Bahasa - The Indonesian Language
The official national language of Indonesia is “Bahasa Indonesia” and was introduced in 1945 after Indonesia declared of independence. It is a very young language and various slang have developed very quickly, especially in the larger cities. Even though it’s the official language it is spoken as a first language by only 7% of the population. Since the region has more than 300 different native languages, like Bali has its Balinese, for the majority of Indonesians Bahasa Indonesia is their 2nd language. At school, the children learn their island’s native language and Bahasa Indonesia.
Bahasa: one of the easiest languages to learn
The language is very simple. It lacks articles, verb conjugations, cases, and gender. Bahasa Indonesia is a phonetic language, meaning that words are spelled as they sound, which makes it easy to speak. On the other hand, Balinese is a distinct language that shares no similarities with Bahasa Indonesia. It is still spoken throughout Bali and, with its three levels, it is highly complex.
Being able to speak some Indonesian can definitely be a life changer during your travels through Bali. To be well prepared for your Bali holidays and to teach or refresh your Bahasa we created a little Beginner’s guide for you with the most important words and phrases:
The basics in Bahasa
| English | Bahasa |
|---|---|
| Hello | Halo |
| Good morning | Selamat pagi (06:00-11:00) |
| Good day | Selamat siang (11:00-15:00) |
| Good afternoon | Selamat sore (15:00-18:00) |
| Good night | Selamat malam (18:00-06:00) |
| Goodbye | Sampai jumpa (to a person who is leaving) Selamat tinggal (if you are leaving) |
| How are you? | Apa kabar? |
| Very good, thanks! | Sangat baik / bagus, terimakasih! |
| I’m not well | Saya kurang sehat |
| Thank you | Terimakasih |
| You’re welcome | Sama Sama |
| Please | Silakan |
| No worries | Tidak apa apa |
| Sorry | Maaf |
| Excuse me | Permisi |
| Yes | Iya |
| No / not | Tidak |
| I don’t understand | Saya tidak mengerti |
Getting to know other people
| English | Bahasa |
|---|---|
| What is your name? | Siapa nama kamu? |
| My name is … | Nama saya … |
| How old are you? | Berapa umur kamu? |
| I’m … years old | Saya berusia … tahun |
| What country are you from? | Kamu dari negara mana? |
| I’m from … | Saya dari … |
Talking about food and restaurants in Bahasa
| English | Bahasa |
|---|---|
| I want to eat / drink … | Saya mau makan / minum … |
| Can I have the bill? | Bolehkah saya minta bill? |
| I’m vegetarian / vegan | Saya vegetarian / vegan |
| I’m really hungry / thirsty | Saya lapar / haus sekali |
| One small / large beer, please | Minta satu bir kecil / besar |
| The food tastes very good | Makanannya enak sekali |
| Delicious | Enak |
| Not tasty | Tidak enak |
| I don’t like it | Saya tidak suka ini |
| I want more | Saya mau lagi |
| Breakfast | Sarapan / makan pagi |
| Lunch | Makan siang |
| Dinner | Makan malam |
| Enjoy your meal | Selamat makan |
| Rice | Nasi |
| Vegetables | Sayur |
| Fish | Ikan |
| Chicken | Ayam |
| Egg | Telor |
| Beef | Sapi |
| Pork | Babi |
Directions and transport
| English | Bahasa |
|---|---|
| Left | Kiri |
| Right | Kanan |
| Straight | Lurus |
| Where are you going? | Kamu mau ke mana? |
| Turn left | Belok kiri |
| Turn right | Belok kanan |
| Traffic jam | Macet |
| Where are you going? | Kamu mau ke mana? |
Numbers in Bahasa Indonesia
| English | Bahasa |
|---|---|
| 1 | Satu |
| 2 | Dua |
| 3 | Tiga |
| 4 | Empat |
| 5 | Lima |
| 6 | Enam |
| 7 | Tujuh |
| 8 | Delapan |
| 9 | Sembilan |
| 10 | Sepuluh |
With some of those Bahasa basics your Bali holidays will be another experience. The Balinese will most likely applaud you for trying to learn their language and it will open hearts and doors when traveling.
BOOK NOW