Free survival kit

Indonesian survival kit

The 46 essential phrases and 30 key words to get by in Indonesian when travelling.

46 phrases
30 key words in the PDF

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Greetings

Indonesian	Romanization	English
Selamat pagi	se-LA-mat PA-ghi	Good morning
Selamat siang	se-LA-mat SYA-ng	Good afternoon
Selamat sore	se-LA-mat SO-re	Good evening
Apa kabar?	A-pa KA-bar?	How are you?
Kabar baik	KA-bar BA-ik	Fine, thank you
Nama saya...	NA-ma SA-ya...	My name is...
Senang bertemu	se-NANG ber-TE-mu	Nice to meet you
Selamat tinggal	se-LA-mat TING-gal	Goodbye
Sampai jumpa	SAM-pai JUM-pa	See you soon
Terima kasih banyak	te-RI-ma KA-sih BA-nyak	Thank you very much

Asking for directions

Indonesian	Romanization	English
Di mana...?	di MA-na...?	Where is... ?
Ke kiri	ke KI-ri	To the left
Ke kanan	ke KA-nan	To the right
Lurus terus	LU-rus TE-rus	Straight ahead
Saya tersesat	SA-ya ter-SE-sat	I am lost
Tolong bantu saya	TO-long BAN-tu SA-ya	Can you help me?
Berapa jauh?	be-RA-pa DJAU?	How far is it?
Berhenti di sini	ber-HEN-ti di SI-ni	Stop here

Emergencies

Indonesian	Romanization	English
Tolong!	TO-long!	Help!
Panggil polisi!	PANG-ghil po-LI-si!	Call the police!
Saya butuh dokter	SA-ya BU-tuh DOK-ter	I need a doctor
Panggil ambulans!	PANG-ghil AM-bu-lans!	Call an ambulance!
Saya alergi terhadap...	SA-ya a-LER-ghi ter-HA-dap...	I am allergic to...
Saya dirampok	SA-ya di-RAM-bok	I have been robbed
Di mana rumah sakit?	di MA-na RU-mah SA-kit?	Where is the hospital?
Saya tidak merasa baik	SA-ya TI-dak me-RA-sa BA-ik	I don't feel well

At the restaurant

Indonesian	Romanization	English
Meja untuk dua, tolong	ME-dja UN-tuk DU-a, TO-long	A table for two, please
Menu, tolong	ME-nu, TO-long	The menu, please
Apa yang direkomendasikan?	A-pa yang di-re-ko-men-DA-si-kan?	What do you recommend?
Saya vegetarian	SA-ya ve-ghe-ta-RYA-n	I am vegetarian
Enak sekali!	E-nak se-KA-li!	This is delicious!
Minta bon	MIN-ta bon	The bill, please
Air putih, tolong	A-ir PU-tih, TO-long	Water, please
Ini pedas?	I-ni PE-das?	Is it spicy?

At the hotel

Indonesian	Romanization	English
Saya punya reservasi	SA-ya PU-nya re-ser-VA-si	I have a reservation
Saya ingin kamar	SA-ya I-nghin KA-mar	I would like a room
Check-out jam berapa?	check-out djam be-RA-pa?	Until what time is check-out?
Apakah WiFi gratis?	A-pa-kah WI-fi GRA-tis?	Is Wi-Fi free?
AC tidak berfungsi	A-si TI-dak ber-FUNG-si	The air conditioning is not working
Tolong bawakan handuk	TO-long ba-WA-kan HAN-duk	Can you bring towels?

