Beside Indonesian Grammar Rules, learning Indonesian vocabulary is a very important in expressing ourselves in a conversation. Therefore, this time, let’s learn Indonesian 500 Useful Indonesian Words and Its Meaning. To make it more organize, it will divided to several themes.
1. Useful Indonesian Words related to ‘Family’
- keluarga = family
- orangtua = parent(s)
- ayah = father
*other synonyms: bapak, papa - ibu = mother
*other synonyms: bunda, mama - saudara = siblings
*other synonym: kakak adik - kakak = older brother/sister
- kakak laki-laki = older brother
*other synonyms: abang, mas, koko - kakak perempuan = older sister
*other synonyms: mbak, cici - adik = younger brother/sister
*other form: dedek - adik laki-laki = younger brother
- adik perempuan = younger sister
- kakek = grandfather
- nenek = grandmother
- kakek nenek = grandparents
*other synonyms: eyang, mbah - buyut = great-grandparent(s)
*other synonyms: eyang buyut, mbah buyut - kakek buyut = great-grandfather
- nenek buyut = great-grandmother
- anak = child/kid
- anak laki-laki = son
*other synonym: putra - anak perempuan = daughter
*other synonym: putri - cucu = grandchild
- cucu laki-laki = grandson
- cucu perempuan = granddaughter
- canggah = great-great-grandchild(ren)
- paman = uncle
*other synonym: om - bibi = aunt
*other synonym: tante - sepupu = cousin(s)
- keponakan = nephew(s)/niece(s)
- keponakan laki-laki = nephew(s)
- keponakan perempuan = (niece)
- mertua = in-law(s) (parents)
- menantu = law(s)
- (saudara) ipar = in-laws (siblings)
- ayah mertua = father-in-law
- ibu mertua = mother-in-law
- kakak ipar = (older) brother/sister-in-law
- adik ipar = (younger) brother/sister-in-law
- anak tiri = stepchild(ren)/stepson/stepdaughter
- ayah tiri = stepfather
- ibu tiri = stepmother
- orangtua baptis = godparent(s)
- ayah baptis = godfather
- ibu baptis = godmother
- anak baptis = godson/goddaughter
- bayi = baby
- remaja = teenager
- Indonesian Words for Family Members
Further reading: Indonesian Pronouns
2. Useful Words Related to ‘House’
- rumah = house/home
- ruang(an)/kamar = room
- kamar tidur = bedroom
- kamar mandi = bathroom
- ruang tamu = living room
*other synonym: ruang keluarga, ruang tengah - ruang makan = dining room
- dapur = kitchen
- halaman = backyard
- gudang = warehouse
- loteng = attic
- ruang bawah tanah = basement
- teras = terrace
- atap = roof
- pintu = door(s)
- jendela = window(s)
- lantai = floor
- meja = table
- kursi = chair
- lampu = lamp
- ranjang = bed
*other synonyms: tempattidur, kasur
Further reading : Indonesian Nouns
3. Useful Words related to ‘Daily Activities’
- bangun (tidur) = wake up
- mandi = take a bath/shower
- menggosok gigi = brush teeth
*other synonym = menyikat gigi - keramas = wash hair
- buang air kecil = pee/urinate
*other synonym = pipis - buang air besar = poop
- membersihkan kamar = clean the room
- merapikan kamar = tidy the room
- berangkat = go
- bersekolah = study
- bekerja = work
- berjalan = walk
- berlari = run
- duduk = sit
- berdiri = stand
- berlutut = kneel
- memasak = cook
- makan = eat
- minum = drink
- sarapan = have breakfast
*other synonym: makan pagi - makan siang = have lunch
- makan malam = have dinner
- mencuci = wash
- bermain = play
- mengerjakan PR = do homework
- pulang = go home
- berbelanja = shop
- belajar = study
- tidur siang = take a nap
- tidur = sleep
- bermimpi = dream (v)
Further reading: Most Common Indonesian Verbs
4. Useful Words related to ‘Hobbies’
- membaca = read
- menulis = write
- melukis = paint
- menggambar = draw/sketch
*other synonym= mensketsa - menyanyi = sing
*other synonym= bernyanyi - menari = dance
*other synonym= berdansa - berolahraga = do sport(s)
- menonton = watch
*other synonyms = melihat, menyaksikan - berfoto = take self-picture(s)/group pictures
- memotret = do photography/ take pictures
- memancing = fishing
- mendengarkan musik = listen music
- mengoleksi = collect
- menunggang kuda = ride a horse
- berkebun = gardening
- berpergian = travel
*other synonym = terbang (fly) because usually berpergian refers to somewhere far
Further reading : Indonesian Verbs
5. Useful Words related to ‘Sport’
- olahraga = sport(s)
- atlet = athlete (s)
*other synonyms = olahragawan (male), olahragawati (female) - pusat olahraga = sport center
- sehat = healthy
- bugar = fit
- sepak bola = football/soccer
- basket = basketball
- voli = volleyball
- tenis = tennis
- tenis meja = table tennis
*other synonym: pingpong - balap sepeda = cycling
- balapan = racing
- memanah = archery
- berenang = swimming
- selam = diving
- hoki = hockey
- melompat = jump
- menyepak = kick
*other synonym = menendang - memukul = hit
- lari = run/sprint
- pemain = player
- pebalap = racer
- wasit = referee
