Telephone service has improved greatly in Indonesia during the past decade, but it is still erratic. Exchanges are overloaded during peak hours. Numbers frequently change. Directory assistance is difficult. Be patient and keep trying; eventually you will get through.
telpon telephone
nomor telpon telephone number
menelpon to telephone
hubungi to contact, call
sambung to connect
saluran, line line, connection
tekan to press, dial (a phone)
kode (pronounced "KO-duh") code
kode negeri country code
kode wilayah area code
pesawat extension number
interlokal long-distance (within Indonesia)
luar negeri overseas
dalam negeri domestic
Note: Indonesians use the English word Hello! (spelled and pronounced Halo!) when answering the phone. When you ask to speak to someone, the person answering will normally ask who is calling by saying Dari mana, ya? (lit: "From where?"). You may either give your name or the place you are calling from.
Halo! Saya ingin telpon ke luar negeri, ke Amerika Serikat.
Hello! I would like to call overseas to the United States.
Tolong hubungi nomor ini. Please call this number.
Kode wilayah lima satu nol. Area code (510).
Nomornya empat nol lima tiga nol lima lima.
The number is 405-3055.
Tunggu sebentar. Please wait a moment.
Sedang bicara, pak. The line is busy, sir.
Sebentar coba lagi, ya. Try again in a moment, okay.
Silahkan bicara, pak. Please go ahead and speak, sir.
Wah, tidak ada orang! Oh dear, there is no one there!
Salurannya putus. The line was cut off.
Boleh saya bicara dengan Ibu Suleiman, pesawat empat kosong dua?
May I speak to Mrs. Suleiman, extension 402?
Dari mana, ya? Who is calling?
Dari Mr. Jones. Mr. Jones.
Halo, Bapak Subagio ada di rumah?
Hello, is Mr. Subagio at home?
Sedang keluar, bu. He is out, ma'am.
Kira-kira kapan kembali, ya?
Approximately when will he come back?
Coba telpon lagi jam dua siang.
Please call again at two o'clock this afternoon.
Halo. Ibu Siti ada? Hello. Is Siti there?
Ma'af, salah sambung! Sorry, wrong number!
Bapak tahu nomor yang betul tidak?
Do you know his correct number or not?
Wah, saya tidak tahu. Oh my, I don't know.
Halo. Cari siapa, pak?
Hello. Whom do you wish to speak to, sir?
Cari Pak Affandi. I am looking for Pak Affandi.
Dari mana, ya? Who's calling, please?
Dari teman. It's a friend. (lit: "From a friend.")
Ada. Sebentar saya panggil bapak.
He is in. Just a moment, I will call him.
A Jakarta sculpture depicting a scene from the Mahabharata.
Post offices tend to be rather chaotic in Indonesia, and you will need to be a bit aggressive to get things done quickly. First of all, find out which counters offer the services you want. Then fight your way through the crowd. Most counters sell stamps, but only certain ones will accept parcels, sell money orders, handle Poste Restante, etc. The following are a few helpful tips:
Once you have bought stamps and stuck them onto a letter or package, return the item to the counter and watch as the stamps are cancelled.
Mail is generally more secure and is delivered more promptly from a post office in a big city, so it is advisable to wait if you are in the countryside.
Regular airmail usually takes about two weeks to North America or Europe; express airmail gets there a few days earlier.
Domestic telegrams are very cheap in Indonesia, but must usually be sent from a separate office (Kantor Telgram.)
pos post
giro postal money order
loket counter
ongkos cost
paket parcel
perangko stamp
surat letter
telgram telegram
melalui by means of, via
pakai to use
pos biasa normal (surface) mail
pos tercatat registered mail
pos udara airmail (overseas)
pos udara ekspres express airmail (overseas)
kilat express mail (domestic only)
kilat khusus special delivery with return receipt
Tolong tanya I would like to inquire.
Di mana saya bisa beli perangko?
Where can I buy stamps?
Di loket nomor dua atau nomor tiga.
At counters number 2 or 3.
Di mana bisa kirim paket ke luar negeri?
Where can I send a parcel overseas?
Di loket tujuh. At counter 7.
Baiklah! Terimah kasih. Very well! Thank you.
Ma'af, antrean!
Get in line! (i.e. Don't cut in front of me!)
Permisi Ibu, saya mau kirim surat ini ke Australia melalui pos udara.
Excuse me, ma'am. I would like to send this letter to Australia by airmail.
Ongkosnya berapa? What is the cost?
