There are lots of foreign people who are interesting to learn Bahasa Indonesia for many reason. It can simply because they are going to visit the country for holiday or actually want to master the language. Based on those who have learned the language, Bahasa Indonesia is a easy language to learn because there is neither grammatical complexity or symbolical alphabets. If you are in the process of learning Bahasa Indonesia, here are some Indonesian words to learn.
Related: Basic Guide to Indonesian Grammar
1. Indonesian Greetings and polite words
Learning polite words and greetings are very important because Indonesians appreciate politeness. Indonesians are friendly and they will gladly help you out especially when you are being polite. Here are the lists of greetings and polite words to learn.
Related: Communication Etiquette in Indonesia
| Indonesian | English |
| Selamat pagi | good morning (note: change the time for different greetings such as good afternoon (selamat sore), and good evening (selamat malam). |
| Terima kasih (Some people also say ‘Makasi’ instead of terima kasih and it means the same | Thank you |
| Terima kasih kembali | you are welcome (most people will only say ‘sama-sama’ to say the phrase). |
| Apa kabar | how are you? What’s up? |
| Selamat jalan/selamat tinggal | good bye |
That’s some common Indonesian words to learn.
2. Name of food or restaurants
Important note when you go to warung, they will serve the food in the normal Indonesian way. For example they will put sambal or chili on your food or put sugar to your tea and coffee without asking. Learn these words to avoid that experience.
| Indonesian | English |
| Saya mau… | I want …. |
| Tawar / tanpa gula | No sugar (for example: saya mau teh tawar – I want tea with no sugar) |
| Tidak pedas | No spicy |
| Dingin | Cold |
| Panas | Hot |
| Es | Ice |
| Bungkus | Take away |
| Makan disini | Dine in |
You could also check out List of Indonesian Words Similar to English (Loanwords)
3. Common verbs
The common verbs to learn in Indonesian language include words to use in everyday life. This includes eat, drink, sleep, and the like. Once you make friend with the local people, do not be surprised if they will ask you personal question such as ‘are you married?”. They do not mean to get in your personal life, but it just common question.
See also: Untranslatable Indonesian words
| Indonesian | English |
| Pergi | Go |
| Datang | Come |
| Minum | Drink |
| Bayar | Pay |
| Tidur | Sleep |
| Lihat | Look |
| Makan | Minum |
| Berenang | Swim |
| Beli | Buy |
| Jalan | Walk |
| Menikah | Married |
There are many more Indonesian words to learn.
4. Indonesian Numbers
Learning numbers is important to know prices, location, phone numbers, and much more. Learn more about Colors in Indonesian.
| Numbers | Indonesian | English |
| 1 | Satu | One |
| 2 | Dua | Two |
| 3 | Tiga | Three |
| 4 | Empat | Four |
| 5 | Lima | Five |
| 6 | Enam | Six |
| 7 | Tujuh | Seven |
| 8 | Delapan | Eight |
| 9 | Sembilan | Nine |
| 10 | Sepuluh | Ten |
5. Other Indonesian Words
The table below shows other important words you may need to know such as sorry, excuse me, and help.
| Indonesian | English |
| No | Tidak (some people also say ‘nggak’ to say no for casual occasion and ‘tidak’ for formal. |
| Iya / Ya | Yes / Yeah |
| Maaf | Sorry |
| Tolong | Help / Please |
| Permisi | Excuse me |
| Besar | Big |
| Berapa | How much/many |
Learning Indonesian is very easy especially when you understand the grammar rules and pronunciation. Whether you learn the language for visiting Indonesia or simply interested to the language, make sure to remember those words. Learn more about Conversation example in Indonesia.