To learn to pronounce the language correctly, ask a native speaker to read aloud some of the examples given in this section. Then try to imitate his or her pronunciation as accurately as you can. Be aware, however, that there are many dialectical variations in Indonesian, some producing very strong accents. Stress also varies from region to region. In Sumatra (and incidentally among the Malays of Malaysia) stress is generally placed on the penultimate syllable, whereas the Javanese and many other Indonesians stress the final syllable of a word.
Unlike English, the spelling of Indonesian is consistently phonetic. Many people say the pronunciation is similar to Spanish or Italian.
Most are pronounced roughly as in English. The main exceptions are as follows:
|
c |
is pronounced "ch" (formerly spelled "tj") |
|
|
cari to look for, seek |
cinta to love |
|
|
g |
is always hard, as in "girl" |
|
|
guna to use |
gua crazy |
|
|
h |
is very soft, and often not pronounced |
|
|
|
habis => abis finished |
hidup => idup to live |
|
|
sudah => suda already |
mudah => muda easy |
|
|
lihat => liat to see |
tahu => tau to know |
|
kh |
is found in words of Arabic derivation, and sounds like a hard "k" |
|
|
khabar news |
khusus special |
|
|
ng |
is is always soft, as in "hanger" |
|
|
dengar to hear |
hilang lost |
|
|
ngg |
is always hard, as in "hunger" |
|
|
ganggu to bother |
mangga mango |
|
|
r |
is trilled or rolled, as in Spanish |
|
|
ratus hundred |
baru new |
|
As in English, there are five written vowels (a, e, i, o, u) and two diphthongs (ai, au):
|
a |
is very short, like the a in "father": |
|
|
satu one |
bayar to pay |
|
|
e |
is usually unaccented, like the u in "but": |
|
|
empat four |
beli to buy |
|
|
When stressed, or at the end of a word, however, e sounds like the "é" in "passé": |
||
|
desa village |
cabe chili pepper |
|
|
i |
is long like the "ea" in "bean": |
|
|
tiga three |
lima five |
|
|
o |
is long, as in "so": |
|
|
bodoh stupid |
boleh may |
|
|
u |
is long like the "u" in "humor": |
|
|
tujuh seven |
untuk for |
|
|
au |
is like the "ow" in "how": |
|
|
atau or |
pulau island |
|
|
ai |
is pronounced like the word "eye": |
|
|
pantai beach |
sampai to reach |
|
Under the influence of Javanese, final ai is often pronounced like "é" in "passé":
sampai => sampé beach
Similarly, final au often becomes "o":
hijau => hijo green
Under the influence of the Jakarta dialect, final syllable a between consonants often becomes a short "e"(shwa):
pintar => pinter smart
benar => bener true, correct
malas => males lazy
Sunrise at Mount Bromo, a spectacular volcanic caldera in East Java.
When greeting and taking leave of one another, Indonesians shake hands lightly (not firmly, the way Americans do). Muslims touch the right hand to their heart afterwards as a gesture of goodwill. (Never use the left hand to greet or touch someone.) Kissing, hugging or other physical greetings are never practiced in public.
Selamat is a word used in most Indonesian greetings. It comes from the Arabic salam, meaning peace, safety or salvation. By itself, the exclamation Selamat! means "Congratulations!" Like English "good," it is followed by the time of day and other words to form most common greetings:
Selamat datang
Welcome [datang = to come)
Selamat pagi
Good morning (pagi = morning, until11 am)
Selamat siang
Goodday (siang = midday, from 11 am to 3 pm)
Selamat sore
Good afternoon (sore = late afternoon, 3 pm to nightfall)
Selamat malam
Good evening (malam = night, after dark)
Selamat tidur
Good night (tidur = to sleep)
Apa khabar is another common greeting which literally means "What's the news" (apa = what, khabar = news), or in other words "How are you?" The standard answer is "Khabar baik," meaning "I'm fine" (baik = well, fine).
You will also find yourself greeted with the following questions, even by complete strangers:
Mau ke mana?
(lit: Want-to-where?)Where are you going?
Dari mana pak/ibu?
(lit: From-where-pak/ibu?)Were are you [coming] from?
This is said out of curiosity, and the person is usually not all that interested where you are actually going or coming from. This is just another way of saying "Hello!"
You may answer:
Dari [+ place]
From [+ place]
Saya mau ke [+ place]
I am going to [+ place]
Jalan-jalan saja.
(lit: Walk-walk-only.)Just going for a walk.
Makan angin.
(lit: Eat-wind.)Just out for some air.