- kiper = goalkeeper
- pinalti = penalty
- menang = win
- kalah = lose
- seri = draw
- juara = winner
- pecundang = loser
- curang = unfair/cheat
- lapangan = yard/field
- stadion = stadium
- pertandingan = match
- pendukung = supporter/fans
*other synonym: suporter, fans
6. Indonesian Question Words
- apa = what
- siapa = who/whom/whose (asking name)
- kapan = when
*other synonym = bilamana - di mana = where
- ke mana = where (to)
- darimana = where (from)
- mengapa = why
*other synonym = kenapa - bagaimana = how
- berapa = how many/how much
- yang mana – which
- jam berapa = what time
Further readings :
7. Useful Indonesian Words related to ‘Time’
- jam = clock/alarm
- jam dinding = clock
- weker = alarm
*other synonyms = jam weker, alarm - jarum jam = clockwise
- jam/pukul = time (interrogative) – word before mention ‘the time’
- jam kerja = working time
- jam = hour
- menit = minute
- detik = second
- ketika = when
*other synonyms = saat, pada saat, waktu, pada waktu - lama = long (for time)
- lama = length
- sebentar = a second
*other synonyms = sekilas, sesaat - terlambat = late
*other synonym = telat - tepat waktu = on time
- subuh = dawn
- pagi = morning
- siang = afternoon
- sore = afternoon
- petang = afternoon
- senja = daylight
- malam = evening
- malam = night
- hari = day
- minggu = week
- bulan = month
- tahun = year
- windu = 8-year period
- dasawarsa = decade
*other synonym = dekade - abad = century
- milenium = millenial
- Senin = Monday
- Selasa = Tuesday
- Rabu = Wednesday
- Kamis = Thursday
- Jumat = Friday
- Sabtu = Saturday
- Minggu = Sunday
- hari kerja = weekday
- akhir pekan = weekend
- tahunan = annual
- Masehi = after century (A.D.)
- Sebelum masehi = before century (D.C.)
- sejarah = history
Further readings = Time in Bahasa Indonesia
8. Indonesian Useful Words related to ‘Shopping’
- belanja/berbelanja = shop (v)
- menjual = sell
- menjual = have sale value
- membeli = buy
- menawar = negotiate
*other synonym = negosiasi - membayar = pay
- tips = tip/insentive
*other synonyms = insentif, uang rokok, uang lelah - uang = money
*other synonym = duit - tunai = cash
- kredit = credit
- utang = debt
- piutang = accounts receivable
- transaksi = transaction
- harga = cost
- berapa = how much/how many
- mahal = expensive
- kemahalan = too expensive
- murah = cheap
- bagus = good
- jelek = bad
- kemurahan = too cheap
- terjangkau = affordable
- setimpal = worth it
- untung = profit
- rugi = loss
- laku =saleable
- pedagang = merchant
*other synonym = penjual - pembeli = buyer
*other synonym = pelanggan - kasir = cashier (person)
- barang = goods
- jasa = service
*other synonym = pelayanan - toko = shop
- pasar = market
- pasar tradisional = traditional market
- pasar swalayan = supermarket
- pasar loak = flea market
- bekas = old
*other synonym = tua - baru = new
- persediaan = stock
*other synonym = stok - jauh = far
- dekat = close
Further readings =
9. Useful Adjective Words
- senang = happy
*other synonyms = bahagia - sedih = sad
*other synonyms = berduka, berkabung, murung - marah = angry
- kesal = annoyed
- terkejut= shock, surprised
- berani = brave
- takut = scare
- menakutkan = scary, frightening
*other synonym = menyeramkan - malu = ashamed
- percaya diri = confident
- rendah hati = humble
- rendah diri = minder
- sombong = cocky
*other synonyms = congkak, tinggi hati - pintar = smart
*other synonym = pandai - cerdas = clever
- licik = slick
- bodoh = stupid
- malas = lazy
- rajin = dilligent
- kesepian = lonely
- cantik = pretty/beautiful (mostly female)
*other synonyms = jelita, rupawan - ganteng = handsome (must be male)
*other synonyms = tampan, rupawan - buruk rupa = ugly (face)
*other synonym = jelek - indah = beautiful, gorgeus (non-person)
*other synonym = good - tinggi = high
- rendah = short (height)
- panjang = long
- pendek = short
- sedang = so so
*other synonym = biasa - biasa = usual, normal
*other synonym = normal - aneh = quirky, odd
- unik = unique
- lucu = funny
- jayus = not funny (joke)
*other synonym = garing - benar = right
*other synonyms = betul, tepat - salah = wrong
- kaya = rich
*other synonym = mampu - miskin = poor
*other synonym = tidak/kurang mampu - bersih = clean/clear
- kotor = dirty
- rapi = tidy
- berantakan = messy
- gampang = easy
*other synonym = mudah - susah = difficult
*other synonyms = sulit, sukar - atas = above/high
- bawah = under/low
- matang = cook
- mentah = raw
- tua = old
- sepuh = very old (person)
- muda = young
- gemuk = fat
*other synonyms = gendut, besar - kurus = thin
- mungil = petite
- besar = big, huge
*other synonym = gede - kecil = small, little
- banyak = many/much
- sedikit = few
- kuno = ancient
- terang = light, bright
- silau = too bright
- gelap = dark
- remang = dimly lit.
