Which Indonesian phrases should you learn first?
Learn a greeting, a thank you, an excuse me, an apology and a way to admit you did not follow: selamat pagi, terima kasih, permisi, maaf and saya tidak mengerti. Those five carry most first encounters, because a visible attempt at the language tends to be met halfway.
Phrases stick better in situational clusters than in one long list, so what follows is grouped the way you meet them. For the wider picture, see the guide to learning Indonesian.
How do you greet someone by time of day?
Use selamat plus the part of the day you are in.
| Indonesian | English | When |
|---|---|---|
| Selamat pagi | Good morning | Sunrise to about 11am |
| Selamat siang | Good day | About 11am to 3pm |
| Selamat sore | Good afternoon | About 3pm until dark |
| Selamat malam | Good evening | After dark, on arrival or when leaving |
| Halo | Hello | Any time, and on the phone |
| Hai | Hi | Informal, between friends and peers |
The boundaries are fuzzy and nobody is checking: around late morning, and again mid-afternoon, either of two greetings passes. Dropping selamat is normal and friendlier, so Pagi, Pak is more common than the full form. To someone heading to bed, say selamat tidur.
What greetings do Indonesians actually use with each other?
They mostly greet each other with questions that are not really questions, the way “all right?” works in British English.
| Indonesian | English | How to answer |
|---|---|---|
| Sudah makan? | Have you eaten? | Sudah or Belum |
| Mau ke mana? | Where are you going? | Something vague is expected |
| Dari mana? | Where have you come from? | Dari rumah, or anything brief |
| Apa kabar? | How are you? | Baik, or Baik-baik saja |
None of them is asking for detail. A neighbour asking Mau ke mana? is not requesting your itinerary.
A: Mau ke mana?
B: Jalan-jalan saja.
Jalan-jalan saja means “just out and about” and closes the exchange politely. Answer Belum to Sudah makan? and food may well be offered, because the question often is a real offer. Apa kabar? is genuine Indonesian and worth recognising, but between people who see each other regularly it comes up less than textbooks suggest.
Politeness essentials
Six expressions cover nearly all everyday politeness.
| Indonesian | English | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Terima kasih | Thank you | Makasih is the casual form |
| Sama-sama | You’re welcome | The standard reply |
| Permisi | Excuse me | Squeezing past, entering, leaving |
| Maaf | Sorry | Apologising, or softening an interruption |
| Tolong | Please, as in help me | Before a request you are making |
| Silakan | Please, as in go ahead | Before an offer you are making |
Tolong and silakan both translate as “please” and are not interchangeable. Tolong means you want something from the other person: tolong ulangi. Silakan means you are inviting them to act: silakan masuk, silakan duduk. Hand someone their coffee and it is silakan; ask them to pass yours and it is tolong. The standard spelling has no h, although silahkan appears on signs everywhere.
Introducing yourself
Say nama saya plus your name, then ask for theirs.
| Indonesian | English | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Nama saya … | My name is … | Neutral everywhere |
| Siapa nama Anda? | What is your name? | Formal |
| Namanya siapa? | What is your name? | The everyday version |
| Senang bertemu dengan Anda | Pleased to meet you | Also senang berkenalan |
| Saya dari Inggris | I’m from England | Swap in your country |
| Asalnya dari mana? | Where are you from originally? | Dari mana? alone means “from where just now” |
Anda is the formal “you” and is capitalised in standard writing, but it is not the polite default it looks: in person it can sound distant, and a name or a title is usually warmer. Kamu is for friends, peers and children. That choice is set out in formal and informal Indonesian.
What to say when you do not understand
Say saya tidak mengerti, then ask for whatever would help.
| Indonesian | English | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Saya tidak mengerti | I don’t understand | Casually, saya nggak ngerti |
| Bisa bahasa Inggris? | Do you speak English? | Short everyday form |
| Tolong ulangi | Please say that again | Or Bisa diulangi? |
| Tolong bicara pelan-pelan | Please speak slowly | Pelan-pelan alone works |
| Apa artinya …? | What does … mean? | Point at the word |
| Apa bahasa Indonesianya …? | How do you say … in Indonesian? | Or … bahasa Indonesianya apa? |
The most useful sentence here is saya sedang belajar bahasa Indonesia, which slows people down and often turns a transaction into a short lesson. On the phrase itself, see bahasa and Bahasa Indonesia.
