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Indonesian phrasebook Travel Guide

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Indonesian (Indonesian: Bahasa Indonesia) is the official language and lingua franca of Indonesia, and also widely spoken in East Timor. With over 230 million speakers, there are a lot of people to talk to in Indonesian.

Indonesian is closely related to Malay, but the main difference is the vocabulary: Indonesian has been heavily influenced by Dutch and Javanese (and also Sanskrit), while Malay has been heavily influenced by English and Arabic.

Contents

Grammar

Indonesian word order is subject-verb-object like English. There are no plurals, grammatical gender, or verb conjugation for person, number or tense, all of which are expressed with adverbs or tense indicators: saya makan, "I eat" (now), saya sudah makan, "I eat already" = "I ate".

A characteristic of Indonesian is that it is a so-called agglutinative language, which means that the suffixes are all attached to a base root. So a word can become very long. For example there is a base word hasil which means "result". But it can be extended as far as ketidakberhasilannya, which means his/her failure.

Pronunciation guide

Indoabbr newspeak

One legacy of the Sukarno-Suharto era still affecting Indonesia is an inordinate fondness for vaguely Orwellian Newspeak-y abbreviations, chosen more for pronouncability than logic or comprehensibility. For example, the National Monument (Monumen Nasional) is universally known as Monas, the Jakarta-Bogor-Tangerang-Bekasi capital region is called Jabotabek and a police captain at the West Kalimantan HQ (kepala polisi resort Kalimantan Timur) would be known as Kapolres Kaltim. Even the socialistic exhortation to stand on your own feet (berdiri diatas kaki sendiri) can be snappily rendered as berdikari and the humble fried rice nasi goreng can be chopped up into nasgor!

Indonesian is very easy to pronounce: it has one of the most phonetic writing systems in the world, with only a small number of simple consonants and relatively few vowel sounds. One peculiarity of the spelling is the lack for a separate sign to denote the schwa. It is written as an 'e', which can sometimes be confusing.

In Indonesia, spelling reforms in 1947 and 1972 have officially eliminated several vestiges of Dutch in the otherwise very phonetic spelling, and the writing system is now nearly identical to Malay. However, the older forms remain in use to some extent (especially in names) and have been noted in parenthesis below.

Stress usually falls on the second-to-last syllable, so in two-syllable words the first syllable is stressed.

Vowels

like 'a' in "father"
like 'e' in "vowel" (schwa)
é 
like 'e' in "bed", usually the difference between a schwa and an e is not indicated in writing
i (ie, j) 
like 'i' in "thin"
like 'ow' in "low", in open positions or like 'o' in "top" in close positions
u (oe) 
like 'oo' in "hoop", in open positions or like 'o' in “hope” in close positions

Consonants

Prefix attack

Having trouble finding a word in a dictionary? Trying dropping the exact cruft.

Prefixes: be-, bel-, ber-, di-, ke-, me-, mem-, men-, meng-, per-, se-, ter-

Postfixes: -an, -i, -kan, -lah, -nya

like 'b' in "bed"
bh 
like 'b' in "bed", only in Sanskrit borrowings
c (ch, tj) 
like 'ch' in "China"
like 'd' in "dog"
dh 
like 'd' in "dog", only in Sanskrit borrowings
like 'ph' in "phone"
like 'g' in "go"
like 'h' in "help"
j (dj) 
like 'dg' in "edge"
like 'c' in "cat", often silent at the end of a word
kh (ch) 
like 'ch' in "loch"
like 'l' in "love"
like 'm' in "mother"
like 'n' in "nice"
ng 
like 'ng' in "sing" (no hard 'g' sound)
ngg 
like 'ng' in "finger" ('ng' plus a hard 'g')
ny 
like 'ny' in "canyon"
like 'p' in "pig"
like 'q' in "quest" (with "u", almost always, only in Arabic borrowings)
like 'rr' in Spanish "perro"
like 'ss' in "hiss"
sy (sj) 
like 'sh' in "sheep"
like 't' in "top"
like 'ph' in "phone"
like 'w' in "weight"
like 'cks' in "kicks"
y (j) 
like 'y' in "yes"
like 's' in "hiss", like 'z' in "haze", like 'dg' in "edge"