Seribu lima ratus rupiah. Rp1500.
Kalau pakai pos biasa berapa?
How much is it to use surface mail?
Lima ratus saja, tapi satu bulan baru sampai.
Only Rp500, but it will take one month.
Baiklah! Saya pakai pos udara saja.
Very well! I'll use airmail.
Kasih perangko, untuk dua surat dan satu kartu pos.
Give me stamps for two letters and one postcard.
bank bank
cabang branch
uang money
uang kecil small change
uang logam coins
uang kertas banknotes
uang tunai, kontan cash
kurs exchange rate
transfer to transfer
tukar, menukar to exchange
Saya mau tukar uang dolar Amerika.
I would like to change American dollars.
Kursnya berapa hari ini?
What is the exchange rate today?
Kursnya dua ribu tiga ratus rupiah.
The rate is Rp2300.
Baiklah. Saya mau tukar seratus dolar.
Very well. I want to change $100.
A cigarette stall in Lampung, Sumatra.
bagasi baggage, luggage
pabean, duane customs
kopor suitcase
bea cukai customs duty
tas handbag
lapor to declare, report
dompet wallet
polisi police
curi, mencuri to steal
kantor polisi police station
pencopet pickpocket
formulir forms
pencuri thief
At customs:
Bagasi ini punya siapa? Whose luggage is this?
Punya saya pak. It is mine, sir.
Ada apa dalamnya? What is inside?
Pakaian saja, pak. Just clothing, sir.
Tidak ada barang untuk dilaporkan.
I have nothing to declare.
At the police station:
Pak, saya kehilangan tas/dompet.
Sir, I have lost my purse/wallet.
Di mana? Where?
Baru tadi, di setasiun kereta api.
Just now, in the train station.
Apakah Ibu melihat siapa yang ambilnya?
Did you see who took it?
Tidak pak. Barangkali pencopet.
No sir. Probably a pickpocket.
Baiklah! Ini ada formulir. Very well! Here is a form.
Harus diisi dulu. You must fill it out first.
Having to deal with the government bureaucracy in Indonesia can be a rather trying experience. The only recommendations we can make are patience, persistence, asking as many questions as possible, and more patience. If you seem to be having trouble getting something done, ask Siapa yang bertanggung jawab dalam hal ini? "Who has responsibility in this matter?" and don't be satisfied until you find the person in charge.
It never does any good to get angry, however. Keep your cool and explain your position firmly and clearly, repeating it several times. Make sure you understand the procedures being applied, and don't expect anything to happen very quickly! The preparation and signing of documents alone can take several days.
The following are common entries on immigration and other forms. Note that it is mandatory to report to the local police wherever you are staying the night in Indonesia. Hotels normally do this for you, by sending in a copy of the check-in form.
nama name
alamat residence
tanggal date
umur age
kelamin sex
agama religion
surat keterangan identification papers
pekerjaan occupation
tempat lahir place of birth
kebangsaan nationality
maksud kunjungan purpose of visit
kawin marital status
tanda tangan signature
Sakit is the all-purpose term for "sickness" or "pain", while obat is similarly used to denote any type of medicine or treatment. If you are sick, it is easy and inexpensive to consult a doctor and obtain a prescription in Indonesia. Office hours are during the afternoons and evenings, from 4 pm onwards. At other times, and in case of emergency, you are better off going to a hospital. Major hotels have clinics that are often open to outsiders.
Many doctors speak a bit of English. The normal procedure for ñu or stomach ailments, however, is to issue antibiotics without running any tests to see what is causing the problem. If you have serious stomach problems, it is better to go directly to a laboratory and give them stool and urine samples. They will then refer you to a doctor if the tests are positive. The other popular form of treatment is suntik or injections. Avoid this if possible, however, as the syringes and needles used may not be sterile.
Pharmacies are usually very well stocked, but most brand names are different in Indonesia, so ask your doctor to note down the generic names of any prescription drugs you may require before you leave.
If you are in a hospital for several days, you will need to hire an attendant (suster, pergasah) at a reasonable rate to attend to your needs.
sakit sick
sehat healthy
sakit gigi toothache
sakit kepala headache
sakit leher sore throat
sakit perut, maag stomache ache, intestinal distress
parah serious (of illness)
dokter doctor
dokter gigi dentist
rumah sakit hospital
kecelakaan accident
ambulans ambulance
darurat emergency
unit darurat emergency room (in a hospital)
laboratorium laboratory
jururawat nurse
batuk cough
demam fever
diare, berak-berak diarrhea
hamil pregnant
lecet cut
luka injury, injured
muntah vomit
patah tulang broken bone, to break a bone
pilek, masuk angin, flu cold, flu
pusing dizziness, nausea
racun poison
racun makanan food poisoning
obat medicine
apotik drugstore
antibiotik antibiotics
aspirin aspirin
plester bandage
resep prescription
suntik, injeksi injection
Saya sakit. Ada dokter di sini yang bicara bahasa Inggeris?