Getting around

Indonesian	Romanization	English
Satu tiket ke...	SA-tu TI-ket ke...	A ticket to...
Kereta berangkat jam berapa?	ke-RE-ta be-RANG-kat djam be-RA-pa?	What time does the train leave?
Di mana stasiun?	di MA-na STA-syun?	Where is the train station?
Berapa ongkos taksi?	be-RA-pa ONG-kos TAK-si?	How much is the taxi?
Turunkan saya di sini	tu-RUN-kan SA-ya di SI-ni	Drop me here
Terlalu mahal	ter-LA-lu MA-hal	It's too expensive

30 key words to remember

Indonesian	Romanization	English
Ya	ya	Yes
Tidak	TI-dak	No
Terima kasih	te-RI-ma KA-sih	Thank you
Sama-sama	SA-ma SA-ma	You're welcome
Maaf	MA-af	Sorry
Air	A-ir	Water
Makanan	ma-KA-nan	Food
Hotel	ho-TEL	Hotel
Bandara	ban-DA-ra	Airport
Rumah sakit	RU-mah SA-kit	Hospital
Polisi	po-LI-si	Police
Apotek	a-PO-tek	Pharmacy
Kanan	KA-nan	Right
Kiri	KI-ri	Left
Dekat	DE-kat	Near
Jauh	DJAU	Far
Berapa?	be-RA-pa?	How much?
Di mana?	di MA-na?	Where?
Kapan?	KA-pan?	When?
Hari ini	HA-ri I-ni	Today
Besok	BE-sok	Tomorrow
Pasar	PA-sar	Market
Taksi	TAK-si	Taxi
Kereta	ke-RE-ta	Train
Rupiah	RU-pya	Rupiah
Restoran	res-TO-ran	Restaurant
Toilet	TOI-let	Toilet
Kartu	KAR-tu	Card
Telepon	TE-le-pon	Phone
Buka	BU-ka	Open

In context: 5 scenes to get by

Arriving at the airport

You land in Denpasar or Soekarno-Hatta after a long flight. An officer greets you at the immigration counter, then you look for an information desk to reach your hotel. A simple greeting and "terima kasih" are enough to set a warm tone from the very first steps.

Selamat pagi (se-LA-mat PA-ghi) : Good morning
Nama saya... (NA-ma SA-ya...) : My name is...
Terima kasih banyak (te-RI-ma KA-sih BA-nyak) : Thank you very much
Meja untuk dua, tolong (ME-dja UN-tuk DU-a, TO-long) : A table for two, please

Negotiating a taxi or Grab

Outside the terminal, several drivers offer you a ride. You want to confirm the destination, ask for the price and tell them where to stop. A calm tone and a smile will protect you against inflated rates, especially in tourist areas.

Panggil ambulans! (PANG-ghil AM-bu-lans!) : Call an ambulance!
Berapa jauh? (be-RA-pa DJAU?) : How far is it?
Saya alergi terhadap... (SA-ya a-LER-ghi ter-HA-dap...) : I am allergic to...
Panggil polisi! (PANG-ghil po-LI-si!) : Call the police!

Ordering at a warung

You sit down in a small family warung to try a nasi goreng or a mie ayam. The menu is not always translated, so you ask for it, mention your spice tolerance and settle the bill in rupiah.

Ini pedas? (I-ni PE-das?) : Is it spicy?
Saya punya reservasi (SA-ya PU-nya re-ser-VA-si) : I have a reservation
Kereta berangkat jam berapa? (ke-RE-ta be-RANG-kat djam be-RA-pa?) : What time does the train leave?
AC tidak berfungsi (A-si TI-dak ber-FUNG-si) : The air conditioning is not working

In case of an emergency

You feel unwell after a day in the sun or you witness an incident on the beach. Knowing how to call for help, ask for a doctor and locate the nearest hospital can make a real difference.

Saya dirampok (SA-ya di-RAM-bok) : I have been robbed
Saya tidak merasa baik (SA-ya TI-dak me-RA-sa BA-ik) : I don't feel well
Saya vegetarian (SA-ya ve-ghe-ta-RYA-n) : I am vegetarian
Di mana rumah sakit? (di MA-na RU-mah SA-kit?) : Where is the hospital?

Checking out of the hotel

On the morning of your departure, you settle the bill, ask about check-out time and thank the team for their hospitality. A last polite line leaves a lasting impression and makes a future return easier.

