30 Bahasa Indonesia Phrases for Travelers

Bahasa Indonesia is one of the easier languages to pick up phonetically — it is spelled almost exactly as it sounds, there are no tones, and grammar is considerably simpler than European languages. A few words of Bahasa spoken to a warung owner or market seller produces a disproportionate reaction: immediate warmth, reduced prices, and more honest service. Here are the 30 most useful phrases, with pronunciation notes for each.

Pronunciation Basics

• a = "ah" (like "father"), never "ay"
• e = short "uh" in most words (like "the"), or "ay" in some — context-dependent
• i = "ee"
• u = "oo"
• c = always "ch" (not "k" or "s")
• ng = nasal "ng" as in "singing"
• ny = "ny" as in "canyon"
• Stress usually falls on the second-to-last syllable

Greetings

• Selamat pagi (seh-LAH-mat PAH-gee) — Good morning (until about 11 am)
• Selamat siang (seh-LAH-mat see-AHNG) — Good afternoon (11 am–3 pm)
• Selamat sore (seh-LAH-mat SOH-reh) — Good afternoon/evening (3–6 pm)
• Selamat malam (seh-LAH-mat MAH-lahm) — Good evening (after 6 pm)
• Halo / Hai — Hello (informal, works everywhere)
• Apa kabar? (AH-pah KAH-bar) — How are you?
• Baik, terima kasih (BAH-eek, teh-REE-mah KAH-see) — Fine, thank you
• Sampai jumpa (sahm-PAH-ee JOOM-pah) — Goodbye (until we meet again)
• Selamat tinggal (seh-LAH-mat TING-gahl) — Goodbye (said to someone staying)

Essential Phrases for Daily Use

• Tolong (TOH-long) — Please / Help (versatile: put it before any request)
• Terima kasih (teh-REE-mah KAH-see) — Thank you
• Sama-sama (SAH-mah SAH-mah) — You're welcome
• Ya (yah) — Yes
• Tidak / Nggak (TEE-dak / NGAK) — No (formal / informal)
• Maaf (MAH-ahf) — Sorry / Excuse me
• Permisi (pehr-MEE-see) — Excuse me (to pass someone)
• Saya tidak mengerti (SAH-yah TEE-dak mehng-EHR-tee) — I don't understand
• Bisa bicara pelan-pelan? (BEE-sah bee-CHAH-rah PEH-lan PEH-lan) — Can you speak more slowly?
• Berapa harganya? (beh-RAH-pah har-GAH-nyah) — How much does it cost?
• Terlalu mahal (tehr-LAH-loo MAH-hal) — Too expensive
• Boleh kurang? (BOH-leh KOO-rang) — Can you lower the price?

Food and Restaurant Phrases

• Saya mau pesan... (SAH-yah mow PEH-san) — I would like to order...
• Tidak pakai daging (TEE-dak PAH-kai DAH-ging) — No meat please
• Tidak pedas (TEE-dak PEH-dahs) — Not spicy
• Pedas sekali (PEH-dahs seh-KAH-lee) — Very spicy
• Enak sekali (EH-nahk seh-KAH-lee) — Very delicious (use this generously)
• Minta air minum (MIN-tah AH-eer MEE-noom) — Please bring drinking water
• Minta bon (MIN-tah BONE) — The bill please

Transport and Directions

• Di mana...? (dee MAH-nah) — Where is...?
• Ke kanan (keh KAH-nan) — Turn right
• Ke kiri (keh KEE-ree) — Turn left
• Lurus terus (LOO-roos TEH-roos) — Straight ahead
• Berhenti di sini (behr-HEN-tee dee SEE-nee) — Stop here
• Saya mau ke... (SAH-yah mow keh) — I want to go to...

Numbers (for Bargaining and Prices)

• 1 = satu, 2 = dua, 3 = tiga, 4 = empat, 5 = lima
• 6 = enam, 7 = tujuh, 8 = delapan, 9 = sembilan, 10 = sepuluh
• 20 = dua puluh, 50 = lima puluh, 100 = seratus, 1,000 = seribu
• IDR 50,000 = lima puluh ribu rupiah
• IDR 150,000 = seratus lima puluh ribu rupiah

Balinese vs. Bahasa Indonesia

Balinese is a distinct language from Bahasa Indonesia, with its own grammar, vocabulary, and a social register system (high, middle, and low forms depending on the relative status of speaker and listener). As a tourist, learning Bahasa Indonesia is far more practical and is understood everywhere in Bali. Knowing one phrase in Balinese, however, is charming: Suksma (SOOK-smah) = Thank you in Balinese. Use it with older Balinese people in villages, not in Kuta beach clubs.

For navigating Bali's transport system where these phrases are most useful, see the scooter rental guide and the money and ATM guide.