Tidak ke mana-mana.
(lit: Not-to-where-where.)Not anywhere in particular.
When taking leave of someone, it is polite to excuse oneself by saying:
Mari. Saya pergi dulu.
(lit: Let's. I-go-first.)Excuse me. I am going now.( = Goodbye for now!)
Sampai jumpa lagi.
(lit: Until-meet-again.)See you again.
More informally, you can also say:
Da-da! or Bye-Bye!
Goodbye (so long!)
Note: Da! comes from the Dutch dag meaning "day." Bye-bye is from English.
If you are the one staying behind, you respond by saying:
Selamat jalan.
(lit: Safe-journey.)"Bon voyage"
As in any language, there are many ways of addressing someone in Indonesian. Because Indonesians have a strong sense of social hierarchy, these forms of address often carry with them certain class and other distinctions. It is important therefore to use the appropriate term. Some forms of address are quite "safe" or "neutral" in this regard, and may be used in a wide variety of situations; these are the ones that should be learned first and used most often.
Bapak or pak (literally: "father") is the most common way of addressing an adult male in Indonesian. It is used very much like "Mr." or "sir" in English. Bapak is always used when addressing older men, and may also be used to address a contemporary or a younger man (although other forms may be used in this case as well, see below).
Ibu or bu (literally: "mother") is similarly be used to address all women, particularly older, married women.
Note: Bapak and ibu are often used followed by the person's first name (not the last name), meaning Mr. or Mrs. so and so. This is quite universal throughout Indonesia, and you can almost never go wrong addressing someone in this way (the only exception may be that when used by a much older person to address a much younger person, it may seem a bit overly formal).
Saudara (literally "brother/sister") is used in more formal situations to address an adult male or female who is about one's own age or a bit younger. This form is more often used to address young, unmarried people than older people, and usually upon meeting someone for the first time or in speeches, etc.
Anda is a term of fairly recent coinage, intended to mean "you" in a neutral way. It is also considered to be rather formal and is likewise used among young, educated adults who meet for the first time (also in television commercials, etc.).
Kamu and engkau are pronouns that both mean "you" in a familiar sense (equivalent to Du in German or tu in French). They are used in informal situations to address close friends, children or social inferiors, but should not generally be used as a substitute for English "you." Once you get to know someone well, you can use their name or the form kamu ("you").
Tuan ("sir"), nyonya ("madam"), and nona ("miss") are forms that Indonesians will often use to address you. Tuan means "my lord" and was used to address aristocrats and Europeans during colonial times. Nyonya and nona are borrowed from the Portuguese and have a similar connotation of peasants or servants addressing their mistress or patron. You should not use these forms to address Indonesians, even if they address you in this way. Stick to bapak or ibu.
Sand, surf and swaying palms at Matras Beach on the island of Bangka.
Om ("Uncle") and tante ("Aunt") are borrowed from Dutch and are used to address older men or women and foreigners, particularly Chinese. Again, stick to bapak and ibu when addressing Indonesians, even if the person to whom you are speaking addresses you with these terms.
Mas literally means "older brother" in Javanese, and is a polite form of address for a contemporary or a younger person. It is commonly used in Java to address a waiter, porter or pedicab (becak) driver, and hence can have the connotation of addressing a social inferior. When in doubt it is better to stick with pak.
Mbak or sus are similarly used in Java to summon a waitress or a shopgirl.
To be on the safe side, always use bapak and ibu when addressing adults whom you are meeting for the first time (saudara and anda may also be used by younger people to address their peers). Once you get to know someone better, use bapak or ibu followed by the person's first name, or simply the first name alone.
The following is a brief dialogue between a foreigner (F) and an Indonesian (I) who works in a hotel.
I:
Selamat pagi, tuan!
Good morning, sir.
F:
Selamat pagi, pak!
Good morning, pak.
I:
Tuan mau ke mana?
Where are you going, sir.
F:
Saya mau ke restoran.
I am going to the restaurant.
As indicated above, a strong sense of social hierarchy attaches to the personal pronouns for "I" and "you." For this reason, Indonesians prefer to use first names or the polite forms of address given above rather than these personal pronouns. In conversation with someone you are meeting for the first time or meeting on a more formal basis, it is more polite to refer to them as bapak or ibu followed by the person's first name (if known) rather than using the pronouns for "you."
|
singular |
plural |
|
|
1st person |
I saya, aku |
we kita, kami |
|
2nd person |
you anda, saudara, kamu, |
you all kalian, saudara |
|
3rd person |
he, she, it dia |
they mereka |
Note: Indonesian pronouns do not distinguish gender. Thus dia may mean he, she or it.
