Indonesian Languages

Bahasa Indonesia serves as the national language of Indonesia, utilized comprehensively throughout the country. It functions as the primary medium of official communication, is systematically taught in educational institutions, and dominates broadcast media across electronic and digital platforms.

Linguistic Diversity While Bahasa Indonesia is the unifying national language, Indonesia boasts remarkable linguistic diversity. Most Indonesians are multilingual, speaking their respective ethnic languages alongside the national language. Javanese and Sundanese are the most prominent regional languages, with extensive speaker populations.

Linguistic Communities The country's linguistic tapestry includes various ethnic language communities. Notable among these are Indonesian Chinese communities who maintain their linguistic heritage, with Hokkien dialect being prevalent in Medan and Teochew dialect prominent in Pontianak.

International Language Proficiency English language skills vary across Indonesia. While not universally spoken, English is reasonably understood in major urban centers and popular tourist destinations such as Bali, Batam, Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, and Yogyakarta. Hospitality and aviation professionals typically communicate in English at a basic to intermediate level.

Common Indonesian Phrases

Language Characteristics: Indonesian language pronunciation is relatively straightforward. Each letter consistently represents a single sound, with most pronunciations closely resembling their English counterparts.

Essential Conversational Phrases:

Greetings:

  • Good Morning = Selamat Pagi

  • Good Day = Selamat Siang

  • Good Afternoon = Selamat Sore

  • Good Evening/Good Night = Selamat Malam

  • Goodbye = Selamat Tinggal

Basic Interactions:

  • How are you? = Apa Kabar

  • I'm Fine/Good/Great = Baik-baik

  • Excuse me = Permisi

  • Sorry = Maaf

  • Please = Silahkan

  • Help! = Tolong!

Courtesies:

  • Thank You = Terima Kasih

  • You're Welcome = Terima kasih Kembali

  • Yes = Ya

  • No = Tidak

Polite Forms of Address:

  • Mr/Sir = Bapak

  • Ms/Madam = Ibu

  • Miss = Nona

Useful Practical Phrases:

  • How much/many = Berapa

  • How much is it (price)? = Berapa Harganya?

  • Where is... = Dimana....

  • How to get There = Bagaimana caranya kesana?

  • I want... = Saya Mau...

  • I don't want... = Saya Tidak Mau...