Use your right hand
Pass money, food and gifts with your right hand, since the left is used for washing. Pointing with your thumb, not your index finger, is more polite.
Phrase guide · Indonesian
Indonesian phrases for travelers
43 phrases for greeting people, bargaining at markets, getting rides and ordering food in Bali and across Indonesia. Every one comes with an easy pronunciation guide, so you can say it, or point to it.
How to read the pronunciation
- Capital letters show the stressed syllable, but stress is light in Indonesian, so don't push it
- uh is the short e, like the a in about: terima is tuh-REE-mah. The clearer e in words like sore is written eh
- c is always ch, so Canggu is CHAHNG-goo. ng is the sound in singer, even at the start of a syllable, and ny is as in canyon
- r is lightly rolled, ai sounds like eye, and a final h is so soft it's left out here
Indonesian · Travel phrasesTerima kasih.
tuh-REE-mah KAH-see
Thank you.
YouSelamat pagi, Bu! Sarung ini berapa?Good morning, ma'am! How much is this sarong?
Greetings and goodbyes
The polite greetings change with the time of day. A casual halo works any time.
| Indonesian | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Selamat pagi! | suh-LAH-maht PAH-gee | Good morning!Until about 11 a.m. |
| Selamat siang! | suh-LAH-maht SEE-ahng | Good day!From about 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
| Selamat sore! | suh-LAH-maht SOH-reh | Good afternoon!From about 3 p.m. until dark |
| Selamat malam! | suh-LAH-maht MAH-lahm | Good evening!After dark, as hello or goodbye |
| Apa kabar? | AH-pah KAH-bar | How are you?Reply: Baik, terima kasih (Fine, thanks) |
| Saya dari ... | SAH-yah DAH-ree | I'm from ...You'll often be asked Dari mana? (Where are you from?) |
| Sampai jumpa! | SAHM-pai JOOM-pah | See you! / Goodbye!Literally “until we meet” |
Please, thank you and other basics
Indonesian has two main words for please: tolong when you ask for a favor, and silakan when you offer something.
| Indonesian | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Terima kasih. | tuh-REE-mah KAH-see | Thank you.Casual: makasih |
| Sama-sama. | SAH-mah SAH-mah | You're welcome.Literally “same-same” |
| Tolong ... | TOH-long | Please ...To ask for help or a favor: Tolong tunggu sebentar, please wait a moment |
| Silakan. | see-LAH-kahn | Please, go ahead.To offer: after you, have a seat, help yourself |
| Permisi. | per-MEE-see | Excuse me.To get past someone or get attention. To apologize, say maaf |
| Ya. / Tidak. | yah / TEE-dahk | Yes. / No.In casual speech, no is often nggak |
| Tidak apa-apa. | TEE-dahk AH-pah AH-pah | It's OK. / No problem. |
| Bapak / Ibu | BAH-pahk / EE-boo | Sir / Ma'amThe polite way to address a man or a woman, often shortened: Terima kasih, Pak. |
When you don't understand
You don't need to be fluent. These keep the conversation going when you get stuck.
| Indonesian | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Bisa bahasa Inggris? | BEE-sah bah-HAH-sah ING-grees | Do you speak English?Start with maaf (sorry) to sound extra polite |
| Maaf, saya tidak mengerti. | MAH-ahf, SAH-yah TEE-dahk muh-NGER-tee | Sorry, I don't understand. |
| Pelan-pelan, ya. | puh-LAHN puh-LAHN, yah | Slowly, please.Ya at the end softens a request. Handy with fast drivers too |
| Tolong ditulis, ya. | TOH-long dee-TOO-lees, yah | Please write it down.Handy for prices and addresses |
Shopping and bargaining
Bargaining is expected at markets like Ubud Art Market and with street sellers. Supermarkets, malls and shops with price tags have fixed prices.
| Indonesian | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Ini berapa? | EE-nee buh-RAH-pah | How much is this? |
| Mahal sekali! | MAH-hahl suh-KAH-lee | That's really expensive! |
| Bisa kurang? | BEE-sah KOO-rahng | Can you go lower?Literally “Can it be less?” |
| Harga pasnya berapa? | HAR-gah PAHS-nyah buh-RAH-pah | What's your best price?Literally “What's the exact price?” |
| Lihat-lihat dulu, ya. | LEE-haht LEE-haht DOO-loo, yah | I'm just looking. |
| Saya ambil yang ini. | SAH-yah AHM-beel yahng EE-nee | I'll take this one. |
| Tidak, terima kasih. | TEE-dahk, tuh-REE-mah KAH-see | No, thank you.Polite and firm with persistent sellers |
Rides and getting around
The Gojek and Grab apps are the easiest way to get a car or motorbike ride. Some parts of Bali don't allow app pickups, so you may need a local driver.
| Indonesian | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Toilet di mana? | TOY-let dee MAH-nah | Where's the restroom? |
| Ke bandara, Pak. | kuh bahn-DAH-rah, pahk | To the airport, please.Swap in any place: Ke Ubud, Pak. |
| Pakai argo, ya? | PAH-kai AR-goh, yah | You'll use the meter, right?Argo is the taxi meter. Bluebird is the most trusted taxi company |
| Ke Canggu berapa? | kuh CHAHNG-goo buh-RAH-pah | How much to Canggu?Agree on the price before you set off |
| Di sini saja. | dee SEE-nee SAH-jah | Here is fine.To tell a driver where to stop |
| Posisi di mana? | poh-SEE-see dee MAH-nah | Where are you?Gojek and Grab drivers often ask this when they're close. Reply: Saya di depan ... (I'm in front of ...) |
| Sewa motor sehari berapa? | SEH-wah MOH-tor suh-HAH-ree buh-RAH-pah | How much to rent a scooter for a day?Legally, you need an international driving permit that covers motorbikes |
Food and drink
Warungs are small family-run eateries with cheap local food. Chili goes into many dishes, so say how spicy you like it.
