Daily Phrases in Indonesia – Most Common and Useful

Indonesia has the fourth largest population in a country throughout the world. So that in turn make Indonesian Population among the highest list of users of languages that are used. Indonesian regarded its language as the official language of Indonesia. Then, Indonesian Language commonly known as Bahasa Indonesia. Its a member of the Malay-Polynesian language family along with usage in Malaysia and Philippines.

Bahasa Indonesia is known as a language that’s made official in 1928 during youth of pledge movement. In the 1930s, as part of the independence movement, the Indonesian language was finalized and the term Bahasa Indonesia was adopted as the name of the language.

See also :

Bahasa Indonesia is a standardized dialect that came from Malay. It has been used as a default language in the Indonesian archipelago for centuries. The language achieved the status of an official usage with the declaration of independence of Indonesia from the Japan in 1945.

See also: Indonesia Flag – Indonesian coral reef

Bahasa Indonesia, a basic version of Malay, is the sixth most widely spoken language in the world (after Mandarin, English, Hindi, Spanish and Arabic). Therefore, Indonesian is a second language for another 250 million people. More than 800 local languages are spoken in Indonesia. Bahasa Indonesia literally means the language of Indonesia, and is often shortened by foreign speakers as Bahasa. Although this word just means language, it is understood that it refers to the Indonesian language specifically.

Living in Indonesia and speaking with the people will finally make you better understand how to use the spoken language. Bahasa is quite complex than other languages because it evolves over time.

See also: Indonesia Military Power – Indonesian Red Cross Society

Useful Daily Phrases in Indonesia

Beyond being able to comprehend you, the locals will be better appreciate your attempt and they’ll usually gave you greater respect. To achieve successful communication with Indonesian people, you should have at least fundamentals knowledge of daily phrases. Then, the reason I compiled you a table of words and phrases in Indonesian below which enable you to perform adequate normal daily conversation in the local language Bahasa.

See also :

Bahasa is a very easy language to study because its verbs normally do not have many forms for grammatical gender, tenses, or plural. In addition, with just a little bit of practice, the pronunciation should not be problematic at all.

Most of the sentences below are used for everyday life conversations as Daily Phrases in Indonesia, so they might come useful if you get to know them.

English Phrases Indonesian Phrases
 By the Way  Sambil Lalu/Ngomong-ngomong
English Greetings Indonesian Greetings
Hi! Hai!
Good morning! Selamat pagi
Good evening! Selamat malam
Welcome! (to greet someone) Selamat datang
How are you? Apa kabar?
I’m fine, thanks! Baik, terima kasih
And you? Dan kamu?
Good/ So-So. Baik / Biasa saja
Thank you (very much)! Terima kasih (banyak)!
You’re welcome! (for “thank you”) Kembali (complete form: Terima kasih kembali)
Hey! Friend! Hei teman!
I missed you so much! Saya/ aku sangat or Saya/ aku kangen kamu (informal)
What’s new? Ada kabar baru?
Nothing much Tidak banyak
See you later! Sampai jumpa
Good bye! Selamat tinggal
Asking for Help and Directions  Indonesian Phrases
I’m lost Saya tersesat
Can I help you? Bisa saya bantu?
Can you help me? Bisa bantu saya?
Where is the (bathroom/ pharmacy)? Kamar (mandi/apotik) dimana?
Go straight! then turn left/ right! lurus terus! lalu belok kiri/kanan!
I’m looking for john. Saya mencari John
One moment please! Tunggu sebentar!
Hold on please! (phone) Tunggu sebentar!
How much is this? ini harganya berapa?
Excuse me …! (to ask for something) Permisi!
Excuse me! ( to pass by) Permisi!
Come with me! ikutilah saya

See also :

Grammar

Normally in Bahasa, there are no plurals, or grammatical-based gender, or verb conjugation for person, number or tense, all of which are expressed with adverbs or tense indicators: saya makan, “I eat” , saya sudah makan, “I already eat” = “I ate”. The basic word order of Indonesian is similar to English, that is subject-verb-object with one basic rule being that the noun or subject comes before the predicate or adjective. For example, Anjing hitam = Black dog;  Mobil saya = My car.

See also: Indonesian National Flower – Indonesian Mythology

  • Daily Structures

The use of singular form doesn’t guarantee a single object. The phrase “Ada truk di depan” (There is; truck; in; front) may mean 1 or more cars. Some words don’t exhibit plural forms. The meaning can be for “to be safe”, simply use the singular form. The repetitive plural form is most often found in writing.

When plurals are in use, they’re often simply a repetition of the singular form, connected by a dash (or, in shortened informal Indonesian, indicated with a “2” at the end). For example, “truk-truk” (trucks) is simply the plural form of “mobil” (truck). One can also choose to use other words, especially in informal situations, such as “banyak” (many) instead: “banyak truk”.

