PART SIX

Shopping

jual to sell	beli to buy
belanja to shop	rugi to lose money
tawar to make an offer (of money)
tawar menawar to bargain (back and forth)
ambil to take	kasih to give
barang goods, item	harga price
pasar market	harga pas the right price,
toko store	fixed price
uang money	mahal expensive
tunai, cash cash	murah cheap, inexpensive
biasa usual, normal
desain design, pattern
warna color
macam type, kind
istimewa special, "the best"
muda young, light (of colors)
tua old, dark (of colors)
sekali very
mutu, kwalitet quality
terlalu too, excesive
Aduh! My goodness! (expression of shock, dismay)

Colors Warna-warni

abu-abu gray	biru blue
coklat brown	hijau green
hitam black	kuning yellow
merah red	putih white

The following is a typical shopping scenario, in which a foreigner (F) enters a shop and is waited on by a shopkeeper (S).

S:	Boleh saya bantu? May I help you?
	Nyonya/Tuan cari apa? What is ma'am/sir looking for?
F:	Lihat-lihat saja. Just looking.
F:	Harga ini berapa, pak/ibu?
	What is the price of this, pak/ibu?
S:	Delapan ribu rupiah.
	Rp8000. (Rp = rupiah)
F:	Aduh! Mahal sekali!
	My goodness! Very expensive!
S:	Tidak, nyonya. Tidak mahal.
	No, madam. It's not expensive.
	Lihat kwalitetnya. Look at the quality.
F:	Ya, tapi terlalu mahal. Yes, but it is too expensive.
S:	Ya, boleh kurang. Yes, [the price] can be reduced.
	Tuan/nyonya ta war berapa?
	How much does sir/madam offer?
F:	Tiga ribu rupiah boleh? Is Rp3000 okay?
S:	Tidak, tuan/nonya. Saya rugi.
	No, sir/ma'am. I will lose money.
	Lima ribu rupiah saja. Rp5000 only.
F:	Aduhl Masih terlalu mahal!
	My goodness! Still too expensive!
	Empat ribuf itu sudah harga pas.
	Rp4000, that is the normal price.
S:	Yd, boleh. Yes, okay.
	Tuan/nyonya mau ambil yang mana?
	Which one does sir/ma'am want to take?
F:	Saya mau ini (itu).
	I want this one/that one.
	Ada warn a yang lain?
	Do you have another color?
S:	Ada warna merah, kuning dan hijau.
	Yes, I have red, yellow and green.
F:	Kasih dua.
	Give me two.
	Satu merah, satu kuning.
	One red and one yellow.

Street vendors in Yogyakarta, Central Java.

Bargaining

Bargaining is an essential skill in Indonesia. In most shops no fixed prices (harga pas) are posted, and it is assumed that bargaining is the rule. This is true in markets and most small shops, as well as for most services. The degree of bargaining required, and the difference between prices normally asked and prices paid, can vary widely.

As a general rule, most Indonesians will never settle for less than a 10% reduction from an asking price. In many cases, however, the asking price may be several times what one normally expects to pay in the end. It simply depends on the situation.

The only places where you don't bargain are in large departmental stores, supermarkets, restaurants and other establishments that clearly display prices. Even then, however, bargaining for large, costly items can often result in lower prices. (People don't usually bargain over very small amounts, except in the market.)

Be especially wary in souvenir and art shops catering for the tourist trade. Here, it is standard practice to mark up astronomically (often five to ten times the normal price), so as to be able to offer huge discounts to unsuspecting tourists, many of whom are then fooled into thinking that they are getting a great deal.

Souvenirs for sale at Tangkuban Perahu volcano, West Java.

In order to bargain successfully it is essential to first get a rough idea of the harga pas, the "right price." The best way to find out is to ask an Indonesian or to shop around. In fact, there is no "right price" in any absolute sense, but there is a range of prices that are more or less competitive with what others are charging. Often, as a foreigner, you simply cannot get the lowest prices because you don't have all the bargaining skills at your disposal.

One of the easiest and most straightforward bargaining tactics as a foreigner is to demonstrate right away to the seller that you know roughly what you should pay for an item. You can do this by offering an amount that is 50% to 25% less than the price you expect to pay. The idea is that you start low, the seller starts high, and you then go back and forth several times until you compromise in the middle. Never open with your final offer.

The vendor will feign shock and protest strongly, counter offering with a much higher price. You must also feign shock and protest, offering a bit more than your initial price. This continues until one of you agrees with the other's offer, or until you reach an impasse. When the latter occurs, state your last price several times and begin to walk away slowly. The seller will then accept your price if it is reasonable.

Treat this entire process not as a confrontation, but as a piece of impromptu theater. There are several important things to keep in mind. First of all, never let on how truly interested you are in an item. Point out its many defects, real or imagined. Above all, keep smiling and keep the exchange friendly. By cajoling and bantering good naturedly with the vendor, you will both have a good time and, equally importantly, you can both maintain your sense of face while arriving at a compromise between your opposing positions.

