Hello guys, we come back to give you another lesson of Bahasa Indonesia today. Before we learn a new lesson, we have to review first, what lessons have you learned before. Yesterday, you have already know about new years greeting in Indonesian, how to say Hello in Indonesian, common greetings in Indonesian and also Indonesian greeting customs.
Now, we will give you another lesson that is important and you must know about these, the Indonesian hand gestures. Indonesia has many hand gestures, such as greeting people, calling someone over and else. Below here are the common basic Indonesian hand gestures that you must know.
1. Shake hands
Indonesia has two kinds of shake hands, it means berjabat tangan and cium tangan in here we called it salim. Berjabat tangan is used while you get an interview or while you get a new promotion. Sometimes berjabat tangan uses while you introduce yourself to someone.
Tradition in Indonesia, while you introduce yourself to someone no need to give a stronger grip. After shake hands, usually, people in Indonesia touch their chest. It shows to respects the other person. Besides, cium tangan or salim is used to respect the older people; teacher, parents, even older brother or sister.
2. Calling someone overÂ
How to calling someone over in Indonesia? In here you want to call your friends over to you, so do this while you call someone over to you. Do waving your fingers a few times, then your friends will go over to you.
You can do this thing too, say your friend’s name little louder and do waving your fingers. Besides, sometimes people do wave with their both hands a few times and say, Hei Toni, cepatlah kemari. (Hey, Toni hurries up.)
3. Walking while passing people
There are two older peoples in front of you and they have some conversation. So, what would we gonna do if we face the problem like this? Walking while passing the people both young and old you should do this.
First, say permisi, pak (excuse me, sir), or you can say with the Javanese language such as; nuwun sewu, pak (excuse me, sir). While you say excuse me, bow your body and put your right hand in front of your body and walk as usual (do not walk too fast).
4. Let someone enter
How to let someone enter with Indonesian hand gestures? In here, you have a guest, your friend from Indonesia. So, after you open the door, make thumb signs with your both thumbs over your hands. Then, pointing it on the spot where you let someone enter.
Moreover, Indonesia’s people say, Mari, silahkan masuk (let’s go in) or monggo, pak (let’s go in, sir). These Indonesia hand gestures are so polite and it is always used in the daily activity.
5. Apology
Maaf, aku tidak sengaja (Sorry, I did not mean it.), if you say a sorry or apology to someone. What are the right-hand gestures? Clap your hands together in front of your chest and do slightly bowing. This is how to express apology in Indonesia. However, sometimes Indonesian people do shake hands too.
You (made a mistake) hold your friend’s hand, and here you beg to be forgiven and say Maafin aku ya. (forgive me, please.)
The examples of greetings with Indonesian hand gestures
- Pak Sanusi, selamat Anda bisa bekerja disini mulai besok. (Mr. Sanusi, congratulations, you can work here and you can start tomorrow.)
- Dina, kemari cepat. Ada sesuatu yang harus aku katakan padamu. (Dina, come here quickly. There is something I have to say to you.)
- Silahkan masuk mbak Novi, sebentar saya panggilkan mbak Ida. (Please, come in here Ms. Novi, please wait for a while, I will call Ms. Ida.)
- Reza, maaf aku tidak tahu kalau ini makananmu. (Reza, sorry, I don’t know that this is your food.)
There are four examples of greeting with Indonesian hand gestures. Let’s begin the first sentence; Pak Sanusi, selamat Anda bisa bekerja disini mulai besok. This sentence shows how to congratulation by shaking hands because Mr. Sanusi has been accepted to work in a company.
Next, Dina, kemari cepat. Ada sesuatu yang harus aku katakan padamu. The second example this how to greet someone from distance by waving fingers, then say  Dina, kemari cepat. After that, you can say, Ada sesuatu yang harus aku katakan padamu. Silahkan masuk mbak Novi, sebentar saya panggilkan mbak Ida.Â
This is one polite way how to let someone enter your house by making two thumbs both your hands and then pointing it on the spot where you let her in. The last, Reza, maaf aku tidak tahu kalau ini makananmu. So, you made a mistake by throwing his food to trash. So, you make an apology and say Reza, maaf aku tidak tahu kalau ini makananmu. You grab his hands and beg to be forgiven.
Hopefully, the Indonesia hand gestures above may help you and useful for you. However, for more greeting, you can learn about how to bargaining in the Indonesian language. With this, you can bargain with the Indonesian language properly. Keep it practice and learn Bahasa Indonesia. Good luck