See also: Indonesian Traditional Transportation – Indonesia Orangutan

  • Characteristics

A characteristic of Indonesian called agglutinative language, which means that affixes are all attached to a word stem. So a word can become very long. For example, there is a base word hasil which means “result” or “success”. However, it can be extended as far as ketidakgagalannya, which means his /her success: “ke”(the state of)-“tidak”(not)-“ber”(-ing)-“gagal”(failure)-“an”(the state of, with ke)-“nya”(his/her). These are largely modular; “gagal” means “to fail”.

Then, 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 wet market, simply “saya mau pergi ke pasar basah” (I; want to; go; to; the wet market) is both clear and polite.

See also :

  • Introducing yourself

There are many way to introduce yourself with using Indonesian daily phrases, As follows:

How to Introduce Yourself Indonesian Phrases
 I’m Scared Saya takut
Do you speak any language? Apakah kamu bisa berbahasa?
Just a little. Sedikit.
What’s your name? Siapa namamu?
My name is Nama saya
Mr…/ Mrs.…/ Miss… Tuan../ Nyonya../ Nona…
Nice to meet you! Senang bertemu denganmu
You’re very kind! Kamu baik sekali
Where are you from? Dari mana asal kamu?
I’m from the USA Saya dari Amerika
I’m American Saya orang Amerika
Where do you live? Kamu tinggal dimana?
I live in the U.S Saya tinggal di Amerika
Did you like it here? Kamu suka disini?
Indonesia is a wonderful country Indonesia adalah negara yang indah
What do you do for a living? Apa pekerjaanmu?
I work as a translator Saya bekerja sebagai penerjemah
I like Indonesian Saya suka orang Indonesia
I’ve been learning Indonesian for 1 year Saya telah belajar bahasa Indonesia selama setahun
Oh! That’s good! Oh, bagus sekali!
How old are you? Berapa umurmu?
I’m twenty years old. Saya dua puluh tahun
I have to go Saya harus pergi
I will be right back! Saya akan segera kembali
Wish Someone Something  Indonesian Phrases 
Good luck! Semoga sukses
Happy birthday! Selamat ulang tahun
Happy new year! Selamat tahun baru
Merry Christmas! Selamat hari natal
Congratulations! Selamat
Enjoy! Selamat menikmati
I’d like to visit Indonesia one day Saya ingin mengunjungi Indonesia suatu hari nanti
Say hi to Luana for me Salam untuk Luana dariku
Bless you (when you sneeze) no reaction whatsoever in Indonesia
Good night and sweet dreams! Selamat malam, mimpi indah
Solving a Misunderstanding  Indonesian Phrases 
I’m Sorry! (when you don’t hear anything) Maaf…
Sorry (for a mistake you made) Maaf
No Problem! Tidak apa-apa
Can You Say It Again? Bisa tolong diulangi?
Can You Speak Slowly? Bisa bicara pelan-pelan?
Write It Down Please! Tolong tulis
I Don’t Understand! Saya tidak mengerti
I Don’t Know! Saya tidak tahu
I Have No Idea. Saya tidak tahu
What’s That Called In Indonesian? Apa maksudnya dalam bahasa Indonesia?
What Does “maaf” Mean In English? Apa maksudnya “Maaf” dalam bahasa Inggris?
How Do You Say “Please” In Indonesian? Bagaimana kamu berkata “please” dalam bahasa Indonesia?
What Is This? ini apa?
My Indonesian is bad. Bahasa Indonesia saya buruk
I need to practice my Indonesian Saya harus berlatih bahasa Indonesia saya
Don’t worry! Jangan kuatir
Indonesian Expressions and Words  Indonesian Phrases 
Good/ Bad/ So-So. Baik/ Buruk/ Biasa saja
Big/ Small Besar/ Kecil
Today/ Now Hari ini/ Sekarang
Tomorrow/ Yesterday Besok/ Kemarin
Yes/ No Ya/ Tidak
Here you go! (when you’re giving something) Ya/ Tidak
Do you like it? Kamu suka ini?
I really like it! Saya suka sekali!
I’m hungry/ thirsty. Saya lapar/haus
In The Morning/ Evening/ At Night. Pada pagi hari/ Sore hari/ Malam hari
This/ That. Here/There ini/ itu. Disini/ Disana
Me/ You. Him/ Her. Saya/ Kamu. Dia/ Dia
Really! Benar!
Look! Lihat!
Hurry up! Cepat!
What? Where? Apa? Dimana?
What time is it? Jam berapa sekarang?
It’s 07:30pm. Jam setengah delapan malam
Give me this! Berikan pada saya
I love you! Saya cinta kamu
I feel sick. Saya merasa tidak sehat
I need a doctor Saya perlu dokter
One, Two, Three Satu, dua, tiga
Four, Five, Six Empat, lima, enam
Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten Tujuh, delapan, sembilan, sepuluh