- sama = same
- serupa = similar
- beda = different
- beragam = diverse
- luas = wide
- sempit = narrow
Further reading: 100 Lists of Indonesian Adjectives
Another Indonesian Useful Vocabulary !
10. Indonesian Color
- merah = red
- jingga = orange
*other synonym = oranye - kuning = yellow
- hijau = green
- biru = blue
- nila = indigo
- ungu = purple/violet
- hitam = black
- putih = white
- abu-abu = grey
- merah muda = pink
*other synonym = pink - muda (color) = light
- tua (color) = dark
- hijau muda = light green
- biru tua = dark blue
- biru dongker – navy blue
- Colours in Indonesian Language
11. Useful Words Related to ‘Education’
- pendidikan = education
- sekolah = school
- Taman Kanak-Kanak (TK) = kindergarden
- Sekolah Dasar (SD) = elementary school
- sekolah menengah = secondary school
- Sekolah Menengah Pertama (SMP) = junior high school
- Sekolah Menengah Atas (SMA) = senior high school
- Sekolah Menengah Kejuruan (SMK) = vocational high school
- kuliah = go to college/higher education
- universitas = university
- kampus = campus
- fakultas = faculty
- jurusan = major
- institut = institute
- sekolah tinggi = higher education school
- murid = student
- murid laki-laki = schoolboy
- murid perempuan = schoolgirl
- guru = teacher
- kepala sekolah = headmaster
- dosen = lectur
- dekan = dean
- rektor = rector
- teman = friend
- sahabat = close friend/best friend
- teman sekolah = schoolmate
- teman sekelas = classmate
- teman sebangku = chairmate
- musuh = enemy
- saingan = competitor
- ketua kelas = headclass
- sekretaris = secretary
- bendahara = chamberlain
- divisi = division
*other synonym = seksi - gelar = degree
- diploma = diploma
- sarjana (S1) = bachelor
- magister (S2) = master
- ijazah = certificate
- belajar = study
- mengajar = teach
- pekerjaan sekolah (PS) = school task
- pekerjaan rumah (PR) = homework
- ujian = test
*other synonym = ulangan (for elementary until senior high school) - tugas = task
- mata pelajaran = subject (for elementary until senior high school)
- mata kuliah = subject (for higher education)
- praktikum = practice
- jam istirahat = breaktime
- diskusi = discussion
- silabus = syllabus
- nilai = score
- juara kelas = valedoctarian
- naik kelas = go up a grade in school
- tinggal kelas = do not go up a grade in school (fail)
- hukuman = punishment
- makalah = paper/thesis
- kelas = class
- ruang kelas = classroom
- laboratorium =laboratorary
- pensil = pencil
- pen = pen
*other synonyms = pena, bolpoin - penghapus = eraser
- penggaris = ruler
- rautan (pensil) = (pencil) sharpener
- majalah dinding (mading) = wall magazine
More Indonesian Useful Words!
- kanan = right
- kiri = left
- tengah = middle
- depan = in front of
*other synonym = muka - belakang = behind
- samping = side
- serong = cross
- suka = like
- cinta = love
- benci = hate
- rambut = hair
- kepala = head
- dahi = forehead
*other synonym = jidat - alis = eyebrow(s)
- mata = eye(s)
- bulu mata = eyelash(es)
- kelopak mata = eyelid(s)
- bola mata = eyeball(s)
- hidung = nose
- pipi = cheek(s)
- dagu = chin
- rahang = cheekbone(s)
- mulut = mouth
- lidah = tongue
- gigi = teeth
- bibir = lip(s)
- telinga = ear
*other synonym = kuping - leher = neck
- pundak = shoulder
*other synonym = bahu - tangan = hand(s)
- lengan= arm
- pergelangan tangan = wrist
- siku = elbow
- jari = finger(s)
- kelingking = little finger
- jari manis = ring finger
- jari tengah = middle finger
- jari telunjuk = point finger
- jempol = thumb
*other synonym = ibu jari - dada = chest
- punggung = back
- perut = stomach
- pinggang = waist
- pinggul = hips
- panggul = pelvis
- kaki = leg(s)
- paha = thigh
- lutut = knee
- betis = calf
- tulang kering = tibia
- pergelangan kaki = ankle
- jari kaki = toes
- jempol kaki = toe
- tumit = heel
Beside these 500 Useful Indonesian Words, you could broaden vocabulary through these following articles:
- Untranslatable Indonesian Words
- Indonesian Connecting Words
- Indonesian Adverbs
- Indonesian Preposition