Beautiful paddy fields of Bali


Everywhere in Bali people speak some English
but here are some basic words in Indonesian.

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Language

The Balinese have three distinct languages, high caste, middle caste and low caste. The Balinese are very sensitive as to which language should be used and under what circumstances and may switch between these languages depending on who they are speaking to and when. Learning Balinese is a bit of a social minefield even for people who have been in bali many years so few people try.

Not to worry - the national Language is Indonesian and everyone speaks it.

The Indonesian language is derived from Malay. It is a simple language with far fewer words than English.
It's grammar is also very simple with no seperate tenses for the verbs and no gender for nouns.

Adjectives follow the noun rather than go before it so my dog is Anjing saya (anjing - dog, saya - me or I). If you say saya anjing that means I am a dog!
In verbs the words are in the usual order so "I go" is "saya pergi" (pergi - to go).

Pronunciation is straighforward except that c is always pronounced 'ch'. Rs tend to be rolled.
To make a statement into a question put the word 'ada' in front and make it sound like a question as in: ada anjing disini? - is there a dog here?

Dictionary

Indonesian English
acara plans, programme
ada there is, there are
adik younger sister / brother
air water
air dingin cold water
akan will, about to, about, for, regarding
alamat address
anak child
anda you, your (polite neutral status)
apa what
apa kabar how are you
apakah yes/no question marker
apartemen apartment
asalnya originally, initially
asrama barracks, dormitory
atau or
ayam chicken
ayam balado chilli chicken
bagaimana how
bagaimana kabarnya? how are you?
bagaimana kalau how about
baik good
baik-baik well, fine
baik-baik saja fine
banyak many, much, a lot
Bapak Mr (polite term for adult male)
baru only, just
begitu really, like that, so, very
bekerja to work
belajar to study
belajar to study
belum not yet
belum not yet
berapa how many
berasal come from, be descended (from)
berasal dari mana where do you come from
berkeluarga to have a family, be married
bernama to be called,named
berolahraga to play sport
bersepeda to ride a bike
bertemu to meet
bertemu lagi meet again
besar big, large
besok tomorrow
betul correct, that's right, true
biasa-biasa saja just fine
bisa can
bisnis business
boleh to be permitted or allowed
bu (ibu) Mrs (term of respect for a woman)
bukan no,not (negating nouns/pronouns)
buku book
buku pelajaran text book
cantik pretty, beautiful (for females)
cocok suitable
cukup enough, rather, quite
daerah region, area
dan and
dari from
dekat near
dengan with
depan front, ahead, coming,next
di in, on, at
di mana where
dia she/he her/him
dicari to be sought
dingin cold
eh! hey!
goreng to fry
halaman yard
halo hello
harus must
ibukota capital city
ide idea
ikan fish
ikan goreng fried fish
indah beautiful, attractive
ingin to want, would like, wish, desire
ini this
istri wife
jadi so, therefore
jalan road, path, street
jam time, hour
jam berapa what time?
jauh far, distant
juga also
kabarnya the news
kakak older brother/sister
kalau if
kali time
kalian you (plural)
kami we, us, our (excluding person addressed)
kampus campus
kantor office
kapan when
kapan-kapan sometime (in the future)
karena because
ke to
ke mana to where
ke sana to there
kembali return
kenalkan let me introduce myself
kepedasan to suffer from hot food
kesukaan favourite
ketemu accidentally meet, be found
kira think, suppose
kita us, we, our
kota city
krupuk prawn crackers
lain other, another
lain kali another time
laki-laki boy, male
lalu then,last
lama long
maaf soryy, excuse me
makan to eat
makan malam dinner, tea
makanan food
malam evening, night
mampir drop in, come by, call at
mana where
mari goodbye or please
masakan cuisne, food
masuk enter, go into
mau want
melihat to see, to look at
