Beach and ocean phrases
One word matters more than the rest: "arus" — current. "Arusnya kencang" means it's strong, and if a local says it, stay out, however calm the water looks. Rips on the southern beaches take people every season.
A red flag means what it means everywhere, but it isn't always put up. "Aman untuk berenang?" — safe to swim? — is a question for a lifeguard or the man renting boards, and the answer tends to be honest.
Rentals: a board is fifty to a hundred thousand a day, a lounger with an umbrella about the same. Prices are stated upfront and haggling is half-hearted, but do confirm "untuk sehari" — for the whole day — or it may be counted by the hour.
And a practical one: "titip" — leave in someone's care. "Bisa titip tas?" — can I leave my bag? — is a normal thing to ask whoever rented you the lounger, and it's normally fine.
Pronunciation below is written to be read out loud in English spelling. It isn't linguistically exact — it's meant to get you understood.
42 phrases
Is it safe to swim here right now?
Sekarang aman untuk berenang?
suh-kah-rahng ah-mahn oon-took buh-REH-nahng?
Is the current strong here?
Arusnya kuat di sini?
ah-roos-nyah koo-aht dee SEE-nee?
'arus' - current, the key word
Is there an undertow here?
Ada arus bawah laut di sini?
ah-dah ah-roos bah-wah lohwt dee SEE-nee?
Politer: Permisi, ada arus bawah di sini? ·
Where can I rent a board?
Di mana bisa sewa papan surfing?
dee mah-nah bee-sah seh-wah pah-pahn SOOR-feeng?
Politer: Permisi, di mana bisa sewa papan surfing? ·
How much is it to rent a board for an hour?
Sewa papan berapa per jam?
seh-wah pah-pahn buh-RAH-pah puhr jahm?
Are the sun loungers free or do they cost extra?
Kursi pantainya gratis atau bayar?
koor-see pahn-tehyen-yah grah-tees ah-tohw BAH-yahr?
'kursi pantai' = sun lounger
Can we get two loungers over there, by the water?
Boleh dua kursi di sana, dekat air?
boh-luh doo-ah koor-see dee SAH-nah, duh-kaht EHYER?
Politer: Permisi, boleh dua kursi di sana, dekat air? ·
Are there any jellyfish today?
Hari ini ada ubur-ubur, nggak?
hah-ree ee-nee ah-dah oo-boor OO-boor, nggahk?
'ubur-ubur' - jellyfish
I got stung by a jellyfish, what should I do?
Aku kena sengat ubur-ubur, gimana ya?
ah-koo kuh-nah suhn-gaht oo-boor OO-boor, gee-MAH-nah yah?
'sengat' - to sting
What's the best time to swim, high tide or low tide?
Baiknya berenang pas air naik atau surut?
behyek-nyah buh-reh-nahng pahs ehyer nehyek ah-tohw SOO-root?
'air naik' = high tide, 'surut' = low tide
The flag is red, does that mean no swimming?
Benderanya merah, berarti nggak boleh berenang?
buhn-duh-rahn-yah MEH-rahh, buh-rahr-tee nggahk boh-luh buh-REH-nahng?
flags are actually used on Balinese beaches
Is there a lifeguard on this beach?
Ada penjaga pantai di sini?
ah-dah puhn-jah-gah pahn-tehye dee SEE-nee?
Politer: Permisi, ada penjaga pantai di sini? ·
Is it safe to swim out far?
Berenang jauh berbahaya, nggak?
buh-reh-nahng johw buhr-bah-HAH-yah, nggahk?
Is the bottom rocky or sandy?
Dasarnya batu atau pasir?
dah-sahr-nyah bah-too ah-tohw PAH-seer?
Are there rocks under the water here?
Ada batu di bawah air, nggak?
ah-dah bah-too dee bah-wah EHYER, nggahk?
Politer: Permisi, ada batu di bawah air, nggak? ·
The water looks murky today, did something happen?
Airnya keruh hari ini, kenapa ya?
ehyer-nyah kuh-roo hah-ree EE-nee, kuh-NAH-pah yah?
Are the waves too big for a beginner today?
Ombaknya besar buat pemula, nggak?
ohm-bahk-nyah buh-sahr boo-aht puh-MOO-lah, nggahk?
Can I leave my stuff here, is it safe?
Boleh titip barang di sini, aman kan?
boh-luh tee-teep bah-rahng dee SEE-nee, AH-mahn kahn?
Politer: Permisi, boleh titip barang di sini, aman kan? ·
Is there a shower to rinse off the salt?