Common diphthongs

ai 
like 'ay' in "say"
au 
like 'ow' in "cow"
oi 
like 'oy' in "boy"

Phrase list

Basics

Common signs


BUKA 
Open
TUTUP 
Closed
MASUK 
Entrance
KELUAR 
Exit
DORONG 
Push
TARIK 
Pull
WC 
Toilet
PRIA 
Men
WANITA 
Women
DILARANG 
Forbidden

The shorter the better

Colloquial Indonesian shortens commonly used words mercilessly.

tidak → tak → nggak 
no
tidak ada → tiada 
not have
sudah → udah → dah 
already
bapak → pak 
father; you (polite, for men)
ibu → bu 
mother; you (polite, for older women)
aku → ku 
I (informal)
kamu → mu 
you (informal)

-ku and -mu also act as suffixes: mobilku is short for mobil aku, "my car".

Hello. 
Halo. (HUH-lo)
Hello. (informal
He. (Hey)
How are you? 
Apa kabar? (AH-pAh KAH-bar?)
Fine, thank you. 
Baik, terima kasih. (BAYK, TREE-muh KUS-see)
What is your name? 
Namanya siapa? (NUM-muh-nyuh shah-puh?)
My name is ______ . 
Nama saya ______ . (NUM-MUH suh-yuh _____ .)
Nice to meet you. 
Senang bertemu anda. (SNUNG burr-tuh-moo UN-duh)
Please. 
Silakan. (see-LUH-kunn)
Please. (request) 
Tolong. (TOH-long)
Thank you. 
Terima kasih.
You're welcome. 
Terima kasih kembali. ()
Yes. 
Ya. (EEYUH)
No. 
Tidak. (TEE-duh), Tak (TAH)
Excuse me. (getting attention
Maaf. (MUH-UFF)
Excuse me. (begging pardon
Maaf, permisi. ()
I'm sorry. 
Maaf. ()
Goodbye 
Selamat tinggal. ()
Goodbye (informal
Dadah. (DUH-DUH)
I can't speak Indonesian [well]. 
Saya tidak bisa berbahasa Indonesia [dengan baik]. ()
Do you speak English? 
Bisa bahasa Inggris? ()
Is there someone here who speaks English? 
Ada orang yang bisa bahasa Inggris? ()
Help! 
Tolong! ()
Look out! 
Hati-hati! ()
Good morning. 
Selamat pagi. (slum-mut PUH-GUEE)
Good afternoon. 
Selamat siang.
Good evening. 
Selamat sore. ()
Good night. 
Selamat malam. ()
Good night (to sleep
Selamat tidur. ()
I don't understand. 
Saya tidak mengerti. ()
Where is the toilet? 
Di mana toiletnya? (DEE muh-nuh TOY-leht-nyuh?)

Problems

No means no

Indonesian has a number of ways to say "no".

tidak (tak, nggak
"Not" — used to negate verbs.
Ada apel? (Do you) have an apple?
Tidak ada. (No, I) don't have.
bukan (kan
"No" — used to negate nouns.
Ini apel? Is this an apple?
Bukan, ini jeruk. No, it's an orange.
belum 
"Not yet" — used when something has not happened (yet).
Sudah makan apel? Did you eat the apple?
Belum. No, not yet.
jangan 
"Don't" — to tell somebody not to do something.
Jangan makan apel! Don't eat the apple!
dilarang 
"Forbidden" — used mostly on signs.
Dilarang makan apel. Eating apples is forbidden.
Leave me alone. 
Jangan ganggu saya. (...)
Don't touch me! 
Jangan pegang saya! (...)
I'll call the police. 
Saya panggil polisi. (...)
Police! 
Polisi! (...)
Stop! Thief! 
Stop! Maling! (...)
I need your help. 
Saya minta tolong. (...)
It's an emergency. 
Ini darurat. (...)
I'm lost. 
Saya tersesat. (...)
I lost my bag. 
Saya kehilangan tas saya. (...)
I lost my wallet. 
Saya kehilangan dompet saya. (...)
I'm sick. 
Saya sakit. (...)
I've been injured. 
Saya terluka. (...)
I need a doctor. 
Saya perlu dokter. (...)
Can I use your phone? 
Bisa saya pakai telepon anda? (...)