memang certainly, indeed
memasak to cook
membaca to read
membeli to buy, purchase
mencari to look for, search for
mengapa why?
mengirim to send
menikah to be married
menjual to sell
menonton to watch (TV or cinema}
menunggu to wait
menyewa to rent
mereka they, them, their, theirs
milik to belong to
minggu depan next week
minum to drink
mudah easy
mudah-mudahan hopefully
murah cheap
naksir to fancy someone
nama name
negara bagian state
nenek grandmother
nggak no, not
ngomong-ngomong by the way
nih expression
nomor number
novel novel
olahraga sport
oleh by
oleh karena because of
orang person, people
pacar boyfriend/girlfriend
pasar market
pedas hot (spicy)
pegunungan mountain range
pelajaran lesson
Perancis France, French
perempuan girl, female
pergi go
pernah ever
pesta party
peta map
pulau island
punya to have
rajin studious, diligent
rencana plan
rumah home, house
rumah makan restaurant
saja just, only
sama-sama you're welcome
sama-sama you're welcome, same to you
sambal chilli sauce
sampai until
sampai nanti until later
sampaikan salam give regards to someone
sangat very
sarana facilities
saya I, me, my
sayur lodeh vegetable dish
sebuah a (classifier)
sedang to be in the process of
sedang apa? what are you doing?
sederhana simple, modest
sejuk cool
sekali very
sekarang now
selamat safe
selamat jalan goodbye, (to person leaving), have a safe trip
selamat makan bon appetit
selamat malam good night
selamat sore good afternoon
selamat tinggal goodbye, (response to person staying)
senang happy, contented
sendiri self, own, on one's own
sesudah after
siang day period (about 10.30am to 2.30pm)
siapa who
silakan masuk please come in
sore afternoon
suami husband
sudah sudah
suka to like
surat letter
tahu to know
tahun year
tanpa without
tante aunt
teh tea
telepon telephone
teman friend
teman hidup life partner
tempat place
tengah middle, centre, among, midst
tentang about
tentu certain, sure
tentu saja of course
terima Kasih thank you
terletak located
tidak no
tidur sleep
tinggal live, reside, to stay
uang money
udara air, weather
umur age
untuk for
wah well, hey
ya yes
yang the one who, the thing which
yang which, who
English Indonesian
a (classifier) sebuah
about tentang
accidentally meet, be found ketemu
address alamat
after sesudah
afternoon sore
age umur
air, weather udara
also juga
and dan
another time lain kali
apartment apartemen
aunt tante
barracks, dormitory asrama
beautiful, attractive indah
because karena
because of oleh karena
big, large besar
bon appetit selamat makan
book buku
boy, male laki-laki
boyfriend/girlfriend pacar
business bisnis
by oleh
by the way ngomong-ngomong
campus kampus
can bisa
capital city ibukota
certain, sure tentu
certainly, indeed memang
cheap murah
chicken ayam
child anak
chilli chicken ayam balado
chilli sauce sambal
city kota
cold dingin
cold water air dingin
come from, be descended (from) berasal
cool sejuk
correct, that's right, true betul
cuisne, food masakan
day period (about 10.30am to 2.30pm) siang
dinner, tea makan malam
drop in, come by, call at mampir
easy mudah
enough, rather, quite cukup
enter, go into masuk
evening, night malam
ever pernah
expression nih
facilities sarana
far, distant jauh
favourite kesukaan
fine baik-baik saja
fish ikan
food makanan
for untuk
France, French Perancis
fried fish ikan goreng
friend teman
from dari
front, ahead, coming,next depan
girl, female perempuan
give regards to someone sampaikan salam
go pergi
good baik
good afternoon selamat sore
good night selamat malam
goodbye or please mari
goodbye, (response to person staying) selamat tinggal
goodbye, (to person leaving), have a safe trip selamat jalan
grandmother nenek
happy, contented senang
hello halo
hey! eh!
home, house rumah
hopefully mudah-mudahan
hot (spicy) pedas
how bagaimana
how about bagaimana kalau
how are you apa kabar
how are you? bagaimana kabarnya?
how many berapa
husband suami
I, me, my saya
idea ide
if kalau
in, on, at di
island pulau
