Indonesian phrases | Most common phrases for everyday life

Indonesian phrases – Here you will find the most common phrases in Indonesian with translation. | Free & useful

Indonesian phrases are short expressions or idioms often used in speech to be polite, express gratitude, greet or say goodbye or simply to have a pleasant conversation.

They are an important part of Indonesian culture and can be useful in different situations, both in private and business life.

Indonesian phrases you should know

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Greet someone in Indonesian

If you want to greet someone in Indonesian, it’s actually quite easy:

English	Indonesian	IPA
Welcome!	Selamat datang!	[səˈlamat ˈdataŋ]
Good day to you!	Selamat siang!	[səˈlamat ˈsi.aŋ]
Good morning to you!	Selamat pagi!	[səˈlamat ˈpaɡi]
Good evening!	Selamat malam!	[səˈlamat ˈmalam]
Good to see you.	Senang bertemu denganmu.	[səˈnaŋ bərˈtəmʊ dɛŋanˈmu]
I’m glad to see you.	Saya senang bertemu denganmu.	[ˈsaja səˈnaŋ bərˈtəmʊ dɛŋanˈmu]

If you are greeted in Indonesian, the best way to respond is as follows:

English	Indonesian	IPA
Have a nice day too!	Semoga harimu juga menyenangkan!	[səˈmoɡa haˈrimu ˈdʒuɡa məɲəˈnaŋkan]
Thanks, it’s nice to see you too.	Terima kasih, senang bertemu denganmu juga.	[tɛˈrima ˈkasɪh səˈnaŋ bərˈtəmʊ dɛŋanˈmu ˈdʒuɡa]

How is my dialogue partner?

As in any other country, it is polite to start by asking where the person you are talking to is located. Here’s how you do it:

English	Indonesian	IPA
How are you doing?	Apa kabar?	[ˈapa ˈkabar]
Are you doing well?	Apakah kamu baik-baik saja?	[ˈapakaʔ ˈkamu ˈbaik ˈbaik ˈsaja]

If you are asked how you feel, you can answer with the following phrases:

English	Indonesian	IPA
Thank you for asking, I am fine.	Terima kasih sudah bertanya, saya baik-baik saja.	[tɛˈrima ˈkasɪh ˈsudah bərˈtaɲa ˈsaja ˈbaik ˈbaik ˈsaja]
Thank you, I am fine.	Terima kasih, saya baik-baik saja.	[tɛˈrima ˈkasɪh ˈsaja ˈbaik ˈbaik ˈsaja]
Thank you, I am not doing so well.	Terima kasih, saya kurang sehat.	[tɛˈrima ˈkasɪh ˈsaja ˈkuraŋ ˈsɛhat]
Thanks, I’m fine. How are you doing?	Terima kasih, saya baik-baik saja. Apa kabar?	[tɛˈrima ˈkasɪh ˈsaja ˈbaik ˈbaik ˈsaja ˈapa ˈkabar]

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More information about the Indonesian Language Course.

How do I say goodbye to someone in Indonesian?

Saying goodbye to a friend or stranger in Indonesian is not that difficult. Just use the following phrases:

English	Indonesian	IPA
Goodbye!	Selamat tinggal!	[səˈlamat tiŋˈɡal]
Take care of yourself!	Jaga diri baik-baik!	[ˈdʒaɡa ˈdiri ˈbaik ˈbaik]
Goodbye	Sampai jumpa	[ˈsampai ˈdʒumpa]
See you tomorrow	Sampai besok	[ˈsampai ˈbɛsɔʔ]
See you soon	Sampai jumpa lagi	[ˈsampai ˈdʒumpa ˈlaɡi]
See you later	Sampai nanti	[ˈsampai ˈnanti]
Good night	Selamat malam	[səˈlamat ˈmalam]
Sleep well	Tidur yang nyenyak	[ˈtidur ˈjaŋ ˈɲəɲak]
Talk to you later.	Nanti kita bicara lagi.	[ˈnanti ˈkita biˈtʃara ˈlaɡi]
Nice to have met you!	Senang bertemu denganmu!	[səˈnaŋ bərˈtəmʊ dɛŋanˈmu]

How do I introduce myself in Indonesian?

When travelling in Indonesia, sooner or later you will come into contact with local people. Naturally, you’ll want to introduce yourself in Indonesian and know who you’re talking to.

