Indonesian Slang
Indonesian Slang is your travel phrase book of colloquial Indonesian, while in and around Indonesia. Use it for important communication, tell them what you are up to or having a laugh with the locals
Indonesian
Indonesia is a large, diverse and widely spread out country. It had in the past many different languages and dialects. When the new country was declared in 1945, the Riau dialect which was close to Malaysia was declared the official language of the country. It is a very easy language to learn, also because it is written in the same script as European languages so after a while you can start deciphering common words that you see. Verb conjugation doesn’t really exist, just use the verb and a preposition of time; before-sebelum or after-sesudah to denote time. Also plurals are anak- 1 child and anak anak- children, therefore doubling of the noun to get a plural.
These days the many varied islands use Bahasa Indonesia as a lingua franca, so that they can understand each other from Papua to Banda Aceh, and Saluwesi to Flores. While travelling in places like Bali you might learn words from local dialect like “Sing Ken Ken Blee”- no worries Bro, which is “Tidak apa apa” in Indonesian, highlighting the differences between islands.
Indonesian is very close to the Malaysian language but differs from heavy influences of Dutch language during their colonialsim as opposed to English in Malaysia, and also local dialects.
the Indonesian archipelago
Meeting,Greeting & Salutations
Senang bertemu denganmu
Pleased to meet you
Selamat makan!
Enjoy your meal
Ada kabar baru? Tidak banyak
What’s New? Nothing Much
Tolong bicara lebih lambat
please speak slower
Anda dari mana? Saya dari……..
Where are you from? I am from……………
Apa kebah?/ Baik, terima kasih/ Dan kamu? Baik / Biasa saja
How are you? I’m Fine, Thanks!/ And You? Good/ So-So.
Apakah nama mana? Siapa nama anda?
What’s your name?
Bagus-
good
Benar! Really!
Berapa umurmu? Saya (dua puluh, tiga puluh) tahun.
How Old Are You? I’m (twenty, thirty…) Years Old.
Berapa harga?
How much does it cost?
Berikan pada saya
Give Me This!
Besar ombak hari ini blee
Big waves today bro
Cepat! Hurry Up!
Hati hati
Careful
Hei teman!
Hey! Friend!
Jangan kuatir
Don’t Worry!
Kembali-Terima kasih kembali
You’re Welcome!
Lihat! Look!
Makan pagimalamsiang
Breakfastdinnerlunch
Muda pecah
Fragile
Nih!
Here You Go! (when giving something)
Pak Ayam
Mr. Chicken
Sampai jampai/besok
See you later/tomorrow
Satu lagi
One more time
Saya harus pergi Saya akan segera kembali
I Have To Go I Will Be Right Back!
Selamat datang
Welcome
Selamat hari ulang tahun
Happy birthday
Selamat menikmati
Enjoy your meal
Selamat pagi malam
Good morning
Selamat tahun baru
Happy New Year!
Selamat tidur, mimpi indah
Sleep well & Sweet Dreams
Semoga harimu menyenangkan
Have a nice day
Semoga sukses
Good Luck!
Senang bertemu denganmu
Nice To Meet You!
Balinese dancer
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