1st person (singular): I saya, aku
Use your own name with people who know you, or else the pronoun saya (which originally meant "your slave" but now generally means "I"). Aku also means "I" but is used in more informal circumstances, as are the Jakarta slang forms gua and gue (which derive from Hokkien Chinese). Note that when requesting something, words for "I" are often omitted because this is understood.
1st person (plural): we kita, kami
Kami means "we" or "us" but formally excludes the person or persons being addressed, whereas kita includes the person or persons you are speaking to. In everyday speech, kita is in fact used in both contexts and you may generally use this form to translate English "we."
2nd person (singular): you
anda, saudara, kamu, engkau, bapak, ibu
Use bapak or ibu. In informal circumstances, the first name alone may also be used. If the person being addressed is about the same age as yourself, use anda or saudara. Kamu or engkau may be used for children or if you know the person well.
2nd person (plural): you all
kalian, saudara sekalian, anda sekalian
3rd person (singular): he, she, it dia
For animate objects and persons use dia. The word beliau is also used in formal circumstances to refer to a person of very high status who is not present. For inanimate things, use ini (this one) or itu (that one), to mean "it."
Visitors to the volcanic island of Krakatau document their adventure.
The following are essential words for basic "survival" Indonesian. We suggest that you make a set of flashcards to help yourself learn them quickly.
tidak no, not
ya yes
ada to have, there is
mau to want, wish
bisa to be able, can
lihat to see
datang to arrive
dari from
pergi to go, to leave
ke to, toward
jalan to walk, travel, street
di in, at
sini here
sana there
dalam in
luar out
makan to eat
minum to drink
beli to buy
jual to sell
harga price
bayar to pay
mahal expensive
murah cheap
Iagi again, more
uang money
cukup enough
sekarang now
terlalu too
semua all
banyak much, many
sedikit few, little
lebih greater, more
kurang fewer, less
babis gone, finished
masih still, remain
jauh far
dekat near
hari day
malam night
pagi morning
siang midday
hotel hotel
mobil car
bagus good
jelek bad
besar big
kecil small
sudah already
belum not yet
As in English, interrogative words and phrases are used to form questions:
Apa?
What?
Apa ini?
What is this?
Siapa?
Who?
Kalau?
If? What about?
Kapan?
When?
Kenapa?
Why? What did you say'
Mana?
Where?
Bagaimana?
How?
Yang mana?
Which one?
Di mana?
Where is it?
Ke mana?
To where?
Dari mana?
From where?
The Komodo dragon, world's largest lizard.
Kapan datang di sini? When did you arrive here?
(lit: When-arrive-at-here?)Tuan/Nyonya dari mana? Where are you from?
(lit: Sir/Madam-from-where?)Siapa nama ibu/bapak? What is your (his, her) name?
(lit: Who-name-Mr./Mrs.?)Bagaimana saya bisa...? How can I...?
(lit: How-I-can-...?)Kenapa tidak bisa...? Why can't I...?
(lit: Why-not-can-...?)Mau ke mana? Where are you going?
(lit: Want-to-where?)Kalau ini bagaimana? What about this one?
(lit: If-this-how?)Di mana...? Where is...?
(lit: At-where-...?)Di mana kamar kecil/W.C.? Where is the restroom/W.C.?
(lit: At-where-small room/W.C.?)Note: W.C. is pronounced "way-say": pria = men's; wanita = ladies'
The above question words do not always have to be used in order to ask a question. The fact that you are posing a question can also be clear from the context or by using a rising intonation at the end of the sentence. To be even more clear, you may also introduce the question with apakah, which roughly translates as "Is it the case that...?"
Apakah masih ada...? Do you still have any...?
(lit: Whether-still-have...?)Apakah di sini ada...? Do you have any...here?
(lit: Whether-at here-have...?)
The following are simple sentences that will be used often, and should be memorized.
Ada...? Is there any...? Do you have any? Are there any...?
(lit: Have...?)Saya mau... I would like... I intend to...
(lit: I-want...)Tidak mau! I don't want to! I don't want any!
Saya mau pergi ke... I want to go to...
(lit: I-want-go-to-...)Saya mau minum... I would like to drink some...
(lit: I-want-drink-...)Saya mau makan... I would like to eat some...
(lit: I-want-eat-...)Saya mau beli ini/itu... I want to buy this/that...
(lit: I-want-buy-this/that.)Berapa harganya? How much does it cost?
