PART TWO
Key Words and Expressions
INTRODUCTIONS & SMALL TALK
| Good morning | |
| (until 10 a.m. or so) | Selamat pagi |
| (from 10 to midday) | Selamat siang |
| Good afternoon | |
| (from midday to 3 p.m.) | Selamat siang |
| (from 3 p.m. to dark) | Selamat soré |
| Good evening | Selamat malam |
| Good night | Selamat tidur |
Hello (more informal)
Halo
How are you?
Apa kabar? (lit. what news?)
Fine
Kabar baik (lit. news good)
Baik-baik saja (lit. just OK)
Times of the day are divided into three phases in Indonesia: pagi, siang and soré.
Communicating
Do you speak English?
Apa bisa bahasa Inggris?
Yes, a bit.
Bisa, sedikit.
I can speak English.
Saya bisa berbahasa Inggris.
| English | bahasa Inggris |
| Indonesian | Bahasa Indonesia |
| Dutch | bahasa Belanda |
| Javanese | bahasa Jawa |
Can you speak slowly please?
Tolong bicara perlahan-lahan.
Can you say it again?
Tolong, sekali lagi.
I understand.
Saya mengerti.
I don’t understand.
Saya tidak mengerti.
I want to learn Indonesian.
Saya mau belajar Bahasa Indonesia.
| Excuse me | Permisi |
| Sorry | Maaf |
| Thank you | Terima kasih |
| You’re welcome/ | Sama-sama / (Terima kasih) |
| That’s OK | kembali |
| No, thank you | Terima kasih |
| Please | Tolong (asking for help) |
| Coba (if inviting someone to try something) |
| Silahkan (if offering something) |
I’m going now.
Mari, saya duluan ya.
| Goodbye | Mari / Silahkan |
| Goodbye | Selamat jalan |
| (have a good trip) | |
| Goodbye | Selamat tinggal |
| (to someone staying) | |
It is important to take leave of others. Indonesians would not leave the house without saying goodbye first (pamit) to those staying behind, especially if they are older. This is also the case if you have chatted with someone. It is very good manners to do it after you have paid for something.
Small Talk
Indonesians are very fond of asking questions, some of which might seem rather personal to Westerners. You shouldn’t be offended as you might back home. Answer those that you can, and ask the same question back! Alternatively you can give vague answers—nobody is that interested in the accuracy of your response, they just want to chat.
Where are you going?
Mau ke mana? (lit. want to where?)
This is a very common question and people may not be really interested in your answer. It is a bit like commenting on the weather in English.
Just having a wander.
Jalan-jalans aja. (lit. just going around)
To the market.
Mau ke pasar.
To the beach.
Mau ke pantai.
Have you been here long?
Sudah lama di sini?
Just two days
Baru dua hari.
Already a week.
Sudah seminggu.
Two months.
Dua bulan.
Where are you from?
Dari mana? (lit. from where?)
This could also mean, “Where have you just come from?” (ie. what was your last destination before here?) but when addressed to foreigners, it is usually asking about their origins.
From America / the US.
Dari Amérika.
From Australia.
Dari Australia.
From Surabaya.
Dari Surabaya.
Talking about Yourself
| mother | ibu | |
| father | ayah | |
| older sister/brother | kakak | |
| younger sister/brother | adik | |
| husband | suami | |
| wife | isteri | |
| friend | kawan, teman | |
| boyfriend/girlfriend | pacar | |
What’s your name?
Siapa
