If you've traveled, you are aware that knowing even just a little of the local language can make a world of difference to your travel experience. People will treat you differently if they perceive you are trying to meet them halfway. There's no better way to start bridging the culture gap than by learning a few basic phrases -- particularly courtesies. So, to that end, we propose to get you started with this short list of easy grammar rules and phrases.
Basic Rules of Grammar and Pronunciation
OK, let's start with the good news: Bahasa is one of the world's easiest languages! There are no genders to remember, no inflected tones with which to struggle and few tough rules to follow. The language does away with pesky little items like articles and even plurals (believe it or not, it's true: if you want to indicate more than one of something you simply say it twice!!).
While a full grammar lesson is beyond the scope of this basic primer, there are some simple pronunciation hints you should attempt to master:
(1) "c" is pronounced "ch".
(2) A final "r" is rolled slightly.
(3) A final "k" is almost completely dropped.
(4) "g" is always a hard "G".
(5) First syllables are often de-emphasized in multi-syllabic words.
Essential Words & Phrases
The Bare Minimum
| yes | ya | |
| no | tidak | |
| please | tolong | |
| thank you | terima kasih | The first syllable in "terima" is often lost, making it "t'rima". You will also hear people say "makasih", which is simply a truncation. |
| I do not understand. | Saya tidak mengerti. |
Greetings & Farewells
| good morning | selamat pagi | The first syllable is almost lost in "selamat", so it becomes "s'lamat" |
| good afternoon | selamat siang | Use this one around Noon |
| good afternoon | selamat sore | Use this for mid to late afternoon. "Sore" is pronounced "soray". |
| good evening | selamat malaam | |
| good night | selamat tidur | Used when going to sleep - final farewell of the evening |
| goodbye | selamat tinggal | Used by the person leaving |
| goodbye | selamat jalan | Used by person staying (this phrase also means "Have a good trip ") |
Basic Courtesies
| thank you | terima kasih | The first syllable in "terima" is often lost, making it "t'rima". You will also hear people say "makasih", which is simply a truncation. |
| you are welcome | kembali | A more casual usage is "sama-sama" |
| sorry | ma'af | |
| excuse me | permisi | |
| How are you? | Apa kabar? | |
| I am fine. | Kabar baik. | Can also be truncated to simply "baik". Note that the "k" in "Baik" is almost silent, giving you essentially "Bi". |
| please | tolong | |
| Mr. | Pak | Go softly on the "k"! |
| Mrs. | Ibu |
Some Basic Verbs
| to eat | makan | |
| to drink | minum | |
| to cook | masak | |
| to want | mau |
"I want" = "saya mau" |
| to go | pergi | |
| to bathe | mandi | Can also be a noun referring to the wash basin in the bathroom. |
| to buy | membeli |
Personal Pronouns
| I / me / mine | saya | |
| you | anda | For close friends, "Kamu" |
| he / she | dia | |
| they | mereka | |
| we | kita |
Question Words
| what | apa | |
| where | dimana | |
| who | siapa | |
| when | kapan | |
| how much / how many | berapa | |
| why | mengapa |
Getting Around
| Where is ....? | Dimana...? | |
| this / here | ini | |
| that / there | itu | |
| left | kiri | |
| right | kanan | |
| go forward | terus | Run it all together so it sounds like "t'russ!" |
| go back | ma noon | back, as in "backwards" |
| stop here | turun di sini | |
| slow down | pelan-pelan | |
| speed up | cepat-cepat |
Food & Dining
| spicy | pedas | "not spicy" = "tidak pedas" |
| sweet | manis | |
| sour | asam | |
| salt | garam | |
| pepper | merica | |
| sugar | gula | |
| menu | menunya | |
| check / bill | bon | |
| I am a vegetarian. | Saya hanya makan sayur-sayuran. | |
| restaurant | rumah makan | literally = "house food" |
| food stall | warung | Often a small restaurant or cafe. |
| drinking water | air putih | literally = "water white" Can also say "aqua". |
| The food is delicious. | Makanan ini enak. | |
| beef | daging sapi | |
| pork | daging babi | |
| chicken | ayam | |
| seafood | ikan | |
| shrimp | udang | |
| vegetables | sayur | |
| rice | nasi | |
| noodles | mie | |
| beer | bir |