Numbers

nol / kosong (COSS-song)
satu (...)
dua (...)
tiga (...)
empat (...)
lima (LEE-ma)
enam (...)
tujuh (...)
delapan (...)
sembilan (...)
10 
sepuluh (...)
11 
sebelas (...)
12 
duabelas (...)
13 
tigabelas (...)
14 
empatbelas (...)
20 
duapuluh (...)
21 
duapuluh satu (...)
22 
duapuluh dua (...)
23 
duapuluh tiga (...)
30 
tiga puluh (...)
40 
empat puluh (...)
50 
lima puluh (...)
100 
seratus (...)
200 
dua ratus (...)
300 
tiga ratus (...)
1000 
seribu (...)
1100 
seribu seratus (...)
1152 
seribu seratus lima puluh dua (...)
1200 
seribu duaratus (...)
1500 
seribu limaratus (...)
2000 
dua ribu (...)
2100 
dua ribu seratus (...)
10,000 
sepuluh ribu (...)
20,000 
duapuluh ribu (...)
100,000 
seratus ribu (...)
150,000 
seratus limapuluh ribu (...)
156,125 
seratus limapuluh enam ribu seratus duapuluh lima (...)
250,000 
duaratus limapuluh ribu / seperempat juta (quarter of a million) (...)
500,000 
limaratus ribu / setengah juta (half a million) (...)
1,000,000 
satu juta (...)
1,150,000 
satu juta seratus limapuluh ribu (...)
1,250,000 
satu seperempat juta (...)
1,500,000 
satu setengah juta (...)
1,750,000 
satu juta tujuh ratus limapuluh ribu (...)
1,000,000,000 
satu milyar
1,000,000,000,000 
satu trilyun
number _____ (train, bus, etc.
nomor _____ (NO-more)
half 
setengah (...)
quarter 
seperempat (...)
three quarter 
tiga perempat (...)
less 
kurang (...)
more 
lebih (...)

Time

now 
sekarang (...)
later 
nanti (NUN-tee)
before 
sebelum (...)
morning 
pagi (0.00 – 10.30) (...)
afternoon 
siang (10.30 – 15.00) (see-YOUNG)
evening 
sore (15.00 – 19.00) (sore-RAY)
night 
malam (19.00 – 0.00) (...)

Clock time

one o'clock AM 
jam satu pagi (...)
two o'clock AM 
jam dua pagi (...)
noon 
jam duabelas siang (...)
one o'clock PM 
jam satu siang (...)
two o'clock PM 
jam dua siang (...)
midnight 
jam duabelas malam (...)

Duration

_____ minute(s) 
_____ menit (...)
_____ hour(s) 
_____ jam (...)
_____ day(s) 
_____ hari (...)
_____ week(s) 
_____ minggu (...)
_____ month(s) 
_____ bulan (BOO-lun)
_____ year(s) 
_____ tahun (...)

Days

today 
hari ini (...)
yesterday 
kemarin (kuh-MAR-reen)
tomorrow 
besok (bay-SOAK)
this week 
minggu ini (MEENG-goo EE-nee)
last week 
minggu lalu (MEENG-goo LUL-loo)
next week 
minggu depan (MEENG-goo duh-PUN)
Sunday 
Minggu (MEENG-goo)
Monday 
Senin (suh-NEEN)
Tuesday 
Selasa (SLUH-suh)
Wednesday 
Rabu (RUH-boo)
Thursday 
Kamis (KUM-mees)
Friday 
Jum’at (joom-UTT)
Saturday 
Sabtu (SUB-too)

Months

January 
Januari (...)
February 
Februari (...)
March 
Maret (MAR-ruht)
April 
April (...)
May 
Mei (...)
June 
Juni (JOON-nee)
July 
Juli (JOOL-lee)
August 
Agustus (a-GOOS-tuhs)
September 
September (...)
October 
Oktober (...)
November 
November (...)
December 
Desember (day-SEM-burr)

Writing time and date

Writing time
1.00 
pukul / jam satu
1.01 
jam satu lewat / lebih satu
1.15 
jam satu seperempat
1.20 
jam satu lewat duapuluh / jam setengah dua kurang sepuluh
1.30 
jam setengah dua
1.40 
jam setengah dua lebih sebuluh / jam satu lewat empat puluh
1.45 
jam dua kurang seperempat
The hours are written from zero to 23. So 06.00 PM is written as 18.00.
Date

First one should write the day, after that the month and then the year.

