The Around the World phrasebook
Let's learn traveller's Indonesian
Not the school kind — the airport, taxi and dinner-table kind. Every phrase with a say-it-out-loud pronunciation.
Nobody expects you to speak fluent Indonesian. But ten words in the right places — and the market seller smiles, the driver drops the price, the waiter brings the good stuff. We've gathered 65 phrases that actually work, sorted by the moment you'll need them: the landing, the taxi, check-in, the table. Each with a pronunciation you can read aloud without cringing.
Phrasebook · 1/8
First words
| What you want to say | Indonesian | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| Hello (formal) | Selamat pagi | seh-la-MAT PA-gee |
| Hello (informal) | Halo | HA-lo |
| Goodbye | Selamat tinggal | seh-la-MAT TEEN-gal |
| Thank you | Terima kasih | teh-REE-mah KAH-see |
| Please | Tolong | TO-long |
| Yes | Ya | YA |
| No | Tidak | TEE-dak |
| Sorry | Maaf | MA-af |
| I don't understand | Saya tidak mengerti | SA-ya TEE-dak meng-ER-tee |
| Do you speak English? | Apakah Anda berbicara bahasa Inggris? | a-pa-KAH AN-da ber-bee-CHA-ra ba-HA-sa ING-gris? |
Phrasebook · 2/8
Courtesy & introductions
| What you want to say | Indonesian | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| good morning | selamat pagi | seh-la-MAT PA-gee |
| good evening | selamat sore | seh-la-MAT SO-reh |
| how are you? | apa kabar? | A-pa KA-bar? |
| my name is… | nama saya… | NA-mah SA-yah… |
| nice to meet you | senang bertemu denganmu | seh-NANG ber-TE-mu de-NGAN-mu |
| I am from Israel | saya dari Israel | SA-yah DA-ree is-ra-EL |
| see you | sampai jumpa | SAM-pai JOOM-pah |
Phrasebook · 3/8
At the airport & on the flight
| What you want to say | Indonesian | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| Where is the gate? | Di mana gerbangnya? | dee MA-na GER-bang-nya? |
| Is the flight delayed? | Apakah penerbangannya tertunda? | a-pa-KAH pe-ner-BANG-nya ter-TUN-da? |
| Boarding pass | Kartu naik pesawat | KAR-tu NA-ik pe-SA-wat |
| My suitcase hasn't arrived | Koper saya belum tiba | KO-per SA-ya be-LUM TI-ba |
| I have a connecting flight | Saya punya penerbangan lanjutan | SA-ya PU-nya pe-ner-BANG-an lan-JU-tan |
| Window/aisle seat | Kursi dekat jendela/gang | KUR-si de-KAT jen-DE-la/GANG |
| Where is passport control? | Di mana pemeriksaan paspor? | dee MA-na pe-me-RIK-san PAS-por? |
Phrasebook · 4/8
Transport & directions
| What you want to say | Indonesian | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| To this address, please | Ke alamat ini, tolong | keh a-la-MAT i-ni, TO-long |
| How much to the center? | Berapa ke pusat? | be-RA-pa keh PU-sat |
| One ticket to... | Satu tiket ke... | SA-tu TI-ket keh |
| Which platform? | Peron yang mana? | pe-RON yang MA-na |
| Where is the bus station? | Di mana terminal bus? | di MA-na ter-mi-NAL bus |
| Stop here, please | Berhenti di sini, tolong | ber-HEN-ti di SI-ni, TO-long |
| Is it far? | Apakah jauh? | a-pa-KAH JA-uh |
| Turn left/right | Belok kiri/kanan | BE-lok KI-ri/KA-nan |
| Straight | Lurus | LU-rus |
Phrasebook · 5/8
Hotel & stay
| What you want to say | Indonesian | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| I have a reservation | Saya punya reservasi | SA-yah POO-nya re-ZER-va-si |
| Check-in | Check-in | CHEK-in |
| Check-out | Check-out | CHEK-OUT |
| Is breakfast included? | Apakah sarapan termasuk? | A-pa-KAH sa-ra-PAN ter-MA-suk |
| Room key | Kunci kamar | KOON-chi KA-mar |
| Wi-Fi password | Kata sandi Wi-Fi | KA-ta SAN-di WAI-fai |
| Can I leave my luggage? | Bisa titip koper? | BI-sa TI-tip KO-per |
| The air conditioner doesn't work | AC tidak berfungsi | AI-si TI-dak ber-FUNG-si |
Phrasebook · 6/8