See also: Indonesian Tea – Indonesian politics

Common signs

Indonesian English
TARIK Pull
DORONG Push
KELUAR Exit
MASUK Entrance
TUTUP Closed
BUKA Open
DILARANG Forbidden
AWAS Caution
WANITA Women
PRIA Men
WC Toilet
TEKAN Press

See also: Poverty in Indonesia – Best Airports in Indonesia

Indonesian language is easy to be spoken. Then, Daily Phrases in Indonesia become common to use with only a small number of simple consonants and relatively few vowel sounds. In Indonesia, the spelling reforms have officially destroy several vestiges of Dutch’s influence in spelling, and the writing method is now almost similar to Bahasa Malaysia.

See also: endangered animals in Indonesia – Bird of Paradise

  • The shorter the better

Indonesian shortens commonly used words.

Tidak → Tak → Nggak → Gak No
Tidak ada →Tiada → Gak ada/Gaada Not have
Sudah → Udah → Dah Already
Bapak → Pak Father; you (polite, for men)
Ibu → Bu Mother; you (polite, for older women)
Aku, Gue, Saya → Ku I (informal)
Kamu, Lo, Kau, Anda → Mu You (informal)

See also: Balinese Dance – Indonesian Wedding Culture

-ku and -mu also act as suffixes: motorku is short for motor aku, “my motorcycle”. Note that shortened words are often less formal, and for clarity the standard form may be preferred.

It is also safe to call people by their name or their title, such as “Pak pengacara” (a male lawyer). In some areas, local terms are in use, such as “Abang” for older males in the local region. Using the standard Indonesian phrases are also fine in these situations.

  • Bargaining using Numbers

Knowing a few words and phrases of the language will always help you to get better deals in Indonesia. As an advice, try to bargain around 30% off the initial price offered when you negotiate, especially in tourism areas:

[table]

[tr][th]Number[/th] [th]Pronouns[/th][/tr]

[tr][td]1[/td] [td]Satu[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]50[/td] [td]Lima puluh[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]100[/td] [td]Seratus[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]1000[/td] [td]Seribu[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]10.000[/td] [td]Sepuluh ribu[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]100.000[/td] [td]Seratus Ribu[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]1.000.000[/td] [td]Sejuta[/td][/tr]

[/table]

See also : Indonesian democracy – Indonesian Martial Arts

  • Bargaining Conversation
Indonesian English
Harga Price
Berapa harganya? How much does it cost?
Harga nya mahal Price is expensive
Lebih murah bisa? Cheaper possible?
Saya tidak ada cukup I don’t have enough
Mahal sakali Very expensive!

See also : Indonesian cultures – Unique Facts about Indonesia

  • No means No

Indonesian has a number of ways to say “no”.

Tidak (tak, nggak) “Not” — used to negate verbs and adjectives.
Ada daging babi? (Do you) have a prok?
Tidak ada. (No, I) don’t have.
daging babi enak? (Is it a) good pork?
Tidak baik. (No, it’s) not good.
Bukan (kan) “No” — used to negate nouns.
Ini daging babi? Is this a pork?
Bukan. Ini ayam. No, it’s not. It’s a chicken
Belum “Not yet” — used when something has not happened (yet).
Sudah makan daging babi? (Did you) already eat the pork?
Belum. No, not yet.
Jangan “Don’t” — to tell somebody not to do something.
Jangan makan babi! Don’t eat the pork
Dilarang “Forbidden” — used mostly on signs.
Dilarang makan babi. Eating pork is forbidden.

Living in Indonesia and speak with the people will end you up understand the slang language. Bahasa is quite complex than other languages. Well, a professional tutor (usually language students) and read good Indonesia books or newspaper (in term of its grammar) will show you a better improvement.

See also: Gamelan Facts – Luwak Coffee

  • Referring to others politely

Terms for “you” are considered impolite in Indonesia. To call anyone “kamu” is in itself often condescending; opt for the title instead.

Bapak/Pak (male)/Ibu/Bu (female) adults. Defaulting to this is usually safe.
Kakak/Kak slightly older people, but still in the same age group. E.g. school seniors, college seniors
Adik/Dik younger people.

