Indonesian/Important Phrases

These are some of the most commonly used words and phrases. Common phrases Translation Phrase IPA (Formal Modern Indonesian) SyllablesIndonesianBahasa Indonesia[baˌhasa indoˈnesia]ba·ha·sa In·do·ne·siaHello!Halo! (both in casual speech and on the telephone)[ˈhalo↘]ha·loWelcome!Selamat datang![səˌlamat ˈdatang↘]se·la·mat da·tangGood morning.Selamat pagi.[səˌlamat ˈpagi↘]se·la·mat pa·giGood afternoon.Selamat siang. (from 12 o’clock in the afternoon)[səˌlamat ˈsiaŋ↘]se·la·mat si·angGood afternoon.Selamat sore. (from 3 p.m.)[səˌlamat ˈsore↘]se·la·mat so·reGood evening.Selamat malam. (from 6 p.m.)[səˌlamat ˈmalam↘]se·la·mat ma·lamGood night.Selamat beristirahat.[səˌlamat bəristiˈrahat↘]se·la·mat ber·is·ti·ra·hatGoodbye!Dadah! (commonly-used, informal)[ˈdadah↘]da·dahGoodbye.Selamat tinggal. (said by the person leaving)[səˌlamat ˈtiŋgal↘]se·la·mat ting·galGoodbye.Selamat jalan. (said by the person staying)[səˌlamat ˈdʒalan↘]se·la·mat ja·lanPlease.Tolong.[ˈtɔlɔŋ↘]to·longThank you.Terima kasih.[təˌrima ˈkasih↘]te·ri·ma ka·sihYou’re welcome.Terima kasih kembali.[təˌrima ˌkasih kəmˈbali↘]te·ri·ma ka·sih kem·ba·lithisini[ˈini]i·nithatitu[ˈitu]i·tuHow much?Berapa?[bəˈra↗pa]be·ra·paYes.Ya.[ja]yaNo.Tidak.[ˈtidaʔ]ti·dak generic toast (when drinking)Selamat minum![səˌlamat ˈminʊm↘]se·la·mat mi·numLet’s toast!Mari bersulang![ˈmari bərˌsulang↘]ma·ri ber·su·langSorry.Maaf.[maˈʔaf]ma·afI don’t understand.Saya tidak mengerti.[ˈsaja ˌtidaʔ məŋərˈti↘]sa·ya ti·dak meng·er·tiI don’t know.Saya tidak tahu.[ˈsaja ˌtidaʔ ˈta(h)u↘]sa·ya ti·dak ta·huI don’t know.Saya tidak paham.[ˈsaja ˌtidaʔ ˈpaham↘]sa·ya ti·dak pa·hamThe English languageBahasa Inggris[baˌhasa ˈiŋgrɪs]ba·ha·sa Ing·grisDo you speak English?Bisa bahasa Inggris?[ˈbisa baˌhasa ˈiŋgrɪs↗]bi·sa ber·ba·ha·sa Ing·grisI cannot speak Indonesian.Saya tidak bisa berbicara bahasa Indonesia.[ˈsaja ˌtidaʔ ˌbisa bərbiˈtʃara baˌhasa ˈindonesia↘]sa·ya ti·dak bi·sa ber·ba·ha·sa In·do·ne·siaI want to go to…Saya mau pergi ke…[ˈsaja maʊ pərˈgi kə]sa·ya ma·u per·gi keWhere is the restroom?Di mana toiletnya?[di ˈmana toilɛtˈɲa↗]di ma·na toi·let·nyaHappy birthday!Selamat ulang tahun![səˈlamat ˌulaŋ ˈtahʊn↘]se·la·mat u·lang ta·hun ⁂ Click here for more information on Standard Indonesian phonology, how it differs from Standard Malay phonology. Vowel reduction is evident in modern Indonesian phonology due to the influence of Javanese. Helpful vocabulary for asking about words When you're trying to find the right word, these can help you ask for suggestions: same → sama almost the same → hampir sama / mirip antonym → lawan kata If you forget these, you can fall back on: sinonim → synonym antonim → antonym Sinonim and antonim are not common words, but they are easy to remember, many Indonesian speakers understand them, and they can be helpful in your early stages of trying to communicate. Kata-kata Penting (Important Phrases) Lost traveller's guide for important phrases. Thank you → Terima kasih Yes → Ya No, not → Tidak (used to negate anything but nouns) No, Not a X → Bukan X (where X is a noun) Sorry → Maaf Excuse me → Permisi Never mind / It's okay → Tidak apa-apa Okay → Baik Please (to let other people pass) → Silahkan Please (to order something) → Tolong Please give me X → Tolong berikan saya X My name is X → Nama saya X I am from Y → Saya dari Y Where is Z? → Di mana Z? Where is X embassy? → Di mana kedutaan X? I lost my passport → Paspor saya hilang (Literally, my passport is lost) Taxi → Taksi (almost the same pronunciation) Where are you going? → Ke mana? (Literally = to where?) To X? → Ke X Turn left → Belok kiri Turn right → Belok kanan Go straight ahead → Lurus (Terus) There / Over there → Di situ What's this/that? → Apa ini/itu? (pointing to something) I want to see it. → Saya mau lihat itu How much? → Berapa? How much is this/that? → Berapa ini/itu? Too expensive → Kemahalan Give me a lower price → Kurang sedikit harganya Cannot → Tidak bisa Time sudah (already) belum (not yet) These are the words used to deal with almost any situation involving past or future. If neither word is used, it likely means that the action is happening around now.