Indonesian manners: greetings and what not to do
The form of address matters more than the words. "Pak" for a man, "bu" for a woman of your age or older — like a formal "you", only less optional. A sentence without one doesn't read as neutral, it reads as cold.
Greetings follow the clock, and the boundaries aren't ours: "selamat pagi" until eleven, "siang" until about three, "sore" until sunset, "malam" after. Getting it wrong is harmless; getting it right is noticed.
"Permisi" is the all-purpose "excuse me". It gets you through a crowd, opens a question to a stranger, and announces you at a door. "Maaf" is an apology for a wrong, and the two aren't interchangeable.
What not to do: point with a finger (use the thumb), give or take with the left hand, raise your voice in front of others. The last one matters most — the person who shouted loses face, not the person shouted at.
Pronunciation below is written to be read out loud in English spelling. It isn't linguistically exact — it's meant to get you understood.
79 phrases
My name is...
Nama saya ...
NAH-mah SAH-yah ...
What's your name?
Nama Anda siapa?
NAH-mah AHN-dah see-AH-pah?
Local: Namanya siapa? ·
I live here
Saya tinggal di sini
SAH-yah TEENG-gahl dee SEE-nee
I'm from Russia
Saya dari Rusia
SAH-yah DAH-ree ROO-see-ah
I'm learning Indonesian
Saya belajar bahasa Indonesia
SAH-yah buh-LAH-jahr bah-HAH-sah een-doh-NEH-see-ah
Say this and people's whole tone toward you changes.
Sorry, my Indonesian isn't great
Maaf, bahasa saya masih kurang
MAH-ahf, bah-HAH-sah SAH-yah MAH-see KOO-rahng
Local: Maaf, bahasa saya masih dikit ·
Nice to meet you
Senang bisa kenalan
suh-NAHNG BEE-sah kuh-NAH-lahn
See you tomorrow
Sampai besok
SAHM-pehye BEH-sohk
Take care, be safe
Hati-hati
HAH-tee HAH-tee
Said as a warm goodbye when you're hopping on a bike.
Good morning, ibu
Selamat pagi, Bu
suh-LAH-maht PAH-gee, boo
How are you?
Apa kabar, Pak?
AH-pah KAH-bahr, pahk?
My name is Maxim
Nama saya Maksim
NAH-mah SAH-yah MAHK-seem
I live right over there
Saya tinggal di sana
SAH-yah TEENG-gahl dee SAH-nah
Sorry about the noise
Maaf ya, tadi ramai
mah-AHF yah, TAH-dee RAH-mehye
"Ramai" means lively and crowded at once — that's exactly what a party is.
Come by sometime
Mampir ya
MAHM-peer yah
"Mampir" means dropping in as a neighbor, no reason needed.
Thanks so much for your help
Terima kasih bantuannya
tuh-REE-mah KAH-see bahn-too-AHN-nyah
Local: Makasih bantuannya ·
You have such a beautiful garden
Kebunnya bagus
kuh-BOON-nyah BAH-goos
Complimenting the house or garden is valued more here than complimenting the person directly.
Is there a ceremony today?
Hari ini ada upacara?
HAH-ree EE-nee AH-dah oo-pah-CHAH-rah?
Am I in the way?
Tidak mengganggu?
TEE-dahk muhng-GAHNG-goo?
Local: Nggak mengganggu? ·
Have a good day
Selamat jalan
suh-LAH-maht JAH-lahn
Said to the person leaving. To the one staying, it's "selamat tinggal".
Is it okay to take photos?
Boleh foto?
BOH-luh FOH-toh?
Politer: Permisi, boleh foto? ·
Sorry, I'm late
Maaf, saya telat
mah-AHF, SAH-yah tuh-LAHT
“Telat” sounds more natural than the textbook terlambat.
Hey, neighbor!
Halo, tetangga!
HAH-loh, tuh-TAHNG-gah!