I am sick. Is there a doctor here (i.e. nearby) who speaks English?
Saya mau ke rumah sakit. I want to go to the hospital.
Tolong panggil ambulans. Please call an ambulance.
Saya mau beli obat. I want to buy some medicine.
Di mana ada apotik? Where is a pharmacy?
Ini resepnya. Here is the prescription.
Ada obat untuk batuk?
Do you have cough medicine?
Ada obat untuk pilek?
Do you have cold medicine?
Ada obat untuk sakit perut?
Do you have medicine for stomach ailments?
Bon voyage! Selamat jalan!
darah blood
kulit skin
otot muscle
tulang bone
urat tendon
kepala head
mata eyes
pipi cheeks
rahang jaw
mulut mouth
lidah tongue
gigi teeth
hidung nose
rambut hair
leher neck
telinga ear
badan body
bahu shoulders
dada chest
payudara breasts
pinggang waist
perut stomach, belly
punggung back
lengan arm
tangan hand, forearm, wrist
jari tangan fingers
kuku nails
kaki leg, foot
mata kaki ankle
jari kaki toes
kemaluan genitals
rahim womb, uterus
buntut rear
Indonesian has many words that are derived from simple roots through the addition of prefixes and suffixes. For example, the word baik alone means "good" and serves as the root for kebaikan (with prefix ke- and suffix -an) meaning "goodness." Another example is the verb tinggal which by itself means both "to stay" or "to leave." The derived form meninggal (with prefix me- and substitution of nasal n for initial consonant t- of the root) means "to die, pass away," whereas the word meninggalkan (with added suffix -kan) means "to leave behind."
When dealing with derived forms, there are really two separate problems. First of all, you need to know the mechanical rules for adding prefixes and suffixes to root words so that you are able to do this yourself, and to identify roots of words you come across so you can look them up in a dictionary. Second, you need to understand how the addition of these various prefixes and suffixes changes the meaning of a root.
Most transitive verbs (verbs which can take a direct object) may be prefixed by me-. This prefix generally does not change the meaning of the root, but merely emphasizes that a verb is being used in an active (as opposed to passive) sense, i.e. that the subject of the verb is the main focus or topic of the sentence.
lihat => melihat to see
Saya sudah melihat Borobudur.
I have already seen Borobudur.
There are a few idiomatic cases where the addition of me- dramatically alters the meaning of the root word, as in the example already given above of tinggal ("to stay; to leave") => meninggal ("to die, pass away"), where the latter is a shortened form of meninggal dunia meaning "to depart the world."
As already mentioned in Part Two: Grammar, the use of such "active verbal prefixes" is often optional, and in colloquial speech the prefix is usually omitted. Note also that this prefix is never used in relative clauses and imperatives.
This active verbal prefix is also used to create transitive verbs out of nouns and adjectives. In this case the root and the prefixed form have quite different, although related, meanings.
kuning yellow => menguning to turn yellow
kipas a fan => mengipas to fan
kunci a key => mengunci to lock
The prefix me- takes five different forms, depending on the first letter of the word that it is prefixed to. You will need to memorize the following rules for this.
1) meny- for words beginning with s-
siram => menyiram to sprinkle
surat a letter => menyurat to write a letter
2) mem-before words beginning with b- and p-
beli => membeli to buy
pakai => memakai to use
3) men- for words beginning with d-, j-, c- and t-
dorong => mendorong to push
jual => menjual to sell
cuci => mencuci to wash
tonton => menonton to watch (a movie, show)
4) meng- for words beginning with k, g, h or any vowel
kasih => mengasih to give
ganggu => mengganggu to disturb
harap => mengharap to hope
atur => mengatur to arrange
5) me- before all other initial consonants
Note that in the examples given above, the first letters p, t, k and s of the root verbs (i.e. voiceless consonants) are dropped when the prefix is added.
