Indonesian phrases and common sentences
Indonesian is spoken by 250 million people as a first language. Learners can expect more authentic travel experiences and global friendships. What's more, mastering common sentences in the language supercharges your CV and impresses employers.
Reasons to study Indonesian phrases
It's easier than you think to keep your brain sharp! Many people are learning languages now to keep their brains sharp and hard-working. Languages aid with memory recall and cognitive development. They also stave off degenerative diseases such as dementia in older people, making it ideal to learn a new language such as Indonesian at any age. The great news is that it is also relatively easy to learn this language, especially compared to other Asian languages. Indonesian doesn't have tenses or tones and it uses the Roman alphabet, which is makes it far easier for British learners to get to grips with.
Enrichen your travel experiences Indonesia is such a beautiful country and its people are very friendly. You can really deepen your travel experiences and make them more authentic if you speak a few phrases - and you can far easily make new friends if you can speak to them in their local language. You'll be showing your colours as a true global citizen at the same time and potentially signalling your value to employers for overseas work opportunities too! Why limit yourself? When you learn a new language you really can go further.
But what is the best way to learn? Classes in Indonesian are hard to come by at the average British evening class centre! The language is less common here, so some people look at online or published content. However, free content on the internet is usually packed with adverts and its quality may be variable, especially if it's being produced by other enthusiastic learners. Published content such as newspapers are useful when you are more advanced, along with conversational practice. But for students who want to learn their chosen language quickly, easily and flexibly, an app such as Babbel can be the ideal route.
Test first lesson of every course for freeUseful Indonesian phrases for beginners?
Good morning/good evening = Selamat pagi/selamat malam
Hello, my name is... = Halo, namaku adalah
Thank you = Terima kasih
I'm sorry = Maafkan saya
Please can you repeat that? = Tolong bisakah kamu mengulanginya?
Introductions in Indonesian
English | Indonesian |
Hello | Halo |
My name is | Nama saya |
What's your name? | Namamu siapa? |
How are you? | Apa kabar? |
Nice to meet you | Senang bertemu anda |
Goodbye | Selamat tinggal |
Directions and prices in Indonesian
English | Indonesian |
Where is the bus station / train station / ATM? | Di mana terminal bus / stasiun kereta api / ATM? |
How can I get to …? | Bagaimana saya bisa ke …? |
Is there a restaurant nearby? | Apaka ada restoran terdekat? |
How much is this? | Ini berapa? |
Can I have a discount? | Saya bisa diskon? |
Read, write, listen and speak
Put your smartphone to use and try an award-winning app such as Babbel. It delivers expert lessons to your phone in bite-sized chunks which you can do anywhere and at any time. In just 15 minutes a day, you will be speaking, writing, reading and listening Indonesian far quicker than you could have expected. In fact, independent research shows that 15 hours of study with Babbel is equivalent to an entire semester of study at University!
Your advantages with Babbel
No advertising, ever!
Bite-sized lessons of around 15 minutes each
A dynamic review dashboard to see your progress
Real-world scenarios and lessons based around your interests and needs
Local accents for authenticity and voice recognition to guide your own pronunciation