Good afternoon
Selamat siang
suh-LAH-maht SEE-ahng
used roughly from 11am to 3pm
Good afternoon/evening
Selamat sore
suh-LAH-maht SOH-ruh
from 3pm to 6pm, distinct from 'malam'
Good evening
Selamat malam
suh-LAH-maht MAH-lahm
after 6pm, used when meeting someone in the evening
I'm doing well, thanks
Baik, terima kasih
BEHYEK, tuh-REE-mah KAH-see
Local: Baik-baik, makasih ·
Sorry to bother you
Maaf mengganggu
MAH-ahf muhng-GAHNG-goo
said before asking for something
Excuse me, can I ask you something?
Maaf, boleh tanya?
MAH-ahf, BOH-luh TAHN-yah?
Sorry to trouble you
Mohon maaf atas gangguannya
MOH-hohn MAH-ahf AH-tahs gahng-goo-AHN-nyah
more formal, mohon is politer than maaf
Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you
Maaf, saya tidak bermaksud menyinggung
MAH-ahf, SAH-yah TEE-dahk buhr-MAHK-sood muhn-YEENG-goong
Local: Maaf, saya nggak bermaksud menyinggung ·
Thank you so much
Terima kasih banyak
tuh-REE-mah KAH-see BAHN-yahk
Local: Makasih banyak ·
Thanks for your help
Terima kasih sudah membantu
tuh-REE-mah KAH-see SOO-dah muhm-BAHN-too
Local: Makasih udah membantu ·
You're welcome
Sama-sama
SAH-mah SAH-mah
standard reply to 'thank you'
No problem
Terima kasih kembali
tuh-REE-mah KAH-see kuhm-BAH-lee
Local: Makasih kembali ·
I live right nearby
Saya tinggal di sini, dekat sini
SAH-yah TEENG-gahl dee SEE-nee, duh-KAHT SEE-nee
I'm your new neighbor
Saya tetangga baru
SAH-yah tuh-TAHNG-gah BAH-roo
How long have you lived here?
Sudah lama tinggal di sini?
SOO-dah LAH-mah TEENG-gahl dee SEE-nee?
Local: Udah lama tinggal di sini? ·
If you ever need anything, just let me know
Kalau perlu apa-apa, bilang saja
KAH-lohw puhr-LOO AH-pah AH-pah, BEE-lahng SAH-jah
Local: Kalau perlu apa-apa, bilang aja ·
Good night, see you around
Selamat malam, sampai jumpa
suh-LAH-maht MAH-lahm, SAHM-pehye JOOM-pah
Sorry for bothering you so late
Maaf mengganggu malam-malam
MAH-ahf muhng-GAHNG-goo MAH-lahm MAH-lahm
if you show up late at night
How's it going?
Apa kabar?
AH-pah KAH-bahr?
Politer: Permisi, apa kabar? ·
I'm good, how about you?
Baik, kamu gimana?
BEHYEK, KAH-moo gee-MAH-nah?
Where are you headed?
Mau ke mana?
mohw kuh MAH-nah?
not a literal question, it's a greeting, like our 'how are you'
Just out for a walk
Jalan-jalan aja
JAH-lahn JAH-lahn AH-jah
standard reply to mau ke mana, even if you have a plan
Have you eaten yet?
Sudah makan?
SOO-dah MAH-kahn?
Local: Udah makan? ·
Yes, I already ate
Sudah, tadi udah makan
SOO-dahh, TAH-dee OO-dah MAH-kahn
Local: Udah, tadi udah makan ·
You speak English really well
Bahasa Inggrismu bagus banget
bah-HAH-sah eeng-GREES-moo BAH-goos BAHN-guht
a compliment locals and expats often give each other
You're such a great cook
Masakanmu enak banget
mah-sah-KAHN-moo EH-nahk BAHN-guht
Nice dress/shirt
Bajunya keren banget
bah-JOON-yah kuh-REHN BAHN-guht
You have a beautiful smile
Senyummu manis banget
suhn-YOOM-moo MAH-nees BAHN-guht
Thanks, you look great too
Makasih, kamu juga kelihatan bagus
mah-KAH-seeh, KAH-moo JOO-gah kuh-lee-HAH-tahn BAH-goos
Maybe not today, some other time
Mungkin lain kali ya
MOONG-keen LEHYEN KAH-lee yah
a soft refusal without a direct 'no'
Thanks, but I'll think about it
Makasih, tapi aku pikir-pikir dulu
mah-KAH-seeh, TAH-pee AH-koo PEE-keer PEE-keer DOO-loo
a universal soft brush-off for vendors/touts
Not this time, thanks
Nggak dulu deh, makasih
nggahk DOO-loo duhh, mah-KAH-see
I already have plans
Aku udah ada rencana lain
AH-koo OO-dah AH-dah ruhn-CHAH-nah LEHYEN
a gentle way to decline an invitation
Are you kidding me?
