Greetings! How do you enjoy being in Indonesia? Have you slowly learned Bahasa Indonesia during your stay here? Don’t worry, there are easy ways to learn Bahasa Indonesia in a day. The simplest way is to have conversations in Indonesian language. There are examples of Indonesian conversation for beginners that can help you out.
Indonesian Keywords and Phrases
Aside from that, here are a list of common Indonesian phrases translated from English phrases you’re familiar with to make it easier for you to learn.
| English Phrases | Indonesian Phrases |
| 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 |
| Good night! | Selamat malam |
| See you later! | Sampai jumpa |
| Good bye! | Selamat tinggal |
| Asking for Help and Directions | |
| 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! |
Thus, that was some Indonesian Conversation Phrases
More Indonesian Keywords and Phrases
| How to Introduce Yourself |  Meaning |
| Do you speak (English/ Indonesian)? | Apakah kamu bisa berbahasa (Inggris/Indonesia) |
| Just a little. | Sedikit. |
| What’s your name? | Siapa namamu? / nama kamu siapa? |
| My name is … | Nama saya … |
| Mr…/ Mrs.…/ Miss… | Tuan../ Nyonya../ Saudari… |
| Nice to meet you! | Senang bertemu denganmu |
| You’re very kind! | Kamu baik sekali |
| Where are you from? | Dari mana asal kamu? / (or) Kamu berasal dari mana? |
| I’m from (the U.S/ Indonesia) | Saya dari Amerika/indonesia |
| I’m (American) | Saya orang Amerika |
| Where do you live? | Kamu tinggal dimana? |
| I live in (the U.S/ Indonesia) | Saya tinggal di Amerika/Indonesia |
| 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/ businessman) | Saya bekerja sebagai penerjemah/businessman |
| I like Indonesian | Saya suka orang Indonesia |
| I’ve been learning Indonesian for 1 month | Saya telah belajar bahasa Indonesia selama sebulan |
| Oh! That’s good! | Oh, bagus sekali! |
| How old are you? | Berapa umurmu? |
| I’m (twenty, thirty…) years old. | Saya (dua puluh, tiga puluh,…) tahun. |
| I have to go | Saya harus pergi |
| I will be right back! | Saya akan segera kembali |
More Indonesian Keywords and Phrases
| Wish Someone Something | |
| Good luck! | Semoga sukses |
| Happy birthday! | Selamat ulang tahun |
| Happy new year! | Selamat tahun baru |
| Merry Christmas! | Selamat hari natal |
| Happy Weekend | Selamat akhir pekan |
| Congratulations! | Selamat |
| Enjoy! (for meals…) | Selamat menikmati |
| I’d like to visit Indonesia one day | Saya ingin mengunjungi Indonesia suatu hari nanti |
| Good night and sweet dreams! | Selamat malam, mimpi indah |
| Solving a Misunderstanding | |
| I’m Sorry! (if you don’t hear something) | Maaf… |
| Sorry (for a mistake) | 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 Is this? | Apa ini? |
| 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 | |
| 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 giving something) | Ini! |
| 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? |
| I love you! | Saya cinta kamu |
| I feel sick. | Saya merasa tidak sehat |
| I need a doctor | Saya perlu dokter |
Also check out basic Indonesian vocabulary to enrich your Indonesian, and don’t forget to learn Indonesian greeting etiquette and manners when you communicate with someone. For example, learning different phrases about how to say thank you in Indonesian is important to make sure you’re polite and well-mannered. Good luck!