10 Useful Indonesian phrases every traveller should know

Travelling in Indonesia or anywhere else for that matter can be tough if you don’t speak the language. Although many people in the larger cities of Indonesia can speak basic English, it’s always important to learn at least a few simple phrases to make your stay that much more enjoyable. So, here are a few simply phrases that may help you through your next trip or holiday to Indonesia.

1.)    Berapa?

We’ve unanimously decided that this is the most important phrase to learn in any country that you go to. This will tremendously aid you in not getting ripped off while shopping or going around the city.  Berapa means: How much? You can make the phrase longer by saying “Berapa ini,” (how much is this) or “Ini harga berapa” (what is the price of this.) This is especially important in places with no price tags, as the language you speak decides the price ;) This can also be used to ask the time, as in “Jam berapa?”

2.)    Nama siapa?

Indonesians are friendly people and are always happy to make conversation. The above phrase simply means ‘What is your name?’ To which, you can reply “Nama saya __________.” Pretty simple, isn’t it?

3.)    Selamat

Because greetings are always important, here they are. Selamat is used for almost any greeting, followed by the time of day, event, etc.
“selamat pagi” – Good morning
“Selamat Siang” - Good morning / Good afternoon (Siang is generally from roughly 11AM – 2PM)
“Selamat Sore” - Good Afternoon / Good evening (sore is usually used from about 3PM till 6PM)
“Selamat Malam” – Good night. Unlike saying ‘Good night,’ in English, ‘Selamat Malam’ is also used as a greeting and not only a closing.
“Selamat Tidur” - have a good sleep.
“Selamat jalan,” – Have a good trip  / Goodbye (as said to the one leaving.)
“Selamat Ulang Tahun.” – Happy Birthday.
There are numerous other ‘selamat’ phrases, but those should be enough for now.

4.)    Apa kabar?

More on greetings, “apa kabar,” means “How are you?” The reply to which, would be “Baik,” if you’re feeling good, which is the usual response. If you feel like responding negatively, you could say “kurang baik,” which is “not so good,” or literally, “less than good.”

5.)    Terima Kasih!

Thank you. Because a little kindness goes a long way, and it always helps to express that kindness in a language the person you’re speaking to can understand. You can also say “Terima kasih banyak,” which means, thank you so much. And if someone says thank you to you, the reply would be “sama-sama.”

6.)    Dimana…?

Where is………? This is an especially useful phrase when asking for directions, if you happen to get lost in the middle of nowhere. Especially so, because if you get lost in the middle of nowhere, that’s where the chances of people speaking English get progressively slimmer.

7.)    Kiri / Kanan / Lurus

The above would be translated as left / right / straight, most often used when giving / getting directions. As in “belok kiri,” (turn left) “belok kanan,” (turn right) or “lurus aja,” (just go straight.)

8.)    Jauh / Dekat

On the same topic of Dimana, it’s always good to also find out how near or far something is when asking for directions. If you asked “dimana __________” and someone replied “lurus aja dan belok kiri,” it would probably be useful to ask “berapa jauh,” (how far is it) or “jauh atau dekat?” (is it near or far?)

9.)    Tidak and Ya

Yes and no are always important words to know. Yes, as you may have guessed, is “ya” but may also be said “ia.” Tidak means no, also sometimes said as “ngak” or simply “ga” if you happen to be talking on SMS, Whatsapp, or something of the like.

10.)     Saya tidak mengerti.

To avoid miscommunication, it’s always good to let people know when you have no idea what they are saying. Hence, the above phrase means “I don’t understand.”

That was a very short list of many useful phrases that may come in handy, but it’s a good start to help you on your way. Have a good stay in Indonesia!

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