See also:

Indonesian List of Phrases

List of phrases reach more than billion language. Those are spread around all over territory in every archipelago. Below are several phrases are commonly used by Indonesian people. As follows:

Card # Indonesian English
1
Anda bilang apa?
What did you say?
2
Anda bisa berbahasa Inggris?
Do you speak English?
3
Anda mengerti?
Do you understand?
4
Anda mengerti bahasa Inggris?
Do you understand English?
5
Apa?
What?
6
Apa ini?
What is this?
7
Apa kabar?
How are you?
8
Bagus.
Good.
9
Benar?
Is this correct?
10
Berapa harganya?
How much is it?
11
Berapa harga ini?
How much is this?
12
Bicaralah pelan-pelan.
Please speak slowly.
13
Di mana …?
Where is …?
14
Di mana itu?
Where is it?
15
Kapan …?
When is …?
16
Kembali.
You’re welcome.
17
Kok mahal?
Why is it so much?
18
Maaf.
I’m sorry.
19
Nama saya …
My name is …
20
Permisi.
Excuse me.
21
Saya luka.
I am hurt.
22
Saya mau …
I would like …
23
Saya mengerti.
I understand.
24
Saya perlu …
I need …
25
Saya sedih.
I am sad.
26
Saya senang.
I am happy.
27
Saya tidak mengerti.
I don’t understand.
28
Saya tidak tahu.
I don’t know.
29
Siapa nama anda?
What is your name?
31
Terlalu mahal.
It is too expensive.
32
Tolong.
Please.
33
Ukuran saya …
My size is …
34
Ada
to be
35
Air
water
36
Anak perempuan
daughter
37
Anggur
wine
38
Bagus
good
39
Bahasa
language
40
Baju kaus
tee shirt
41
Beras
rice
42
Berkuda
horseback riding
43
Besar
big
44
Bon
bill
45
Cabe
chili
46
Celana pendek
shorts
47
Cepat
fast
48
Cumi-cumi
squid
49
Dan
and
50
Dengan
with
51
Di
in
52
Dingin
cold
53
Di dekat
near
54
Dua puluh ribu
twenty thousand
55
Dua ratus ribu
two hundred thousand
56
Duduk
to sit
57
Es krim
ice cream
58
Gula
sugar
59
Halo
hello
60
Ikuti
follow
61
Ingin
to want
62
Jalan
walking
63
Kamar
room
64
Kamar kecil
toilet
65
Kamar kecil
restroom
66
Kanan
right
67
Kartu kredit
credit card
68
Ke
to
69
Kecil
small
70
Kemeja
shirt
71
Ketimun
cucumber
72
Kiri
left
73
Kunci
key
74
Lapar
hungry
75
Letih
tired
76
Limun
lemonade
77
Makan
to eat
78
Makan malam
dinner
79
Makan pagi
breakfast
80
Makan siang
lunch
81
Malam
night
82
Melihat
to see
83
Membeli
to buy
84
Memesan
to order
85
Mencoba
to try
86
Mengerti
to understand
87
Mengulangi
to repeat
88
Mentega
butter
89
Minum
to drink
90
Miskin
poor
91
Muda
young
92
Ongkos
fare
93
Pakaian
clothing
94
Panas
to be hot
95
Pelan
slow
96
Pisang
banana
97
Pulang-pergi
round trip
98
Punya
to have
99
Reservasi
reservation
100
Rok
skirt
101
Roti
bread
102
Ruang servis
room service
103
Sakit
sick
104
Sampai
until
105
Sampai jumpa
goodbye
106
Se-
per
107
Sedih
sad
108
Segelas air
glass of water
109
Segera
soon
114
Senang
happy
115
Sepatu
shoes
116
Sepuluh ribu
ten thousand
117
Seratus ribu
one hundred thousand
118
Sopir taksi
taxi driver
119
Susah
hard
120
Susu
milk
121
Tarif
rate
122
Terima kasih
thank you
123
Tidak
no
124
Toko mainan
toy store
125
Toko roti
bakery
126
Untuk
for
127
Warna
color
128
Ya
yes

In general, all of countries have their own language as their identity. Language mostly helps human for able to communicate with each other, making new friends also contribute at work for a better life. Therefore, the existence of language is important in the world.

See also : Indonesian heroes – Indonesian human rights

In addition to these phrases, we recommend you to get a good pocket dictionary which you can have on you whenever you need it. Another useful option is to download a mobile dictionary application which you can consult without any need for internet access.

See also: Bali Facts Bali Tribes

However you must study Indonesian by reading and writing to achieve improvement result. Then, attempt to speak Daily Phrases in Indonesia with other which can further strengthened your comprehension about what you say in Bahasa. I hope the content of this page was useful to you, and that you studied some Indonesian daily phrases, idioms and words. Do try to memorize them to be able to use them in your daily conversation with one another in Indonesia.

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