English	Indonesian	IPA
My name is Jonas.	Nama saya Jonas.	[ˈnama ˈsaja ˈdʒonas]
What is your name?	Siapa namamu?	[ˈsiapa ˈnamamu]
What is your surname?	Siapa nama belakangmu?	[ˈsiapa ˈnama bəˈlakaŋmu]
What is your first name?	Siapa nama depanmu?	[ˈsiapa ˈnama dəˈpanmu]
What is your surname?	Apa nama keluargamu?	[ˈapa ˈnama kəluarˈɡamu]

If you want to tell people where you come from, the following sentences are useful:

English	Indonesian	IPA
Where do you come from?	Dari mana asalmu?	[ˈdari ˈmana aˈsalmʊ]
I am from London.	Saya dari London.	[ˈsaja ˈdari ˈlondon]
Are you from Birmingham?	Apakah kamu dari Birmingham?	[ˈapakaʔ ˈkamu ˈdari ˈbɜːrmɪŋəm]
No, I’m from Madrid.	Tidak, saya dari Madrid.	[ˈtidak ˈsaja ˈdari maˈdrit]
Great, I’m from Madrid too.	Hebat, saya juga dari Madrid.	[ˈhebat ˈsaja ˈdʒuɡa ˈdari maˈdrit]
Where do you live?	Kamu tinggal di mana?	[ˈkamu ˈtiŋɡal di ˈmana]
I live in Berlin.	Saya tinggal di Berlin.	[ˈsaja ˈtiŋɡal di ˈberlin]

If you have problems with your Indonesian, it is good to know which languages are still spoken:

English	Indonesian	IPA
Do you speak English?	Apakah kamu bisa berbahasa Inggris?	[ˈapakaʔ ˈkamu ˈbisa bərbaˈhasa ˈiŋɡrɪs]
Yes, I speak English.	Ya, saya bisa berbahasa Inggris.	[ja ˈsaja ˈbisa bərbaˈhasa ˈiŋɡrɪs]
Yes, I speak some English.	Ya, saya bisa sedikit berbahasa Inggris.	[ja ˈsaja ˈbisa səˈdikit bərbaˈhasa ˈiŋɡrɪs]
No, I do not speak any English.	Tidak, saya tidak bisa berbahasa Inggris.	[ˈtidak ˈsaja ˈtidak ˈbisa bərbaˈhasa ˈiŋɡrɪs]
I only speak English.	Saya hanya bisa berbahasa Inggris.	[ˈsaja ˈhanja ˈbisa bərbaˈhasa ˈiŋɡrɪs]
I understand some Indonesian.	Saya mengerti sedikit bahasa Indonesia.	[ˈsaja məŋərˈti səˈdikit baˈhasa indoneˈsia]

Useful sentences with ‘I am…’

The following sentences will help you orientate yourself in Indonesian and express your wishes and concerns:

English	Indonesian	IPA
I am English.	Saya orang Inggris.	[ˈsaja ˈoraŋ ˈiŋɡrɪs]
I am injured.	Saya terluka.	[ˈsaja tərˈluka]
I am here.	Saya di sini.	[ˈsaja di ˈsini]
I am hungry.	Saya lapar.	[ˈsaja ˈlapar]
I am thirsty.	Saya haus.	[ˈsaja ˈhaus]
I am a single person.	Saya lajang.	[ˈsaja ˈladdʒaŋ]
I need help!	Saya butuh bantuan!	[ˈsaja ˈbutuh banˈtuan]
I am tired.	Saya lelah.	[ˈsaja ləˈlah]
I am happy.	Saya senang.	[ˈsaja səˈnaŋ]
I am sad.	Saya sedih.	[ˈsaja səˈdih]
I am in love.	Saya sedang jatuh cinta.	[ˈsaja səˈdaŋ ˈdʒatuh ˈtʃinta]
I am ill.	Saya sakit.	[ˈsaja ˈsakit]
I am ready.	Saya siap.	[ˈsaja ˈsiap]
I am busy.	Saya sibuk.	[ˈsaja ˈsibuk]
I am lost.	Saya tersesat.	[ˈsaja tərˈsəsat]
I am a tourist.	Saya turis.	[ˈsaja ˈturis]
I am new here.	Saya baru di sini.	[ˈsaja ˈbaru di ˈsini]
I am confident.	Saya percaya diri.	[ˈsaja pərˈtʃaja ˈdiri]
I am proud.	Saya bangga.	[ˈsaja ˈbaŋɡa]
I am a teacher.	Saya guru.	[ˈsaja ˈɡuru]
I am late.	Saya terlambat.	[ˈsaja tərˈlambat]
I am 30 years old.	Usia saya tiga puluh tahun.	[uˈsia ˈsaja ˈtiɡa ˈpuluh ˈtahʊn]
I am in a hurry.	Saya sedang terburu-buru.	[ˈsaja səˈdaŋ tərˈburu ˈburu]
I am happy.	Saya senang.	[ˈsaja səˈnaŋ]
I am surprised.	Saya terkejut.	[ˈsaja tərˈkəʤut]
I am angry.	Saya marah.	[ˈsaja ˈmarah]

Apologising in Indonesian

Here’s how to apologise to a Indonesian speaker:

English	Indonesian	IPA
I apologise.	Saya minta maaf.	[ˈsaja ˈminta ˈmaʔaf]
Sorry, that was not the intention.	Maaf, itu bukan maksud saya.	[ˈmaʔaf ˈitu ˈbukan ˈmaksud ˈsaja]
Sorry, I did not do it on purpose.	Maaf, saya tidak sengaja melakukannya.	[ˈmaʔaf ˈsaja ˈtidak səˈŋadʒa məˈlakuˌkannya]
Sorry, that was very clumsy of me.	Maaf, itu sangat ceroboh dari saya.	[ˈmaʔaf ˈitu ˈsaŋat tʃəˈroboh ˈdari ˈsaja]

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More information about the Indonesian Intermediate Course.