August 17th 1945 
17 Agustus 1945

Colors

black 
hitam (HEE-tum)
white 
putih (POO-teeh)
gray 
abu-abu (UH-boo UH-boo)
red 
merah (MER-ruh)
blue 
biru (BEE-roo)
yellow 
kuning (KOO-neeng)
green 
hijau (HEE-jow)
orange 
oranye (oh-RUN-nyuh)
purple 
ungu (OONG-oo)
brown 
coklat (CHOC-klutt), also the word for chocolate

Transportation

Bus and train

How much is a ticket to _____? 
Berapa harga karcis ke _____? (...)
One ticket to _____, please. 
Tolong, satu karcis ke _____. (...)
Where does this train/bus go? 
Kereta/bus ini ke mana? (...)
Where is the train/bus to _____? 
Di mana kereta/bus ke _____? (...)
Does this train/bus stop in _____? 
Apa kereta/bus ini berhenti di _____? (...)
What time does the train/bus for _____ leave? 
Jam berapa kereta/bus ke _____ berangkat? (...)
What time does this train/bus arrive in _____? 
Jam berapa kereta/bus ini sampai di _____? (...)

Directions

How do I get to _____ ? 
Bagaimana saya bisa ke _____ ? (...)
...the train station? 
...stasiun kereta api? (...)
...the bus station? 
...terminal bus? (...)
...the airport? 
...bandara? (...)
...downtown? 
...pusat kota? (...)
...the _____ hotel? 
... hotel _____ ? (...)
...the American/Canadian/Australian/British embassy/consulate? 
... Kedutaan Besar/Konsulat Amerika / Australia / Inggris / Kanada? (...)
Where are there a lot of... 
Di mana ada banyak... (...)
...hotels? 
...hotel? (...)
...restaurants? 
...rumah makan? (...)
...bars? 
...bar? (...)
...sites to see? 
...tempat-tempat bagus? (...)
Can you show me on the map? 
Bisa anda tunjukkan di peta? (BEE-SUH un-duh TOON-jook-kunn dee PEY-TUH?)
street 
jalan (...)
left 
kiri (...)
right 
kanan (...)
straight ahead 
lurus (...)
towards the _____ 
menuju _____ (...)
past the _____ 
melewati _____ (...)
before the _____ 
sebelum _____ (...)
near the 
dekat _____ (...)
in front of 
di depan _____ (...)
intersection 
persimpangan (...)
north 
utara (...)
south 
selatan (...)
east 
timur (...)
west 
barat (...)
north-east 
timur laut (...)
nort-west 
barat laut (...)
south-east 
tenggara (tuhng-GAH-rah)
south-west 
barat daya (...)

Taxi

Taxi! 
Taksi! (TUKS-see)
Take me to _____, please. 
Bisa pergi ke _____. (...)
How much does it cost to get to _____? 
Berapa harganya ke _____? (...)
Take me there, please. 
Tolong antar saya ke sana. (...)
Turn left. 
Belok kiri. (...)
Turn right. 
Belok kanan. (...)
Turn around. (U-turn) 
Putar balik. (...)
Watch for the _____. 
Lihat _____. (...)
Stop here. 
Berhenti disini. (...)
Wait here. 
Tunggu disini. (...)

