Etiquette and Body Language
In Indonesia, body language is as much a part of effective communication as speech. By it you may either quickly offend or put someone at ease.
Indonesians may tolerate shorts and T-shirts in tourist shops, hotels and at the beach, but not in their homes or places of worship. It is customary to wear long pants and a shirt with a collar for men, long pants or a skirt below the knees and a blouse with sleeves for women, when going out in public. Sarongs, short pants and T-shirts are only worn around the house. In Bali, a colored sash must be worn tied around the waist when entering a temple.
Avoid using the left hand. Indonesians use their right hand to eat with and their left hand to do their business!
Point with the thumb, never with the index finger. Raise or nod your head instead of pointing at people.
It is not polite to put your hands on your hips, or to cross your arms in front of you when speaking to someone.
Footwear should be taken off (ditanggal) when visiting an Indonesian home. Slippers or sandals are acceptable at all but the most formal of occasions.
Avoid exposing the sole of your foot at someone.
Avoid touching the head or slapping someone on the back.
Indonesians are not accustomed to public displays of affection (hugging and kissing).
Beckon someone with the hand by waving with fingers together and the palm facing downwards.
Javanese will often stoop or bend over slightly when passing you. This is based on the traditional custom in the Javanese kraton or palace, where the level of one’s head is equated with one’s social status. Servants were formerly expected to walk with their legs squat, crab-like.
Indonesians bathe at least twice daily, before breakfast and supper, and may find it very strange if you do not do the same! A common greeting in the evening is Sudah mandi belum? (“Have you had your bath yet?”) Nothing in particular is meant by this, it is simply another way of saying “Hello!”
When visiting an Indonesian home, it is normal to greet the head of the household first. Greetings can be somewhat long and complicated. It is polite to shake hands, and to nod the head and state one’s name while doing so. You will be expected to meet all adults in the house, and to go through a litany of “Small Talk” questions and answers (see Part Three below).
Wait for the signal Silakan! before entering, sitting, eating or drinking. Never completely finish food or drink presented to you, as to do so is to request more. Wait for your host or hostess to offer.
When you leave, say goodbye to all adults in the house, shake hands again and tell them where you are going and why you must leave so soon. Often you will be asked to stay longer, eat, bathe, take a nap, or spend the night when you were not expecting to! These elaborate rituals reinforce the atmosphere of congeniality in Indonesian society and such invitations are not to be taken seriously unless they are repeated several times. Always decline an invitation gracefully the first time, as the person making it is perhaps just being polite and doesn’t really expect you to accept.
Outbursts and public displays of emotion or displeasure are to be avoided at all costs.
DIALOG 2
PART TWO
A Quick Word About Grammar
2.01
Verbs
The verb is the heart of the Indonesian sentence. The following is a list of verbs that are commonly used in everyday speech. You will probably learn them quickly, since they will come up again and again.
| ada to be, to have, to exist | bicara to speak |
| mau to want (= will) | perlu to need |
| bisa to be able to (= can) | tahu to know |
| suka to like | punya to own |
| dapat to get, to reach, to attain | jadi to become |
| harus necessary | |
| boléh permitted, allowed to (= may) |
Common verbs of motion (intransitive)
| datang to come, to arrive | duduk to sit |
| ikut to accompany, to go along | jalan to walk, to travel |
| keluar to go out, to exit | masuk to go in, to enter |
| pergi to go | berhenti to stop |
| pulang to go back [home] | kembali to return |
| turun to come down, to get off (a bus, etc.) | |
| mulai to begin | lari to run |
Common verbs of action (transitive)
| ambil to take, to get | bawa to carry |
| beli to buy | cari to look for, to seek |
| dengar to hear | kasih to give |
| lihat to see | naik to ride, to go up, to climb up |
| pakai to use, to wear | séwa to rent |
| taruh to put, to place | terima to receive |
The verb “to be”
Note: That the English verb “to be” does not really exist in Indonesian. Sentences of the sort X is Y in English are expressed by simply juxtaposing X with Y. The verb “to be” is then understood.
Saya orang Amérika. I [am] an American.
Hotél itu mahal. That hotel [is] expensive.
Réstoran ini bagus. This restaurant [is] good.
Adalah may sometimes be used to join two nouns in the sense of X is Y although this is usually optional. (Adalah cannot be used in this way, however, to join a noun with an adjective.)
Saya adalah orang Inggris. I am a Briton.
Dia adalah orang yang cerdik. He is a clever person.
2.02
Word order
The standard or basic word order of Indonesian sentences is the same as in English, namely: subject + verb + object + complement.
Saya perlu taksi. I need a taxi.
Saya perlu taksi bésok pagi.
I need a taxi tomorrow morning.
Kita cari hotél. We are looking for a hotel.
Saya mau séwa