Bahasa Indonesia Words and Phrases

Pronunciation Key

Bahasa Indonesia, the official language of Indonesia, is actually quite simple to learn.

Keep in mind that the letter ‘c’ is most often pronounced with a ‘ch’ sound. Learn to count quickly. It’s very important to at least learn this much before you go to Indonesia. This will enable you to purchase items and handle fares on taxis, buses, bemos, and becaks.

Good books on the language include Beginning Indonesian Through Self-Instruction by John V. Wolff (a three-volume set well worth the $50 cost), Lonely Planet’s Indonesian Phrasebook, and Everyday Indonesian by Thomas Oey.

Useful Words and Phrases

English
Bahasa Indonesia
Good morning/day/afternoon/evening/night
Salamat pagi/siang/sore/ malam/tidur
Welcome
Selamat datang
See you later
Sampai jumpa hagi
Please
Silahkan
Thank you
Terima kasih
I’m sorry
Ma’af
Excuse me
Permisi
What time is it?
Jam berapa?
Where is the toilet?
Dimana ada kamar kecil?
How much does this cost?
Berapa harga ini?
Where is the pharmacy?
Dimana ada apotik?
How are hou/how is it going?
Bagaimana kabarnya
I don’t feel well
Saya kurang enak badan

Numbers

 

English
Indonesia
English
Indonesia
one
satu
six
enam
two
dua
seven
tujuh
three
tiga
eight
delapan
four
empat
nine
sembilan
five
lima
ten
sepuluh

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