Photo: Contiki
Indonesia has long been a dream destination thanks to its diversity of landscapes. Here you can see orangutans in the wild, scale active volcanoes for sunrise, and lounge on idyllic beaches on Lombok and Bali. And that’s not even mentioning the Komodo Dragons.
While you’ll definitely hear numerous languages spoken on an Indonesian Island Hopping tour, this geographically and culturally vast nation is united under one national tongue: Bahasa Indonesia, sometimes shortened to Indonesian.
Only 7% of the local population speak it as a first language, but 97% are fluent in it, so learning a few important words and phrases can go a long way. And who knows: if you pick up enough, you might even be able to knock a few extra dollars off while haggling for that perfect souvenir, or have the chance to get involved in more local, authentic experiences than others passing through this stunning nation.
Some quick notes…
Compared to many other Southeast Asian languages, Indonesian is on the easier side for English speakers to pick up. The script is Latin, nouns aren’t gendered, there is no conjugation of verbs based on tenses, it isn’t tonal, and more often than not it’s phonetic. However, there are ways in which it can be quite complex, namely the voices being used, but that’s not important unless you are keen to study the language in depth.
Image source: Contiki
Indonesian pronunciation
As mentioned above, Bahasa Indonesia is mostly phonetic. However, the letters c, r, and v can be a little confusing to English speakers.
C is pronounced with a “ch” sound, like in “chore.” R’s are rolled, although if you can’t do that you will still be understood. And v is always pronounced like f in the word “fantastic.”
There are also some common two-letter combinations that can be good to master before trying to speak the language. Ng is pronounced like it would be in the word “ring.” Ngg is similar but with a longer stress on the g, like “bringer.” Ny is pronounced as it would be in the word “canyon,” and Sy is pronounced as sh would be in the word “British.”
Useful Indonesian phrases for day-to-day life
These phrases might be basic, but the power of engaging with local culture even on this low a level cannot be underestimated.
- Hello – Halo
- Goodbye – Selamat tinggal
- Yes – Iya/Ya
- No – Tidak
- Maybe – Mungkin
- Thank you – Terima kasih
- Sorry – Maaf (pronounced mah-AHF)
- Excuse me – Permisi
- You’re welcome – Sama-sama
- Where is…? Di mana
- Where is the bathroom? – Di mana toilet
- Mai khao jai – Saya tidak mengerti
- Can you speak slowly? – Bisa bicara pelan-pelan
- How are you? – Apa kabar
- I’m good – Tidak baik
- I’m not well – Saya kurang sehat
Other greetings in Indonesian
Sometimes it’s nice to go a step further than a simple “hello” or “goodbye.” These phrases allow you to engage a little more with locals when you’re greeting them.
- Good morning – Selamat pagi
- Good afternoon – Selamat siang
- Good evening – Selamat sore
- Good night – Selamat malam
It’s nice to meet you – Senang bertemu dengan kamu
Useful Indonesian phrases for eating and drinking
There’s no doubt a Komodo & Flores Sail will stay long in the memory, but Indonesia is also blessed with a fantastic food culture. Whether you want to dig into piles of succulent satay, slurp on a spicy rendang, or indulge in the national dish of nasi goreng, the below phrases will get you to that meal.
- I would like – Saya ingin
- How much is this? – Berapa harganya
- Delicious – Enak
- Not Spicy – Tidak pedas
- A little Spicy – Desikit pedas
- Really Spicy – Sangat pedas
- Do you have a menu? – Apakah kamu punya menu
- Can I have the bill? – Bolenhkah saya minta bill
- Can I have water? – Boleh saya minta air
- Can I have ice? – Boleh saya minta es
- I’m vegetarian/vegan – Saya vegetarian/vegan
- I can’t eat meat – Saya tidak bisa makan daging
- I can’t eat nuts – Saya tidak bisa makan kacang
- I want more – Saya mau lagi
Useful Indonesian phrases for getting around
Travel in Indonesia is as diverse as everything else in this vast and varied country. Most major cities and towns will have some form of public transport, but often taxis are more effective. With the below phrases you can be sure of getting from A to B, even if the internet connection is fleeting.
- I would like to order a taxi – Saya ingin pesan taksi
- Where is the station? – Di mana stasiun
- Where is the bus stop? – Di mana halte busnya
- Where is the ferry terminal? – Di mana terminal feri
- How do I get to the airport? –- Bagaimana cara saya pergi ke bandara
- To the train station – Ke stasiun kerata
- To the airport – Ke bandara
- Not far – Tidak jauh
- Turn left/right – Belok kiri/kanan
- Straight – Lurus
Useful Indonesian phrases for socialising
Indonesia’s natural charms are jaw-dropping, but the best memories usually come alongside some human connection. Throw some of these phrases into conversations with locals and you never know what could flower from your chat.
- What’s your name? – Siapa nama kamu?
- My name is… – Nama saya
- How old are you? – Berapa umur kamu
- Where are you from? – Kamu dari negara mana
- I’m from… – Saya dari…
- I like Indonesia – Saya suka Indonesia
- I’d like two beers please – Minta dua beer boleh
- I’m hungry – Saya lapar sekali
- I’m thirsty – Saya haus sekali
- Where are you going? – Kau mau ke mana
- No worries – Tidak apa apa
- Cheers! – Bersulang
- Be careful – Hati hati
- Drunk – Mabuk
- Hangover – Pusing
Thinking of heading to Indonesia soon? From Bali to Flores, we’ve got the some epic trips lined up for you. Find out more here.
