Born in 1961, Obama became the first African-American President for the United State of America. Becoming the 44th American President, he had two periods of tenure from 2009-2017. Obama is a smart person who travelled a lot since he was a child. He was born in Hawaii and he has a late mother from America and a late father from Kenya.
His American Mother and Kenya Father were divorced. His biological father moved to attend in the next high education in Harvard University and passed away after meeting Obama.
Obama is brought up by his mother and he flew to Indonesia because her mother was married to Indonesian step-father named Lolo Soetoro. This was the start of Obama’s life in Indonesia and this is the explanation before the answer could Obama speak Indonesian.
A Step Father from Indonesia and Having School in Indonesia
Obama’s mother met his step Father, Lolo when she was attending university. Lolo Soetoro had one child with Obama’s mother, named Maya Soetoro. Maya Soetoro is living in America now. As Obama lived in Indonesia approximately when he was six to ten years old, he was attending Indonesian school with his Indonesian fellows.
Obama attended the school for four years and have learnt not only Indonesian language but also other subjects, especially three different religion. Living in Indonesia when Obama was a child, made him was able to speak Indonesia that time. All the school subjects and his daily activities made him learn and speak in Indonesia.
Obama also had friends from Indonesian fellas. He sometimes had conversation and played together with them. It helped him to talk in Indonesian quite friendly as well. He finally had to move to Hawaii because his mother was divorced with his step-father.
After moving to Hawaii, he was brought up with his grandmother. He grew up there and went to some school and high educations in Political Science. He started to become the Senate in Illinois State from Democrat after winning the election. Ever since he was active in political field, he rarely used Indonesian language.
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Could Obama Speak Indonesian?
The answers is yes, but not fluently.
Obama is used to understand when people talk in Indonesian but he rarely can reply it in Indonesian too. One statement in one article from Quora which is stated by Karl Slotz, the one who met Obama had witnessed that Obama had ever been asked to speak Indonesia.
Obama understood when that person talked in Indonesian, but Obama replied the question and statement into English. However, he tried to answer in Indonesian. He has been asked about his past when he lived in Menteng and he answered “Oh, saya bukan anak Menteng. Saya anak Menteng Dalam.” Oh, I am not a Menteng Child, I am a kid from Menteng Dalam.
Obama can talk in Indonesian for his daily conversation but not for his political or diplomacy matters. He also still tries to speak Indonesian when he visits Indonesia. He can speak some Indonesian signature dishes such as Nasi Goreng or Satai and Emping.
His step-sister can also speak Indonesian. She is more fluently than Obama. Obama had to be helped by his teacher and his fellas when he was living in Indonesia to learn and speak Indonesian. Therefore, could Obama speak Indonesian? The answer is yes.
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