Lodging

Do you have any rooms available? 
Ada kamar kosong? (UH-duh kum-muhr COS-SONG?)
How much is a room for one person/two people? 
Berapa harganya kamar untuk satu/dua orang? (...)
Does the room come with... 
Apakah ini termasuk... (...)
...bedsheets? 
...seprei? (...)
...a bathroom? 
...kamar mandi? (...)
...a telephone? 
...telepon? (...)
...a TV? 
...TV? (tee-FEE)
May I see the room first? 
Bisa lihat kamarnya dulu? (...)
Do you have anything quieter? 
Ada yang lebih tenang? (...)
...bigger? 
...besar? (...)
...cleaner? 
...bersih? (...)
...cheaper? 
...murah? (...)
OK, I'll take it. 
Baik saya mau. (BAYK, sah-yah MaH-oo)
I will stay for _____ night(s). 
Saya tinggal _____ malam. (...)
Can you suggest another hotel? 
Tahu hotel lainnya? (...)
Do you have a safe? 
Anda punya deposit box? (...)
...lockers? 
...locker? (...)
Is breakfast/supper included? 
Sudah termasuk sarapan/makan malam? (...)
What time is breakfast/supper? 
Sarapannya/makan malamnya jam berapa? (...)
Please clean my room. 
Tolong kamar saya dibersihkan. (...)
Can you wake me at _____? | Saya bisa dibangunkan pada pukul _____? (...)
I want to check out. 
Saya mau check out. (...)

Money

Do you accept American/Australian/Canadian dollars? 
Bisa pakai dollar Amerika /Australia / Kanada? (...)
Do you accept British pounds? 
Bisa pakai poundsterling Inggris? (...)
Do you accept credit cards? 
Bisa pakai kartu kredit? (...)
Can you change money for me? 
Apa saya bisa tukar uang? (...)
Where can I get money changed? 
Di mana saya bisa tukar uang? (...)
Can you change a traveler's check for me? 
Anda bisa tukar traveler's check saya? (...)
Where can I get a traveler's check changed? 
Di mana saya bisa tukar traveler's check? (...)
What is the exchange rate? 
Apa kursnya? (...)
Where is an automatic teller machine (ATM)? 
Di mana ada ATM? (dee MUN-nuh UH-duh AH-TEY-EM)

Eating

Edible adjectives


asin 
Salty
asam 
Sour
dingin 
Cold
enak 
Delicious
manis 
Sweet
panas 
Hot (temperature)
pedas 
Hot (spicy)
tawar 
Tasteless, bad
A table for one person/two people, please. 
Tolong, satu meja untuk satu/dua orang. (...)
Can I look at the menu, please? 
Bisa lihat menunya? (...)
Is there a house specialty? 
Ada makanan istimewa? (...)
Is there a local specialty? 
Ada makanan khas daerah ini? (...)
I'm a vegetarian. 
Saya vegetarian. (...)
I don't eat pork. 
Saya tidak makan babi. (...)
I don't eat beef. 
Saya tidak makan sapi. (...)
Can you make it "lite", please? (less oil/butter/lard
Tolong bisa dibuat ringan? (...)
I want _____. 
Saya mau pesan _____. (...)
I want a dish containing _____. 
Saya mau makanan yang mengandung _____. (...)
chicken 
ayam (...)
beef 
sapi (...)
fish 
ikan (...)
pork 
daging babi (...)
sausage 
sosis (...)
cheese 
keju (...)
eggs 
telur (...)
tofu 
tahu (...)
(fresh) vegetables 
sayuran (...)
(fresh) fruit 
buah (...)
bread 
roti (...)
toast 
roti bakar (...)
noodles 
mie (MEE)
rice 
nasi (...)
porridge
bubur (...)
May I have a glass of _____? 
Saya bisa minta satu gelas _____? (...)
May I have a cup of _____? 
Saya bisa minta satu cangkir_____? (...)
May I have a bottle of _____? 
Saya bisa minta satu botol _____? (...)
coffee 
kopi (...)
tea (drink
teh (...)
juice 
jus (...)
(bubbly) water 
air bersoda (...)
water 
air (AH-yer)
beer 
bir (...)
red/white wine 
anggur merah/putih (...)
May I have some _____? 
Saya bisa minta _____? (...)
salt 
garam (...)
black pepper 
merica (MREE-chah)
chili sauce 
sos cili (...)
butter 
mentega (muhn-TEY-gah)
Excuse me, waiter? (getting attention of server)
Mas-Mas! (young male), Bang-Bang! (older male) Mbak-Mbak! (female) Bu-Bu! (older Female)(...)
I'm finished. 
Saya sudah selesai. (...)
It was delicious. 
Tadi enak rasanya. (...)
Please clear the plates. 
Tolong piringnya diambil. (...)
The check, please. 
Minta bon. (...)