The active prefix ber- is used with intransitive verbs (those which cannot take a direct object) in much the same way that me- is prefixed to transitive verbs. The verb with this prefix has more or less the same meaning as the root, and as with me- it is often omitted in everday speech.
asal => berasal to originate
bicara => berbicara to speak
diri => berdiri to stand
kunjung => berkunjung to pay a visit
Saya ingin berkunjung ke rumah anda.
I wish to pay a visit to your house.
Kami berasal dari Australi.
We are from Australia.
Note that there are a number of irregular forms.
ajar to teach => belajar to learn
kerja => bekerja to work
When prefixed to an adjective or noun, ber- creates an active, intransitive verb that has the meaning "possessing" or "taking the attribute of" that noun or adjective.
besar large => berbesar to grow up
kembang blossom, flower => berkembang to develop, blossom, expand
bahasa language => berbahasa to know or speak a language
pakaian clothing => berpakaian to get dressed, be dressed
kata words => berkata to speak
Saudara berbesar di mana?
Where did you grow up?
Saya tidak berbahasa Indonesia.
I cannot speak Indonesian.
Note that before words beginning with r, ber- becomes be- (which is to say that only one r appears in the resulting prefixed form).
renang => berenang to swim
rencana => berencana to plan
The opposite of the active prefix me- is the passive prefix di- which indicates that the object of the verb is the main focus or topic of the sentence. This is very similar to the passive voice in English. (See Part Two: Grammar for more examples with di-.)
Mobilnya belum dibetulkan.
The car has not yet been repaired.
Kita diundang ke rumah teman.
We have been invited to a friend's house.
Nasinya sudah dimasak.
The rice has already been cooked.
The prefix ter- is used to indicate that an action has already been completed, with the emphasis being on the resultant state or condition of the direct object. As with di- the focus or main topic of the sentence is always the object of the verb and not the subject. In fact the subject is often not even mentioned when ter- is used. In this case, the subject is either understood or it may be intentionally left ambiguous as to who or what was responsible for the action.
kenal to know, be acquainted => terkenal to be famous, well-known
atur to arrange => teratur to be well organized, neat
pakai to use => terpakai to have been used
This prefix is often used together with the word sudah meaning "already."
Kamarnya sudah terkunci.
The room is already locked.
Bon kami sudah terbayar belum?
Has our bill been paid yet?
Note: The use of ter- as a verbal prefix is distinct from the use of ter- with adjectives, in which case it forms a superlative meaning the most, the greatest, etc. (See Part Two: Grammar.)
The verbal suffix -kan is a factive suffix that creates transitive verbs out of intransitive verbs as well as nouns and adjectives.
selesai to be finished => selesaikan to finish or settle something
tinggal to stay, to leave => tinggalkan to leave something behind
kata words => katakan to speak, say
pasar market pasarkan to market (goods, etc.)
betul correct => betulkan to fix, correct
When -kan is added to a verb that is already transitive, it emphasizes that the action is being focused on the direct object of the verb.
Tolong memberikan nasi, Mas.
Waiter, please give [me] some rice.
Suffixed forms with -kan may be used in an active sense with me- (although the latter is often dropped in everyday speech), or in a passive sense with di-.
Saya belum menyelesaikan pekerjaan itu.
I haven't finished that work yet.
Kamera ini bisa dibetulkan tidak?
Can this camera be fixed or not?
The dative suffix -i is added to intransitive verbs and adjectives to create transitive verbs which imply that something is being done to, toward, for the benefit of, or by the subject. It often conveys a strong sense of location or direction.
awas to be careful, alert => awasi to guard, watch over
datang to come datangi to pay a visit to someone
pinjam to borrow => pinjami to lend
dekat close, nearby => dekati to approach
hubung connect => hubungi to contact, get in touch with
Resulting verbs with -i can be used both in an active sense with me-, and in a passive sense with di-.
Saya akan coba menghubungi anda di kantor.
I will try to contact you at the office.
Tolong barang saya diawasi sebentar.
Please look after my things for a moment.
The prefix per- is a causative prefix added to adjectives to form transitive verbs.
kecil small => perkecil to reduce, make smaller
besar large => perbesar to enlarge
panjang long => perpanjang to extend
It is most often used together with the suffixes -i and -kan to produce transitive verbs that indicate that the subject of the sentence is instrumental in bringing about the action or state intended. The form memper- is used in the active sense, while diper- is used in the passive sense. The suffix -i is most often used with adjectives and intransitive verb roots, while -kan is used with transitive verb roots (but also with some adjectives). The usages of -i and -kan in these constructions are quite irregular and actually vary with different dialects of Indonesian.
lihat to see => perlihatkan to show (something to someone)
ingat to remember => peringati to remind (someone of something)
kenal to know, be acquainted => perkenalkan to introduce (to someone)
timbang to weigh => pertimbangkan to consider
baik good, well => perbaiki to improve, fix, repair
The usages of -kan, -i, per- and ber- are actually quite lexicalized, which is to say that the resulting forms with these affixes are fairly irregular and idiomatic. You cannot expect to add these affixes to every verb, noun or adjective in the language and get something that makes sense. Rather than trying to figure out the rules under which one form should used instead of another, you are better off simply learning the resulting verbs with the affixes as separate vocabulary items.