Kamu becanda ya?
KAH-moo buh-CHAHN-dah yah?
It was just a joke
Itu cuma bercanda kok
EE-too CHOO-mah buhr-CHAHN-dah kohk
to defuse tension after a joke falls flat
Alright, I'm gonna head out, bye!
Oke deh, aku duluan ya!
OH-kuh duhh, AH-koo doo-LOO-ahn yah!
casual goodbye when leaving before the other person
See you!
Sampai jumpa lagi!
SAHM-pehye JOOM-pah LAH-gee!
Take care
Jaga diri baik-baik ya
JAH-gah DEE-ree BEHYEK BEHYEK yah
warm goodbye with a friend
What time should we meet?
Jam berapa kita ketemu?
jahm buh-RAH-pah KEE-tah kuh-tuh-MOO?
What time works for you?
Jam berapa enaknya buat kamu?
jahm buh-RAH-pah uh-NAHK-nyah BOO-aht KAH-moo?
I'll be a bit late
Aku telat sedikit
AH-koo tuh-LAHT suh-DEE-keet
Local: Aku agak telat dikit ·
Sorry, traffic was crazy
Sori, kelamaan di jalan
SOH-ree, kuh-lah-MAH-ahn dee JAH-lahn
literally 'was stuck in traffic for a long time', a common excuse for being late
Please wait for me
Tunggu aku sebentar ya
TOONG-goo AH-koo suh-buhn-TAHR yah
Give me five minutes
Tunggu lima menit lagi
TOONG-goo LEE-mah muh-NEET LAH-gee
Can you wait?
Bisa tunggu?
BEE-sah TOONG-goo?
Politer: Permisi, bisa tunggu, kan? ·
Let's push it to tomorrow
Kita ganti besok aja, ya
KEE-tah GAHN-tee BEH-sohk AH-jah, yah
Can we reschedule?
Bisa reschedule ketemuannya?
BEE-sah ruhs-chhuh-DOO-luh kuh-tuh-moo-AHN-nyah?
Politer: Permisi, bisa reschedule ketemuannya? ·
Let's meet at a different time
Ketemuan di waktu lain aja gimana?
kuh-tuh-MOO-ahn dee WAHK-too LEHYEN AH-jah gee-MAH-nah?
Let's do tomorrow, if that works for you
Besok aja gimana, kalau kamu gak keberatan?
BEH-sohk AH-jah gee-MAH-nah, KAH-lohw KAH-moo gahk kuh-buh-RAH-tahn?
I'm on my way
Aku udah di jalan
AH-koo OO-dah dee JAH-lahn
a common phrase, even if the person hasn't actually left yet :)
I'm almost there
Aku hampir sampai
AH-koo HAHM-peer SAHM-pehye
also often said ahead of time
Where are you right now?
Kamu di mana sekarang?
KAH-moo dee MAH-nah suh-KAH-rahng?
Let's do the same time as yesterday
Jam yang sama kayak kemarin aja ya
jahm yahng SAH-mah KAH-yahk kuh-MAH-reen AH-jah yah
My plans changed, can we do another day?
Rencanaku berubah, gimana kalau ganti hari?
ruhn-chah-NAH-koo buh-ROO-bahh, gee-MAH-nah KAH-lohw GAHN-tee HAH-ree?
Don't wait for me, go ahead and start
Gak usah tunggu aku, mulai aja dulu
gahk OO-sah TOONG-goo AH-koo, MOO-lehye AH-jah DOO-loo
See you tomorrow then
Oke, sampai besok ya
OH-kuh, SAHM-pehye BEH-sohk yah
These phrases, out loud and in your pocket
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