Ordering food and drink
Open with saya mau pesan or simply minta, then name the dish.
| Indonesian | English | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Saya mau pesan … | I’d like to order … | Neutral and clear |
| Nasi goreng satu | One nasi goreng | Dish first, number after |
| Minta air putih | Could I have water | Air putih is plain water |
| Tidak pedas | Not spicy | Or jangan pedas |
| Pedas sedikit saja | Only a little spicy | The middle setting |
| Bungkus | To take away | Bungkus, ya sounds softer |
| Enak | Tasty | Said often, and appreciated |
| Sudah kenyang | I’m full | Politely stops more food |
| Berapa semuanya? | How much altogether? | Or minta bonnya |
Asking prices and bargaining
Ask Berapa harganya?, or Ini berapa? while pointing.
| Indonesian | English | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Berapa harganya? | How much is it? | Ini berapa? is shorter |
| Mahal | Expensive | Kemahalan is “too expensive” |
| Boleh kurang? | Can you come down? | The standard opener |
| Saya lihat-lihat dulu | I’m just looking | Ends a pitch politely |
Whether to bargain depends on the setting. In traditional markets, at street stalls and with souvenir sellers, some negotiation is expected. In shops with printed price tags, in minimarkets and in malls, prices are fixed and asking for a discount will be refused. Keep it light either way, since pushing hard over a small amount reads badly.
Directions and transport
For anything you are looking for, name the thing and add di mana.
| Indonesian | English | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Toiletnya di mana? | Where is the toilet? | Swap in any noun |
| Ke Jalan Malioboro, ya | To Jalan Malioboro, please | Said to a driver |
| Belok kanan | Turn right | |
| Belok kiri | Turn left | |
| Lurus saja | Straight on | Or lurus terus |
| Berhenti di sini | Stop here | Stop is understood too |
In shared minibuses, passengers call out Kiri, literally “left”, to be dropped at the roadside.
Pak, Bu, Mas, Mbak and Kak
Indonesian uses address terms constantly, attached to names and also in place of the word “you”.
| Term | Roughly | Who it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Pak | Sir, Mr | Any adult man, older or senior |
| Bu | Madam, Mrs | Any adult woman, same idea |
| Mas | Older brother | Men your age or a little older |
| Mbak | Older sister | Women your age or a little older |
| Kak | Older sibling | Gender-neutral, common in service |
Mas and Mbak come from Javanese and are the everyday choice across much of Java and in Jakarta, for servers, drivers, shopkeepers and colleagues. They are understood elsewhere, though other terms are more natural in some regions. Pak and Bu are safe anywhere for anyone clearly older or in an official role. These also replace pronouns: Pak mau ke mana? is “where are you going, sir”, with no separate word for “you”. Choosing between them is mostly copying the people around you, and one of the first things worth checking in online Indonesian lessons.
Saying goodbye
Sampai jumpa is the neutral all-purpose goodbye.
| Indonesian | English | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Sampai jumpa | See you | Works almost anywhere |
| Sampai nanti | See you later | Same day |
| Sampai besok | See you tomorrow | |
| Hati-hati | Take care | Often hati-hati di jalan |
| Duluan ya | I’ll head off first | Leaving before the others |
| Dadah | Bye | Casual, with a wave |
Three pronunciation points that change how well you are understood
Vowels, the letter c and syllable weight account for most of the gap between a phrase that lands and one that draws a puzzled pause. The letter e covers two sounds, a schwa in terima and a clear “eh” in enak, and the spelling does not tell you which. The letter c always sounds like the ch in “church”, never a k and never an s: cari, cukup. And every syllable carries roughly equal weight, so terima kasih said with English stress collapses into something hard to place.
The rest of the sound system, including the glottal stop at the end of words like tidak, is worked through in the Indonesian for beginners guide.