Some foreigners think they can simply walk into a shop and demand to pay a particular price. This doesn't work. You've got to play the game. Under no circumstances should you get angry because you think the price being being asked is too high. Just walk away and shop elsewhere if this is the case.

It is important to understand also that you must follow through on any offer you make, so don't make an offer if you don't intend to buy. You can ask a price out of curiousity, and there is no obligation, but if you make an offer that the seller accepts, you are stuck. Reneging is simply not done in Indonesia, and the seller may rightfully get very angry.

Lastly, be sure that you have agreed on a price before accepting any goods or services. If you simply hop in a pedicab (becak) or a taxi without a meter and tell the driver to take you somewhere without agreeing on a price beforehand, etiquette requires that you pay whatever the driver asks on arrival. Even if the amount demanded is outrageous, he is right and it is your fault for not agreeing on a price beforehand. Bargaining has to take place before you accept a service or consume a product, not after.

Souvenirs

Handicrafts Kerajinan

keris ceremonial dagger	dompet wallet
kulit leather	lukisan painting
payung umbrella	tas bag/purse
wayang kulit flat shadow puppets (from animal hide)

Woodcarvings Ukiran kayu

kayu wood	patung statue, sculpture
ukiran carving	topeng mask
wayang golek wooden puppets

Textiles Tekstil

batik cap hand-printed batik
batik tulis hand-drawn batik
kain cloth (2m)	sarung sarong (1.5m)
kain ikat ikat (tie-dyed) weavings
taplak meja table cloth
selendang shoulder-cloth for carrying babies, goods

Jewelry Perhiasan

emas gold	perak silver
intan diamonds	giok jade
batu permata gems	gelang bracelet
anting-anting earrings	cincin ring
kalung, rantai necklace, chain

F:	Tolong tanya. I would like to inquire.
	Kain ini dari mana? Where is this cloth from?
S:	Ini dari Sumatra, bu. This is from Sumatra, ma'am.
F:	Sumatra di mana. Where in Sumatra?
S:	Kain ini dari daerah Batak.
	This cloth is from the Batak region.
F:	Patung ini baru atau tua? Is this statue old or new?
S:	Kira-kira lima puluh tahun. About 50 years (old).

Clothing Pakaian

baju, kemeja shirt	blus blouse
celana dalam underpants	celana pants
jaket jacket, windbreaker	dasi tie
jas sport jacket	kaca, cermin mirror
kaus T-shirt	kantong pocket
kaus kaki socks	kaus tangan gloves
pakaian clothing
pakaian dalam underwear
pakaian renang swimming suit
pas just right, to fit, be the proper size
rok dress	sabuk belt
sapu tangan hankerchief	selendang scarf
sepatu shoes	setelan suit
sandal sandals, shower thongs
ukuran measurement, size	topi hat

S: Bapak mau coba sepatu ini?
	Would you like to try these shoes, sir?
F:	Ya, saya mau coba yang hitam itu.
	Yes, I want to try those black ones.
S:	Ukuran bapak berapa?
	What is your size?
F:	Ukuran saya tiga puluh sembilan.
	My size is 39 (European size).
S: Ini pak, coba dulu.
	Here they are, please try them on.
F:	Sepatu ini terlalu kecil.
	These shoes are too small.
	Ada ukuran yang lebih besar?
	Do you have a larger size?
S: Ada pak. Sebentar.
	Yes we do, sir. Just a moment.
F:	Ya, ini sudah pas.
	Yes, these fit just right.

T-shirts for sale just outside your hotel room.

Sundries

Photography Fotografi

afdruk print, photo print	kamera, tustel camera
film film	lensa lens
film berwarna color film	rusak spoiled, broken
membetulkan to repair	betul correct, fixed
cuci, mencuci to wash, develop (of film)

Stationery Alat-alat tulis

kertas paper	amplop envelope
kertas tulis writing paper	kartu pos postcard
tulis to write	stofmap envelope
pen pen	perangko stamps
bloknote notepaper

Reading materials Bahan bacaan

buku book

toko buku bookstore

buku petunjuk (wisata) tourist guidebook

kamus dictionary

koran, surat khabar newspaper

koran Inggeris English newspaper

majalah magazine

peta map

roman, novel novel

Toiletries

kertas W.C. toilet paper	sabun soap
sikat gigi toothbrush	sisir comb
syampo shampoo	tampon tampon
tapal gigi toothpaste	tisu tissues

F:	Saya mau cuci film ini.
	I would like to develop this film.
S: Mau diafdruk berapa besar?
	What size would you like the prints?
F:	Saya mau yang besar saja. I would like large ones
S:	Seperti ini. Like this? (pointing)
F:	Ya, betul. Correct.
	Kapan selesai? When will they be ready?
S:	Satu jam lagi. In one hour.

Balinese barong masks on display.