The letter “a” makes an “ah” sound like the “a” in the English word “father. " The letter “e” makes an “eh” sound similar to the “e” in the English word “let,” but slightly more rounded. Think of combining the “eh” sound with the “a” sound in the English word “late. " The letter “i” makes an “ee” sound like the “ee” in the English word “feet. " The letter “o” makes an “oh” sound similar to the “oe” in the English word “toe,” but more rounded. Think of combining the “oh” sound with the “aw” sound in the English word “saw. " The letter “u” makes an “oo” sound like the “oo” in the English word “boot. "
The diphthong “ai” sounds like the “ie” in the English word “tie. " The diphthong “au” sounds like the “ow” in the English word “how. " The diphthong “oi” sounds like the “oy” in the English word “boy. "
The letter “g” is pronounced like the hard “g” in the English word “good. " However, it never has a soft sound, like the “g” in the English word “giant. " The letter “s” is pronounced like the “s” in the English word “see. " It never has a softer “z” sound, like the “s” in the English word “boys. " The letter “y” always has a hard consonant sound, as in the English word “yell. " The letters “k,” “p,” and “t,” aren’t aspirated (said with the exhalation of a short puff of air), as in the English words “kill,” “put,” and “tap. " Rather, they always sound like “skate,” “spot,” and “stop. "
The digraph “ng” sounds like the “ng” at the end of the English word “sing. " This digraph also appears at the beginning of words, which is a sound that can be difficult for native speakers of Western languages, although it’s common in other Asian languages. The digraph “ny” sounds like the “ny” in the English word “canyon. " The digraph “sy” sounds like the “sh” in the English word “shoe. " It is only used in words of Arabic origin. The digraph “kh” sounds like the “ch” in the Scottish word “loch. " It is only used in words of Arabic origin.
One exception to the phonetic rule is the word “tahu. " The word is either a verb meaning “to know” or a noun meaning “tofu. " As a verb, the “h” is silent and you pronounce the word similar to the word “Tao. " If the word means “tofu,” you pronounce it phonetically: “tah-hoo. " Fortunately, when reading Bahasa Indonesia, you can almost always tell from the context which word is meant.
You can also simply say “hi. " While this isn’t a strictly Indonesian greeting, it’s the most common casual greeting among native speakers.
Selamat pagi (good morning: dawn — 11 a. m. ) Selamat siang (good day: 11 a. m. — 3 p. m. ) Selamat sore (good afternoon: 3 p. m. — sunset) Selamat malam (good evening: sunset — dawn)
You can also say “sehat,” which means “healthy” or “baik back saja,” which means “all fine. "
To ask the other person their name, say “Siapa nama Anda?” While this is the formal version of the question, that’s typically the version you’d use if you were meeting someone for the first time. When the person introduces themselves, you might also say “senang bertemu dengan Anda,” which means “nice to meet you. "
Dari mana Anda berasal? (Where are you from?) Di mana Anda tinggal? (Where do you live?) Apakah Anda suka di sini? (Do you like it here?)[12] X Research source Apakah pekerjaan Anda? (What do you do for a living?) Umur berapakah Anda? (How old are you?)
Saya tidak mengerti (I don’t understand) Tolong bicara pelan sedikit (Please speak more slowly) Bisa tolong diulangi? (Please say that again)
Tolong (please) Maaf (excuse me) Permisi (excuse me, if you want to get past someone) Maafkan saya (sorry) Terima kasih (thank you) Termina kasih kembali (reply to thank you)
Kamar mandi (bathroom) Tempat tidur (bed); kamar tidur (bedroom) Langit-langit (ceiling) Lantai (floor) Kursi (chair) Dapur (kitchen) Meja (table) Dinding (wall)
Ukuran (big) Kecil (small) Pendek (short) Tinggi (tall) Tebal (thick) Tipis (thin) Buruk (bad) Bersih (clean) Kotor (dirty)
Once you’ve found the Indonesian word, do an image search online for that word. Save a few images that stick out to you and use them to create flashcards. You can either print the pictures and write the Indonesian word on the back, or you can use them as digital flashcards — save them in their own album in your photo app, then create a “key” document with the word for each picture.
Bertanya, meminta (to ask) Membawa (to bring) Membeli (to buy) Memanggil (to call) Memilih (to choose) Minum (to drink) Makan (to eat) Pergi (to go)[17] X Research source
No gender: Unlike in many European languages, such as Spanish or French, Indonesian nouns do not have a gender, so you don’t have to worry about whether something is either male or female. No plurals: Nouns don’t change their form to indicate that they’re plural. Rather, you figure out whether a noun is singular or plural from the context of the sentence. No conjugations: Verbs do not change form in Bahasa Indonesia. You don’t have to worry about the verb agreeing with the subject, because the verb form is always the same regardless of the identity or number of the subject (and remember, nouns don’t have a plural form). No tenses: Technically speaking, verbs don’t change their form to indicate past, present, or future tense. Rather, you simply add a single word in front of the verb to indicate past or future tense. For example, using the verb “berenang” (swim), you could say “Saya akan berenang” (I will swim) or “Saya berenang” (I swam; literally “I already swim”). [19] X Research source
Since Bahasa Indonesia is a phonetic language, you should have no trouble sounding out the words. However, it’s a good idea to keep a dictionary at hand so you can look up the definitions of words that you don’t know. Keep in mind that the language you read in books and articles can be very different from the casual Indonesian spoken by native speakers. Imitating the written word in speech can make you sound stiff and formal (although people will still generally understand you).
Keep in mind that many Indonesians don’t speak Bahasa Indonesia, and many more who do speak it as a second or third language. It can be more difficult to find people who speak Bahasa Indonesia as a first language. Sometimes it’s best if you let a native speaker do most of the talking. Learn to listen and comprehend what the person is understanding first. Then, you can try to communicate yourself.
Even if you’re not actively listening, just having music on in the background can help you absorb the sounds of the language. You can also listen to news reports, interviews, and other broadcasts from SBS Indonesia for free at https://www. sbs. com. au/language/indonesian.
There are many videos available on YouTube for free. Global news networks, such as CNN, also have websites where you can watch broadcasts and read news articles in Bahasa Indonesia. [22] X Research source If you have an Android device, download the TV Indonesia app. It will give you access to all of the Indonesian TV channels. [23] X Research source
Subscription apps may be more in-depth than free courses, or may have more support and interaction available. However, you can learn just as much from a free app if you’re dedicated and self-motivated.
These courses are plentiful, especially in large cities, and aren’t very expensive to enroll in. If you’re an expat, consider taking a 2- or 4-week intense immersion course so you can learn the language more quickly. If you’re working for an employer in Indonesia, they’ll typically pay for at least 40 hours of language instruction.
Even if you can’t visit the country, you can still find an Indonesian pen pal or conversation partner online. Search online language exchange sites for Indonesian speakers.
Change the language settings on your phone or computer so that all of the menus and options are in Indonesian. While you’ll likely only learn a few words this way, it helps you get in the habit of thinking in Indonesian rather than in your native language. When you’re watching TV or a movie, turn on Indonesian subtitles if they’re available. Read and pay attention to the subtitles as you’re listening in your native language. Cook an Indonesian dish for dinner from a recipe written in Bahasa Indonesia. Not only do you get the opportunity to experience Indonesian culture, but you can also practice functional use of the language.