just fine biasa-biasa saja
just, only saja
lesson pelajaran
let me introduce myself kenalkan
letter surat
life partner teman hidup
live, reside, to stay tinggal
located terletak
long lama
many, much, a lot banyak
map peta
market pasar
meet again bertemu lagi
middle, centre, among, midst tengah
money uang
mountain range pegunungan
Mr (polite term for adult male) Bapak
Mrs (term of respect for a woman) bu (ibu)
must harus
name nama
near dekat
next week minggu depan
no tidak
no, not nggak
no,not (negating nouns/pronouns) bukan
not yet belum
not yet belum
novel novel
now sekarang
number nomor
of course tentu saja
office kantor
older brother/sister kakak
only, just baru
or atau
originally, initially asalnya
other, another lain
party pesta
person, people orang
place tempat
plan rencana
plans, programme acara
please come in silakan masuk
prawn crackers krupuk
pretty, beautiful (for females) cantik
really, like that, so, very begitu
region, area daerah
restaurant rumah makan
return kembali
road, path, street jalan
safe selamat
self, own, on one's own sendiri
she/he her/him dia
simple, modest sederhana
sleep tidur
so, therefore jadi
sometime (in the future) kapan-kapan
soryy, excuse me maaf
sport olahraga
state negara bagian
studious, diligent rajin
sudah sudah
suitable cocok
tea teh
telephone telepon
text book buku pelajaran
thank you terima Kasih
the news kabarnya
the one who, the thing which yang
then,last lalu
there is, there are ada
they, them, their, theirs mereka
think, suppose kira
this ini
time kali
time, hour jam
to ke
to be called,named bernama
to be in the process of sedang
to be married menikah
to be permitted or allowed boleh
to be sought dicari
to belong to milik
to buy, purchase membeli
to cook memasak
to drink minum
to eat makan
to fancy someone naksir
to fry goreng
to have punya
to have a family, be married berkeluarga
to know tahu
to like suka
to look for, search for mencari
to meet bertemu
to play sport berolahraga
to read membaca
to rent menyewa
to ride a bike bersepeda
to see, to look at melihat
to sell menjual
to send mengirim
to study belajar
to study belajar
to suffer from hot food kepedasan
to there ke sana
to wait menunggu
to want, would like, wish, desire ingin
to watch (TV or cinema} menonton
to where ke mana
to work bekerja
tomorrow besok
until sampai
until later sampai nanti
us, we, our kita
vegetable dish sayur lodeh
very sangat
very sekali
want mau
water air
we, us, our (excluding person addressed) kami
well, fine baik-baik
well, hey wah
what apa
what are you doing? sedang apa?
what time? jam berapa
when kapan
where di mana
where mana
where do you come from berasal dari mana
which, who yang
who siapa
why? mengapa
wife istri
will, about to, about, for, regarding akan
with dengan
without tanpa
yard halaman
year tahun
yes ya
yes/no question marker apakah
you (plural) kalian
you, your (polite neutral status) Anda
you're welcome sama-sama
you're welcome, same to you sama-sama
younger sister / brother adik

Some words to know

Some words to know:
ya - yes
tidak - no
terima kasih - thank you
halo - hello
good morning - selamat pagi
good afternoon - selamat siang
good evening - selamat sore
good night - selamat malam

good - baik
how much, how many - barapa
what - apa
how - bagaimana

Numbers
1 - satu
2 - dua
3 - tiga
4 - empat
5 - lima
6 - enam
7 - tuju
8 - delipan
9 - sembilan
10 - sepulu
11 - sebelas
12 - duabelas
13 - tigabelas etc.
20 - dua pulu
30 - tigapulu etc.
100 - seratus
200 - duaratus etc.
1,000 - seribu
2,000 - duaribu
1,000,000 - satu juta
2,000,000 - dua juta

Days of the week
Monday - hari senin
Tuesday - hari
Wednesday - hari
Thursday -
Friday -
Saturday - hari sabtu
Sunday - hari minggu

Time
minute -
hour - jam
day - hari
month - bulan
year - tahun
what time is it? - jam berapa?

Money
Rupiah
price - harga
how much? - berapa

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Last updated on
29th October 2007
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