Useful signs and notices in Indonesian

Useful signs and messages in Indonesian that you will often see.

English	Indonesian	IPA
Entrance	Pintu masuk	[ˈpintu ˈmasuk]
Toilet	Toilet	[ˈtoilet]
Exit	Pintu keluar	[ˈpintu kəˈluar]
Attention!	Perhatian!	[pərˈhatian]
Police	Polisi	[poˈlisi]
Emergency services	Layanan darurat	[laˈjanan daˈrurat]
Fire brigade	Pemadam kebakaran	[pəˈmadam kəbaˈkaran]
Passage forbidden.	Dilarang lewat.	[diˈlarang ˈlewat]
Caution!	Hati-hati!	[ˈhati ˈhati]
This building is under video surveillance.	Gedung ini diawasi oleh kamera pengawas.	[ɡəˈdʊŋ ˈini di.aˈwasi oleh kaˈmera pəŋaˈwas]

Numbers to 25 in Indonesian

Counting in Indonesian is not that difficult. Here are the numbers in Indonesian from 1 to 25.

English	Indonesian	IPA
1	Satu	[ˈsatu]
2	Dua	[ˈdua]
3	Tiga	[ˈtiɡa]
4	Empat	[əmˈpat]
5	Lima	[ˈlima]
6	Enam	[əˈnam]
7	Tujuh	[ˈtudʒuh]
8	Delapan	[dəˈlapan]
9	Sembilan	[səmˈbilan]
10	Sepuluh	[səˈpuluh]
11	Sebelas	[səˈbəlas]
12	Dua belas	[ˈdua bəˈlas]
13	Tiga belas	[ˈtiɡa bəˈlas]
14	Empat belas	[əmˈpat bəˈlas]
15	Lima belas	[ˈlima bəˈlas]
16	Enam belas	[əˈnam bəˈlas]
17	Tujuh belas	[ˈtudʒuh bəˈlas]
18	Delapan belas	[dəˈlapan bəˈlas]
19	Sembilan belas	[səmˈbilan bəˈlas]
20	Dua puluh	[ˈdua ˈpuluh]
21	Dua puluh satu	[ˈdua ˈpuluh ˈsatu]
22	Dua puluh dua	[ˈdua ˈpuluh ˈdua]
23	Dua puluh tiga	[ˈdua ˈpuluh ˈtiɡa]
24	Dua puluh empat	[ˈdua ˈpuluh əmˈpat]
25	Dua puluh lima	[ˈdua ˈpuluh ˈlima]

The colours in Indonesian

The most common colours in Indonesian with phonetic transcription for pronunciation.

English	Indonesian	IPA
Red	Merah	[ˈmɛrah]
Blue	Biru	[ˈbiru]
Green	Hijau	[ˈhidaʊ]
Yellow	Kuning	[ˈkunɪŋ]
Black	Hitam	[ˈhitam]
White	Putih	[ˈputɪh]
Orange	Oranye	[oˈraɲə]
Purple	Ungu	[ˈuŋu]
Pink	Merah muda	[ˈmɛrah ˈmuda]
Brown	Cokelat	[ˈtʃokɛlat]

Days of the week, months and seasons in Indonesian

Of course, you will also need the days of the week in Indonesian and the pronunciation of the months and seasons in dialogues and daily communication in Indonesian.

English	Indonesian	IPA
Monday	Senin	[səˈnɪn]
Tuesday	Selasa	[səˈlasa]
Wednesday	Rabu	[ˈrabu]
Thursday	Kamis	[ˈkamɪs]
Friday	Jumat	[ˈdʒumat]
Saturday	Sabtu	[ˈsabtʊ]
Sunday	Minggu	[ˈmiŋɡu]
January	Januari	[ˈdʒanuari]
February	Februari	[fɛbruˈari]
March	Maret	[ˈmarət]
April	April	[ˈapril]
May	Mei	[ˈmei]
June	Juni	[ˈdʒuni]
July	Juli	[ˈdʒuli]
August	Agustus	[aˈɡustus]
September	September	[sɛpˈtɛmbər]
October	Oktober	[ɔkˈtobər]
November	November	[nɔˈvɛmbər]
December	Desember	[dɛˈsɛmbər]
Spring	Musim semi	[ˈmusim səˈmi]
Summer	Musim panas	[ˈmusim ˈpanas]
Autumn / Fall	Musim gugur	[ˈmusim ˈɡuɡur]
Winter	Musim dingin	[ˈmusim ˈdiŋin]

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More information about the Indonesian Business Course.

Additional links

• Learn Indonesian with Mondly
• Learn Indonesian with Babbel
• The different ways of learning languages
• Learning vocabulary successfully
• Motivated language learning
• It is so easy to train your understanding of a language at the same time
• Learning languages quickly? – Is it possible?
• The different types of learners when learning languages

More information about the Indonesian Course for Children.