| Indonesian | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Yang ini satu, ya. | yahng EE-nee SAH-too, yah | One of these, please.Point at the dish or the menu |
| Ini pedas? | EE-nee puh-DAHS | Is this spicy? |
| Tidak pedas, ya. | TEE-dahk puh-DAHS, yah | Not spicy, please.For a little heat: sedikit pedas |
| Saya tidak makan daging. | SAH-yah TEE-dahk MAH-kahn DAH-geeng | I don't eat meat.Daging often means red meat, so add ayam (chicken) and ikan (fish) if you avoid them too |
| Minta air putih. | MIN-tah AH-eer POO-tee | Can I have some water?Minta is how you ask for something. Bottled water is air mineral |
| Enak sekali! | EH-nahk suh-KAH-lee | Delicious! |
| Berapa semuanya? | buh-RAH-pah suh-moo-AH-nyah | How much is it altogether?The easy way to ask for the bill at a warung |
If something goes wrong
Hopefully you won't need these. In Indonesia, call 110 for the police and 118 or 119 for an ambulance. 112 also works in many places, including Bali's main tourist areas.
| Indonesian | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Tolong! | TOH-long | Help! |
| Saya perlu dokter. | SAH-yah per-LOO DOK-ter | I need a doctor. |
| Saya tersesat. | SAH-yah ter-suh-SAHT | I'm lost. |
Bargaining for a sarong in Ubud
Smile, ask the price and offer about half. This is how it sounds at the art market in Ubud.
YouSelamat pagi, Bu! Sarung ini berapa?Good morning, ma'am! How much is this sarong?
SellerSeratus lima puluh ribu.150,000 rupiah.
YouWah, mahal sekali! Bisa kurang?Wow, that's really expensive! Can you go lower?
SellerSeratus dua puluh ribu, ya?120,000, OK?
YouEnam puluh ribu, boleh?How about 60,000?
SellerAduh, belum bisa. Delapan puluh ribu, harga pas.Oh, I can't do that. 80,000, final price.
YouOke, delapan puluh ribu. Terima kasih, Bu!OK, 80,000. Thank you, ma'am!
Numbers and money
Prices are in rupiah and run into thousands (ribu), so a 25,000 rupiah plate of nasi goreng is dua puluh lima ribu, and menus often just say 25.
| Indonesian | Say it like | Number |
|---|---|---|
| satu | SAH-too | 1 |
| dua | DOO-ah | 2 |
| tiga | TEE-gah | 3 |
| empat | uhm-PAHT | 4 |
| lima | LEE-mah | 5 |
| enam | uh-NAHM | 6 |
| tujuh | TOO-joo | 7 |
| delapan | duh-LAH-pahn | 8 |
| sembilan | suhm-BEE-lahn | 9 |
| sepuluh | suh-POO-loo | 10 |
| dua puluh | DOO-ah POO-loo | 20 |
| lima puluh | LEE-mah POO-loo | 50 |
| seratus | suh-RAH-toos | 100 |
| seribu | suh-REE-boo | 1,000 |
| ribu | REE-boo | thousand |
| rupiah | roo-PEE-ah | Indonesian rupiah |
Good to know in Indonesia
Pak, Bu and Bli
Call men Pak and women Bu, short for Bapak and Ibu. It's polite with drivers, sellers and anyone older than you. In Bali you'll also hear men called Bli, Balinese for “older brother.”
Dress for temples in Bali
Wear a sarong and a sash around your waist, and cover your shoulders. Many temples include a sarong in the ticket or rent one at the gate. Out on the street, step around the small offerings on sidewalks and doorsteps.
Tipping
Tipping isn't expected, but it's appreciated. Many restaurants in Bali add tax and a service charge to the bill, so check it before leaving more. Rounding up for drivers is a kind touch.
Questions travelers ask
How do you say hello in Indonesian?
Halo (HAH-loh) is a casual hello at any time. The polite greetings follow the clock: selamat pagi in the morning, selamat siang around midday, selamat sore in the afternoon and selamat malam after dark.
How do you say thank you in Indonesian?
Terima kasih (tuh-REE-mah KAH-see), or casually makasih. The reply you'll hear is sama-sama, you're welcome.
How do you ask how much something costs in Indonesian?
Ini berapa? means how much is this? At a market, follow up with bisa kurang?, can you go lower?
Do people in Indonesia speak English?
In Bali's tourist areas, such as Ubud, Seminyak and Canggu, many people in hotels, restaurants and shops speak English. In villages, traditional markets and much of the rest of Indonesia, far fewer do, so a few Indonesian words help a lot.
Is Indonesian the same as Balinese or Malay?
Not quite. Balinese is a separate language that many people in Bali speak at home, but almost everyone there also speaks Indonesian, the national language. Indonesian is a standardized form of Malay, so Indonesians and Malaysians can largely understand each other, with some differences in words and spelling.
More phrase guides
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