(lit: How much-its price?) What is the price?Saya mau bayar. I want to pay.
(lit: I-want-pay.)Terlalu mahal! Too expensive!
Tidak bisa! This/That is not possible!
When you interrupt or pass by someone, you should say:
Permisi! Excuse me!
When an actual apology is required, use:
Ma'af! or Sorry! I'm sorry!
Ma'af, saya tidak mengerti. I'm sorry, I don't (or
(lit: Sorry, I-not-understand.) didn't) understand.Bapak Peter mau makan sekarang? Do you want to
(lit: Mr. Peter-want-eat-now?) eat now, Mr. Peter?Ibu Susan mau pergi sekarang? Do you want to go
(lit: Mrs. Susan-want-go-now?) now, Mrs. Susan?
Note: You may find it strange that Indonesians refer to you in English as "Mr. Peter" and "Mrs. Susan" (especially if you are not married!), but this is simply a translation of the Indonesian forms of address bapak + first name and ibu + first name described above.
Requests may be made in a number of different ways. Note that the English word "please" has no direct equivalent in Indonesian, and is translated differently depending upon the circumstances and the type of request that is being made. These various translations of "please" should not be confused.
Tolong literally means "to help." It is used to politely introduce a request when you are asking someone to do something for you.
Tolong panggil taksi. Please (help me) summon a taxi.
(lit: Help-call-taxi.)
Boleh means "to permit" and is used in the sense of "May I please..." when asking politely to see or do something, for example in a shop.
Boleh saya lihat ini? May I please see this?
(lit: May-I-see-this?)Boleh saya bicara dengan...? May I please speak with...?
(lit: May-I-speak-with...?)Boleh saya lihat itu? May I please look at that?
(lit: May-I-see-that?)
Minta means "to request" and is a polite way of asking for things like food or drink in a restaurant. Note that the use of saya (meaning "I") beforehand is optional.
Minta air minum.
(lit: Ask-water-to drink.)
[I] would please like some drinking water.
Saya minta nasi goreng.
(lit: I-ask-fried rice.)I would please like some fried rice.
Saya pesan is another way of prefacing a request, and means simply "I wish to order some..."
Saya pesan nasi goreng.
(lit: I-order-fried rice.)I wish to order some fried rice.
Kasih means "to give," and is a somewhat more direct and less polite way of ordering something. It is also used after tolong to politely request a specific item or specific quantity of something.
Kasih air minum.
(lit: Give-water-to drink.)
Give me some drinking water.
Tolong kasih itu.
(lit: Help-give-that.)
Please give me that one.
Tolong kasih dua.
(lit: Help-give-two.)
Please give me two [of them].
Coba means "to try (on)" and is also used with verbs such as lihat ("to see") in the sense of "Please may I see..." when asking to look at something in a shop window or a display case, for example:
Coba lihat itu.
(lit: Try-see-that.)Please let me have a look at that
Silakan means "Please go ahead!" or "Please be my guest!" and is used by a host to invite his or her guests to do something, or as a response to a request for permission to do something. It is, for example, polite to wait for an Indonesian host or hostess to say Silakan! before partaking of drinks or snacks that have been placed before you. (Please note that silakan is never used in the sense of "please" when requesting something.)
Silakan masuk!
Please come in!
Silakan duduk!
Please sit down!
Silakan minum!
Please drink!
Silakan makan!
Please eat!
Boleh saya masuk? Silakan!
May I come in? Please do!
Terima kasih is used to say "thank you." It literally means "to receive love"; it also is used to mean "no thank you" when refusing something being offered. Indonesians tend to use it much less often than it is used in English.
Sama-sama! ("same-same") or Kembali! ("return") are the normal responses to terimah kasih, both meaning "You're welcome."
The famous Tanah Lot temple complex in Ball, silhouetted at sunset.
se- prefix indicating one
puluh ten, multiples of ten
ribu thousand
belas teen
juta million
ratus hundred
milyar billion
nol, kosong
zero
satu
one
sebelas
eleven
dua
two
dua belas
twelve
tiga
three
tiga belas
thirteen
empat
four
empat belas
fourteen
lima
five
lima belas
fifteen
enam
six
enam belas
sixteen
tujuh
seven
tujuh belas
seventeen
delapan
eight
delapan belas
eighteen
sembilan
nine
sembilan belas
nineteen
sepuluh
ten
dua puluh
twenty
dua puluh satu
twenty-one
tiga puluh
thirty
dua puluh dua
twenty-two
empat puluh
forty
dua puluh tiga
twenty-three
lima puluh
fifty
dua puluh empat
twenty-four
enam puluh
sixty
dua puluh lima
twenty-five
tujuh puluh
seventy
dua puluh enam
twenty-six
delapan puluh
eighty
dua puluh tujuh
twenty-seven
sembilan puluh
ninety
etc.