These four verb affixes are therefore quite different from the active, passive and perfective prefixes me-, di- and ter, which may be used quite freely with any verbs (as well as with many nouns and adjectives).
There are a number of different ways of producing nouns out of verbs and adjectives, and even from other nouns. These forms are highly idiomatic, and as with many of the verb forms, you will simply have to learn the nouns derived in this way as separate vocabulary items.
The instrumental prefix pe- is added to nouns or verbs to produce nouns meaning "one who does" something.
laut sea => pelaut sailer
main to play => pemain player
As with me-, the prefix pe- takes five different forms depending on the initial letter of the verb or noun it is attached to.
1) peny- before words beginning with s-
sakit sick, ill => penyakit illness
2) pem- before words beginning with b- and p-
beli to buy => pembeli buyer
pakai to use => pemakai user
3) pen- for words beginning with d-, j-, c- and t-
dengar to hear => pendengar listener
jual to sell => penjual seller
curi to steal => pencuri thief
tonton to watch => penonton viewer
4) peng- for words beginning with k, g or any vowel
karang to write => pengarang author
ganti to exchange => pengganti replacement
urus to arrange => pengurus person in charge
5) pe- before all other initial consonants
Note that in the examples given above, the first letters p, t, k and s of the root verbs (i.e. voiceless consonants) are dropped when the prefix is added.
The suffix -an is added to verbs to produce nouns.
makan to eat => makanan food
minum to drink minuman a drink
pinjam to borrow => pinjaman borrowings
tegur to warn => teguran warning
kenal to know, be acquainted => kenalan acquaintance
When added to a noun, the suffix -an denotes a noun category.
sayur vegetable => sayuran vegetables (as a group, distinct from meats, etc.)
The nominalizing circumfix pe- + -an also changes verbs to nouns. There is no essential difference between this and the simple suffix -an and their usages are simply idiomatic. In some cases, there are even two nouns, one with and one without pe-, having the same meaning.
periksa to inspect => pemeriksaan inspection
terima to receive => penerimaan receipts
bicara to talk => pembicaraan discussions
harap to hope => harapan, pengharapan hope, expectation
labuh to drop anchor => labuhan, pelabuhan harbor, port
Rules for adding pe- here are the same as those given above.
The circumfix per- + -an is used to produce nouns from certain verbs in place of pe- + -an. The main difference seems to be that this form has the sense of agency or causation (cf. the causative verb prefix per- above), but again, the usages are quite idiomatic and the resulting nouns simply need to be learned individually.
coba to try => percobaan test, attempt
kawin to marry => perkawinan wedding
kembang flower, blossom => perkembangan development
The circumfix ke- + -an is added to verbs and adjectives to produce abstract nouns.
ada to be, have, exist => keadaan state, condition
aman secure, safe => keamanan security
nyata clear, evident => kenyataan facts, evidence
baik good, well => kebaikan goodness
besar large => kebesaran size, largeness
To improve one's vocabulary the best method is to get into the habit of reading an Indonesian newspaper with a dictionary, looking up all the words you don't know, and writing them down in a notebook. It is then a good idea to make flashcards for yourself, or to frequently refer back to your notebook, in order to commit these words to memory.
The best dictionary is by John M. Echols and Hassan Shadily, Kamus Indonesia-Inggeris/An Indonesian-English Dictionary, 3rd ed., revised by John U. Wolff and James T. Collins (Jakarta: Gramedia, 1989), along with the companion volume Kamus Inggris Indonesia/An English-Indonesian Dictionary (Jakarta: Gramedia, 1975). Both are readily available in Indonesia, or from Cornell University Press in the United States.
For a more in-depth treatment of Indonesian grammar, with a lot of useful examples and notes, the standard university text is the two-volume set by Yohanni Johns, Bahasa Indonesia: An Introduction to Indonesian Language and Culture (Singapore: Periplus, 1992).