Bars

Do you serve alcohol? 
Anda juga menyajikan alkohol? (...)
A beer/two beers, please. 
Tolong, satu/dua bir. (...)
A glass of red/white wine, please. 
Tolong, satu gelas anggur merah/putih. (...)
A bottle, please. 
Tolong, satu botol. (...)
_____ (hard liquor) and _____ (mixer), please. 
_____ and _____, please. (...)
whisky 
whisky (...)
vodka 
vodka (...)
rum 
rum (...)
local spirits 
arak (...)
water 
air (...)
club soda 
club soda (...)
tonic water 
tonic water (...)
orange juice 
jus jeruk (...)
Coke (soda
Coca cola (...)
Do you have any bar snacks? 
Ada makanan kecil? (...)
One more, please. 
Tolong, satu lagi. (...)
Another round, please. 
Tolong, satu ronde lagi. (...)
When is closing time? 
Pukul berapa tutup? (...)

Shopping

Do you have this in my size? 
Ada yang ukuran saya? (...)
How much is this? 
Berapa harganya? (...)
That's too expensive. 
Lho kok mahal. (HLO KOH muh-HUHL)
Would you take _____? 
Would you take _____? (...)
expensive 
mahal (...)
cheap 
murah (...)
I can't afford it. 
Saya tidak bisa beli itu. (...)
I don't want it. 
‘nggak mau (informal) / Saya tidak mau (formal) (...)
You're cheating me. 
Saya ditipu ya? (...)
I'm not interested. 
Saya tidak tertarik. (..)
OK, I'll take it. 
OK, saya mau. (...)
Can I have a bag? 
Ada tas? (...)
Do you ship (overseas)? 
Bisa kirim (ke luar negeri)? (...)
I need... 
Saya perlu... (...)
...toothpaste. 
...odol. (...)
...a toothbrush. 
...sikat gigi. (...)
...condoms. 
...kondom. (...)
...tampons. 
...softeks / pembalut. (...)
...soap. 
...sabun. (...)
...shampoo. 
...sampo. (...)
...pain reliever. (e.g., aspirin or ibuprofen
...obat anti sakit (aspirin, parasetamol, …) (Note: ibuprofen is not widely available). (...)
...cold medicine. 
...obat masuk angin. (...)
...stomach medicine. 
...obat sakit perut. (...)
...a razor. 
...cukuran kumis/jenggot. (...)
...an umbrella. 
...payung. (...)
...a postcard. 
...kartu pos. (...)
...postage stamps. 
...prangko. (...)
...batteries. 
...baterai. (...)
...writing paper. 
...kertas. (...)
...a pen. 
...balpen. (...)
...English-language books. 
...buku-buku Inggris. (...)
...English-language magazines. 
...majalah Inggris. (...)
...an English-language newspaper. 
...koran Inggris. (...)
...an English-Indonesian dictionary. 
...kamus Inggris-Indonesia. (...)

Driving

I want to rent a car. 
Saya mau sewa mobil. (...)
Can I get insurance? 
Saya bisa minta asuransi? (...)
stop (on a street sign
stop (...)
one way 
Satu arah (...)
no parking 
Dilarang Parkir (...)
gas (petrol) station 
Pompa Bensin or SPBU (abbreviation for Stasiun Pompa Bensin Umum) (...)
petrol 
premium (...)
diesel 
diesel, solar (...)

Authority

I haven't done anything wrong. 
Saya tidak bersalah. (...)
It was a misunderstanding. 
Itu salah paham. (...)
Where are you taking me? 
Saya dibawa ke mana ? (...)
Am I under arrest? 
Apakah saya ditahan ? (...)
I am an American/Australian/British/Canadian citizen. 
Saya warganegara Amerika /Australia / Inggris / Kanada. (...)
I want to talk to the American/Australian/British/Canadian embassy/consulate. 
Saya ingin bicara dengan Kedutaan Besar/Konsulat Amerika / Australia / Inggris / Kanada. (...)
I want to talk to a lawyer. 
Saya mau bicara dengan pengacara/advokat. (...)
Can I just pay a fine here now? 
Bisakah saya bayar denda di tempat saja? (...)

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