seratus
one hundred
dua ratus
two hundred
tiga ratus
three hundred
etc.
seratus lima belas
one hundred fifteen
dua ratus sembilan puluh
two hundred ninety
tujuh ratus tiga puluh enam
seven hundred thirty-six
seribu
one thousand
dua ribu
two thousand
tiga ribu
three thousand
etc.
seribu lima ratus
one thousand five hundred
sembilan ribu sebelas
nine thousand eleven
delapan ratus ribu
eight hundred thousand
Cardinal numbers are formed by attaching the prefix keto any ordinal number. The word yang meaning "the one which is" may also be added when no noun is mentioned, to convey the sense of "the first one" (literally: "the one which is first"), "the second one" and so forth.
(yang) pertama
(the) first
(yang) kedua
(the) second
(yang) ketiga
(the) third
(yang) keempat
(the) fourth
(yang) kelima
(the) fifth
etc.
(yang) terakhir
(the) last
Fractions
setengah, separoh
one half
satu per tiga, sepertiga
one third
satu per empat, seperempat
one fourth
tiga per empat
three fourths
dua per lima
two fifths
dua setengah
two and a half
Note: The Indonesian unit of currency is the Rupiah, abbreviated as Rp.
Harga ini berapa, bu? What is the price of this, Bu?
Enam ratus lima puluh rupiah. Rp650.
Tiga ribu tujuh ratus lima puluh rupiah. Rp3.750.
Delapan puluh lima ribu lima ratus rupiah. Rp85.500.
Seratus lima puluh lima ribu rupiah. Rp155.000.
Tau-tau figurines in Tang Toraja, Sulawesi, represent ancestors' souls.
In Indonesia, body language is as much a part of effective communication as speech. By it you may either quickly offend or put someone at ease.
Indonesians may tolerate shorts and T-shirts in tourist shops, hotels and at the beach, but not in their homes or places of worship. It is customary to wear long pants and a shirt with a collar for men, long pants or a skirt below the knees and a blouse with sleeves for women, when going out in public. Sarongs, short pants and T-shirts are only worn around the house. In Bali, a colored sash must be worn tied around the waist when entering a temple.
Avoid using the left hand. Indonesians use their right hand to eat with and their left hand to do their business!
Point with the thumb, never with the index finger. Raise or nod you head instead of pointing at people.
It is not polite to put your hands on your hips, or to cross your arms in front of you when speaking to someone.
Footwear should be taken off (ditanggal) when visiting an Indonesian home. Slippers or sandals are acceptable at all but the most formal of occasions.
Avoid exposing the sole of your foot at someone.
Avoid touching the head or slapping someone on the back.
Indonesians are not accustomed to public displays of affection (hugging and kissing).
Beckon someone with the hand by waving with fingers together and the palm facing downwards.
Javanese will often stoop or bend over slightly when passing you. This is based on the traditional custom in the Javanese kraton or palace, where the level of one's head is equated with one's social status. Servants were formerly expected to walk with their legs squat, crab-like.
Indonesians bathe at least twice daily, before breakfast and supper, and may find it very strange if you do not do the same! A common greeting in the evening is Sudah mandi belum? ("Have you had your bath yet?") Nothing in particular is meant by this, it is simply another way of saying "Hello!"
When visiting an Indonesian home, it is normal to greet the head of the household first. Greetings can be somewhat long and complicated. It is polite to shake hands, and to nod the head and state one's name while doing so. You will be expected to meet all adults in the house, and to go through a litany of "Small Talk" questions and answers (see Part Three below).
Wait for the signal Silakan! before entering, sitting, eating or drinking. Never completely finish food or drink presented to you, as to do so is to request more. Wait for your host or hostess to offer.
When you leave, say goodbye to all adults in the house, shake hands again and tell them where you are going and why you must leave so soon. Often you will be asked to stay longer, eat, bathe, take a nap, or spend the night when you were not expecting to! These elaborate rituals reinforce the atmosphere of congeniality in Indonesian society and such invitations are not to be taken seriously unless they are repeated several times. Always decline an invitation gracefully the first time, as the person making it is perhaps just being polite and doesn't really expect you to accept.
Outbursts and public displays of emotion or displeasure are to be avoided at all costs.
A decorated fishing boat plies the waters off the island of Madura.