Indonesia is one of the top destinations for many tourists all over the world. The beautiful islands, the rich culture, the good food—the list goes on and on. Many foreigners also decide to stay in Indonesia for a longer period of time to work and settle. Of course, Indonesian language is important to learn during your stay here. The good news is Indonesian language is not a hard language to master. Our grammar is pretty simple, with no tenses, so you don’t have to be too worried about it.
You can learn Indonesian language pretty fast! Here’s a list of Indonesian words you need to know to make your stay easier when you’re still new to the country. Don’t forget to check out Indonesian language pronunciation guide to make sure you pronounce them correctly.
1. Indonesian Greetings
- Selamat Pagi: Good morning
- Selamat Siang: Good afternoon
- Selamat sore: Good evening
- Selamat malam: Good night
- Apa kabar?: How are you? – Kabar baik: I’m good
- Terima kasih: Thank you
- Sama Sama: You are welcome
- Yes/No: Ia/ Tidak
Also read: Common Greetings In Indonesian
- Saya: I
- Kamu: You (familiar) often shortened to “Kau”
- Anda: You (formal or respectful)
- Dia: He/She
- Kita: Us (including the person spoken to)
- Kami: Us (not including the person spoken to)
- Kalian: You (plural)
- Mereka: They
3. Indonesian Numbers
- 1 – Satu
- 2 – Dua
- 3- Tiga
- 4- Empat
- 5- Lima
- 6- Enam
- 7- Tujuh
- 8- Delapan
- 9- Sembilan
- 10 – Sepuluh
Also read: How to Say Indonesian Numbers 1-1000 Fast and Easy
4. Indonesia Food and Drink
- fork – garpu
- spoon – sendok
- knife – pisau
- chopstick – sumpit
- cup – cangkir
- plate – piring
- glass – gelas
- restaurant – restoran/resto, rumah makan
- food – makanan
- beverage – minuman
- breakfast – makan pagi ; lunch – makan siang; dinner – makan malam
- mineral water – air putih
- iced water – air es
- hot water – air panas
- warm water – air hangat
- tea – teh ; coffee – kopi
- milk – susu ; rice – nasi
- noodles – mie
- fish – ikan
- poultry – lauk
- chicken – ayam
- beef – sapi
- pork – babi
- lamb – kambing, domba
- crab – kepiting
- mussel (and the like) – kerang
- prawn/shrimp – udang
- vegetables – sayur
- fruit – buah
- egg – telur
- sugar – gula
- salt – garam
- pepper – merica, lada
- black pepper – merica hitam, lada hitam
- chilli pepper – cabe, lombok
- chili sauce – saus sambal
Also read Indonesian Words for Food
5. Directions
Here are more Indonesian words you need to know:
- Saya mau ke Bali: I want to go to Bali
- Kiri: Left
- Kanan: Right
- Lurus: Straight
- Belakang: Behind
- toilet – kamar kecil
- office – kantor
- tourist office – kantor pariwisata
- embassy – kedutaan
- car – mobil
- motorcycle – sepeda motor
6. Simple Conversation Phrases
Here are more Indonesian words you need to know:
- Tidak Apa Apa!: No worries!
- Bagus!: Great!
- Hati-hati: Be careful
- Boleh or Bisa: Can.
- Ada/Tidak ada : There is/There is not
- Buka/Tutup: Open/Close
- Selamat jalan: Have a safe journey
- Ini apa?: What is this?
- Sampai jumpa lagi : See you again
- Tolong!: Help
- Maaf: I am sorry
- Jam berapa?: What time is it?
Quite a handful of phrases to help you out! Wanna learn more? Check out:
- Indonesian greetings with time of day
- Indonesian greeting etiquette
- Verbal and non verbal communication in Indonesia
Good luck to Learn Indonesian! Terima Kasih!