Ada shower buat bilas garam?
ah-dah shoh-wuhr boo-aht bee-lahs GAH-rahm?
Politer: Permisi, ada shower buat bilas garam? ·
Do you provide towels or should I bring my own?
Handuk disediakan atau bawa sendiri?
hahn-dook dee-suh-dee-ah-kahn ah-tohw bah-wah suhn-DEE-ree?
Does the rental include a beach umbrella too?
Payungnya juga termasuk sewa, kan?
pah-yoong-nyah joo-gah tuhr-mah-sook SEH-wah, kahn?
Can kids swim here, is it shallow?
Anak-anak bisa berenang di sini, dangkal kan?
ah-nahk ah-nahk bee-sah buh-reh-nahng dee SEE-nee, DAHNG-kahl kahn?
"dangkal" - shallow
Is this a good spot for sunset or is somewhere else better?
Lihat sunset bagusnya dari sini atau lebih jauh?
lee-haht soon-suht bah-goos-nyah dah-ree see-nee ah-tohw luh-bee JOHWH?
Is it good for surfing right now or are the waves weak?
Surfing sekarang oke atau ombaknya kecil?
soor-feeng suh-kah-rahng oh-kuh ah-tohw ohm-bahk-nyah kuh-CHEEL?
Can I rent a board?
Bisa sewa papan surfing?
bee-sah seh-wah pah-pahn SOOR-feeng?
Politer: Permisi, bisa sewa papan surfing? ·
How much for a board per hour?
Berapa sewa papan per jam?
buh-rah-pah seh-wah PAH-pahn puhr jahm?
Politer: Permisi, berapa sewa papan per jam? ·
And how much for the whole day?
Kalau sewa sehari berapa?
kah-lohw seh-wah suh-hah-ree buh-RAH-pah?
I need a bigger board, I'm a beginner
Saya butuh papan yang lebih besar, saya masih pemula
sah-yah boo-too pah-pahn yahng luh-bee buh-SAHR, sah-yah mah-see puh-MOO-lah
Do you have a softer board for beginners?
Ada papan softboard untuk pemula?
ah-dah pah-pahn sohf-tboh-ahrd oon-took puh-MOO-lah?
Politer: Permisi, ada papan softboard untuk pemula? ·
I'd like to take a surf lesson
Saya mau ambil kursus surfing
sah-yah mohw ahm-beel koor-soos SOOR-feeng
How much is a lesson with an instructor?
Berapa harga les surfing sama instruktur?
buh-rah-pah hahr-gah luhs soor-feeng sah-mah een-STROOK-toor?
Politer: Permisi, berapa harga les surfing sama instruktur? ·
Where's the entry point into the water?
Di mana jalan masuk ke air?
dee mah-nah jah-lahn mah-sook kuh EHYER?
Politer: Permisi, di mana jalan masuk ke air? ·
Is it safe to go in the water here?
Di sini aman buat masuk ke air?
dee see-nee ah-mahn boo-aht mah-sook kuh EHYER?
Is it high tide or low tide right now?
Sekarang air pasang atau surut?
suh-kah-rahng ehyer pah-sahng ah-tohw SOO-root?
"pasang" - high tide, "surut" - low tide
What time will high tide be?
Jam berapa air pasang?
jahm buh-rah-pah ehyer PAH-sahng?
Are the waves too big for a beginner right now?
Ombak sekarang terlalu besar buat pemula?
ohm-bahk suh-kah-rahng tuhr-lah-loo buh-sahr boo-aht puh-MOO-lah?
Where can I rent a sun lounger here?
Di sini bisa sewa kursi pantai?
dee see-nee bee-sah seh-wah koor-see PAHN-tehye?
Can I get a beach umbrella, please?
Minta payung pantai, ya
meen-tah pah-yoong PAHN-tehye, yah
Is there a current here?
Di sini ada arus?
dee see-nee ah-dah AH-roos?
important safety question
Where can I leave my things here?
Di mana bisa titip barang di sini?
dee mah-nah bee-sah tee-teep bah-rahng dee SEE-nee?
Politer: Permisi, di mana bisa titip barang di sini? ·
Does the instructor speak English?
Instrukturnya bisa bahasa Inggris?
een-strook-toor-nyah bee-sah bah-hah-sah EENG-grees?
The sun is really strong today
Matahari lagi panas banget hari ini
mah-tah-hah-ree lah-gee pah-nahs bahn-guht hah-ree EE-nee
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