want to talk to a lawyer. 

Saya mau bicara dengan pengacara. (SAH-yah MAH-oo bee-CHAH-rah DUHNG-ahn puhng-ah-CHAH-rah)

Can I just pay a fine here now? 

Bisakah saya bayar denda di tempat saja? (BEE-sah-kah SAH-yah BAH-yar DUHN-dah dih TUHM-pah(t) SAH-jah?)

NOTE: Be sure it is clear from context that you aren't offering a bribe. If they ask for a bribe, they may use the phrase uang damai (OO-ahng DAH-migh) (lit. peace money).

Country and territory names

In general, the names of countries either retain their official name or are loaned from English, with some spelling and pronunciation adaptations suitable for Indonesian speakers. Names ending with -land (i.e.: Poland, Finland, Ireland, or Iceland) usually take -landia (respectively Polandia, Finlandia, Irlandia, Islandia). Exceptions are listed below.

For indicating nationality, use the word for person orang (OH-rang) followed by the name of the country.

Algeria 

Aljazair (AHL-jah-ZAH-yeer)

Belgium 

Belgia (BÉl-gi-yah)

Cambodia 

Kamboja (kahm-BOH-jah)

Cyprus 

Siprus (SEE-proos)

The Czech Republic

Republik Ceko (reh-POOB-li' CHÉH-koh)

China 

Cina (CHEE-nah), officially Tiongkok (tee-ONG-ko'); Chinese: Tionghoa (tee-ONG-hwah)

Egypt 

Mesir (MEH-seer)

France 

Perancis (puh-RAHN-chiss)

Germany 

Jerman (JEHR-mahn)

Greece 

Yunani (yoo-NAH-nee)

Hungary 

Hungaria (hoong-GAH-ree-yah)

Italy 

Italia (ih-TAH-lee-yah)

Japan

Jepang (JEH-pang)

The Maldives 

Maladewa (mah-lah-DÉH-wah)

Morocco 

Maroko (mah-RO-koh)

The Netherlands 

Belanda (buh-LAN-dah)

New Zealand

Selandia Baru (seh-LAN-dee-ah BAH-roo)

North Korea

Korea Utara (koh-RÉ-yah oo-TAH-RAH)

Norway 

Norwegia (nor-WÉH-gi-yah)

Palestine

Palestina (pal-les-TEE-nah)

The Philippines 

Filipina (fih-lih-PI-nah)

Singapore 

Singapura (sing-ah-POOR-ah)

South Africa 

Afrika Selatan (AHF-ree-kah suh-LAH-tahn)

South Korea 

Korea Selatan (koh-RÉ-yah suh-LAH-tahn)

Spain 

Spanyol (SPAN-yol)

Sweden 

Swedia (SWÉ-dee-yah)

Syria 

Suriah (SOO-ree-yah)

Switzerland 

Swiss (swiss)

UAE 

Uni Emirat Arab (OO-nee ÉH-mee-raht AH-rab)

UK 

officially Britania Raya (brih-TAH-nih-yah RAH-yah), but Indonesians usually use Inggris (ING-griss), the word for England. You can use the words Skotlandia, Wales (WAH-lehss) and Irlandia Utara (ihr-LAHND-ee-yah oo-TAH-rah) to explain how the country is really formulated.

USA 

Amerika Serikat (ah-MÉH-ree-kah SUH-ree-kah(t))

Learning more

• Learning Indonesian at Wikibooks