Turunkan saya di sini (tu-RUN-kan SA-ya di SI-ni) : Drop me here
Terlalu mahal (ter-LA-lu MA-hal) : It's too expensive
Selamat tinggal (se-LA-mat TING-gal) : Goodbye
Terima kasih banyak (te-RI-ma KA-sih BA-nyak) : Thank you very much

Cultural notes

"Tidak apa-apa" is the universal response to apologies and small problems. Literally meaning "it's nothing at all", this phrase embodies the Indonesian philosophy of goodwill and ease. Adopt it for a stress-free journey.
The left hand is considered impure according to Islamic and Hindu traditions. Always give, receive or point at things with your right hand or both hands. Avoid the left hand alone for any social interaction.
"Jam karet" literally means "rubber time" in Indonesian. Social appointments tend to be flexible. Don't be offended if your host is late: it's culturally common. In a professional context, punctuality is more expected.
Removing your shoes is expected before entering a house, temple, or sometimes a shop. Look for rows of shoes at the entrance as a clear signal to take yours off.
Bali is not all of Indonesia. Customs vary enormously: Java is predominantly Muslim, Bali is Hindu, the eastern islands are Christian. Adapt your dress and behavior to the region you are visiting.
Bargaining (tawar-menawar) is practiced in traditional markets (pasar) but never in malls or fixed-menu restaurants. Start at 50-60% of the asking price and negotiate with good humor and a smile.
"Sudah makan?" ("Have you eaten?") is the Indonesian way of asking "how are you". Answering "belum" (not yet) may trigger a spontaneous invitation to share a meal, one of the most beautiful expressions of local hospitality.
Smiling is paramount in Indonesia. Locals smile even when they don't understand or when something is wrong. A "maaf" (sorry) accompanied by a sincere smile resolves the vast majority of misunderstandings.

Keep the whole kit on your phone

The 46 phrases, 30 key words and the cultural notes in a PDF to keep offline or print. We also send it to you by e-mail.

A family language

Reconnect with Indonesian

The language of your parents, your grandparents or your partner. The one you want to pass on to your children.

A couple sharing a tender moment — Speaking the language of the country means reconnecting with its people.

A mother and her two daughters — Now, at home, we speak Indonesian.

A family in the mountains — Your in-laws speak Indonesian to you. Answer them in Indonesian.

A father and his daughter on a scooter — Children who speak Indonesian are the greatest cultural wealth you can bring to your family.

A baby laughing in an older woman’s arms — Your grandparents’ Indonesian should not end with them.

Finally understand what is said at the table, and answer back.
“Hi Mum, I speak Indonesian!”

A language is passed down from generation to generation. Now it is your turn.

Start Indonesian for free

About this kit

Bahasa Indonesia is one of the most accessible languages in the world: no tones, no complex conjugation, Latin alphabet. Spoken by 270 million people across more than 17,000 islands, it is the ideal linguistic passport to explore the Indonesian archipelago from Bali to Sulawesi.

Bahasa Indonesia is one of the most accessible languages for travelers. Spoken by roughly 270 million people in Indonesia and largely understood across neighboring Malaysia thanks to its closeness to bahasa Melayu, it serves as the lingua franca of an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands where over 700 regional languages coexist (Javanese, Sundanese, Balinese, etc.). Learning a few basics gives you a master key for Bali, Java, Sumatra, Lombok or the Moluccas. The structure is striking: Latin alphabet with no exotic diacritics, regular phonetic pronunciation, no conjugation at all, no grammatical gender and no tones. "Saya makan nasi" means "I eat rice" yesterday, today or tomorrow: context or a time marker is enough. Culturally, politeness flows through constant smiling, the "selamat" that opens greetings depending on the time of day, and above all "terima kasih" said with a slight nod. The right hand is preferred when giving or receiving, shoes come off before entering a home, and the concept of "jam karet" (rubber time) keeps social interactions relaxed. Polite address uses "Bapak" for a man or "Ibu" for a woman before the first name. With these landmarks and roughly thirty well-chosen phrases, you will travel with peace of mind, be understood by drivers, pasar vendors and hoteliers, and instantly earn the goodwill of those you meet.

Sources and references

Every translation is cross-checked against at least two concordant sources among the references below.

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