Restaurant & food
| What you want to say | Indonesian | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| Table for two | Meja untuk dua orang | ME-jah un-TUK DOO-ah o-RANG |
| The menu, please | Menu, tolong | ME-noo TO-long |
| What do you recommend? | Apa yang Anda rekomendasikan? | A-pa yang AN-da re-ko-men-DA-si-kan |
| The bill, please | Tagihan, tolong | TA-gi-han TO-long |
| Tap water | Air keran | A-yir KE-ran |
| I have a nut allergy | Saya alergi kacang | SA-ya a-LER-gi KA-chang |
| No meat | Tanpa daging | TAN-pa DA-ging |
| It was excellent | Itu sangat enak | I-tu SAN-gat E-nak |
| Can I pay by card? | Bisa bayar dengan kartu? | BI-sa BA-yar DEN-gan KAR-tu |
Phrasebook · 7/8
Shopping & money
| What you want to say | Indonesian | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| How much does it cost? | Berapa harganya? | be-RA-pa har-GA-nya |
| It's too expensive. | Terlalu mahal. | ter-LA-lu MA-hal |
| Do you accept credit cards? | Apakah Anda menerima kartu kredit? | a-pa-KAH AN-da me-ne-RI-ma KAR-tu kre-DIT |
| I'm just looking. | Saya hanya melihat-lihat. | SA-ya HAN-ya me-LI-hat-LI-hat |
| Can I have a receipt? | Bisa minta kuitansi? | BI-sa MIN-ta kwi-TAN-si |
| Where is an ATM? | Di mana ATM? | di MA-na A-T-M |
| A smaller size. | Ukuran yang lebih kecil. | u-ku-RAN yang le-BIH ke-CHIL |
Phrasebook · 8/8
Emergencies & health
| What you want to say | Indonesian | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| Help! | Tolong! | TO-long! |
| Call a doctor. | Panggil dokter. | PANG-gil DOK-ter. |
| Call the police. | Panggil polisi. | PANG-gil po-LI-si. |
| Where is the pharmacy? | Di mana apotek? | di MA-na a-po-TEK? |
| I don't feel well. | Saya tidak enak badan. | SA-ya TI-dak E-nak BA-dan. |
| I'm lost. | Saya tersesat. | SA-ya ter-SE-sat. |
| I need a hospital. | Saya butuh rumah sakit. | SA-ya BU-tuh RU-mah SA-kit. |
| It hurts here. | Sakit di sini. | SA-kit di SI-ni. |
Q&A
Answers to your questions
How do you say "thank you" in Indonesian?
"Terima kasih" (teh-REE-mah KAH-see). It's one of the five words worth knowing by heart before you land.
How much Indonesian do I need for a trip?
Not much. Five or six courtesy words (hello, thank you, please, sorry, yes/no) open doors, and another ten to fifteen phrases for fixed situations — a taxi, check-in, the restaurant bill — cover almost any trip. The rest: a camera-translation app.
Can you get by in English where Indonesian is spoken?
In city centres, hotels and tourist sites — usually yes, especially with younger people. Outside them — markets, transport, small towns — a few words of the local language make a real difference and are warmly received.
Which countries have Indonesian as an official language?
Indonesian is a main language in 2 countries: Indonesia, Malaysia.
What's the difference between the formal and casual greeting?
Most languages have a formal "hello" for strangers, service staff and elders, and an everyday version for friends and peers. As a traveller it's always safer to open with the formal one — nobody is offended by too much politeness.
How do you politely ask someone to speak English?
"Apakah Anda berbicara bahasa Inggris?" (a-pa-KAH AN-da ber-bee-CHA-ra ba-HA-sa ING-gris?) — "do you speak English?". Lead with "excuse me" in the local language and it comes across as respectful.
About this page
Written and checked by the Around the World team. We compare prices across the major providers, cross-check official sources, and update when something changes. We have no stake in any one provider — links are affiliate links, and the price is the same for you.
Sources: Phrasebook: the Around the World team · Language-to-country: Around the World data