Decimals are as in English, but use a comma rather than a full stop. So 4.5 (four point five) is 4,5 (empat koma lima) in Indonesian.
| ½ (one half) | setengah, separuh |
| ⅓ (one third) | sepertiga |
| ⅔ (two thirds) | dua pertiga |
| ¼ (one quarter) | seperempat |
| ¾ (three quarters) | tiga perempat |
COUNTERS
Like many Asian languages, Indonesian often uses a counter word when talking about a number of objects. This is similar to the English use of “twenty head of cattle,” “six pairs of pants” etc.
If you leave them out, people will still understand you, but you will hear them used and you will speak better Indonesian if you can use them.
| orang | for people, e.g. dua orang bayi two babies |
| buah | fruit, general counter for largish objects, e.g. lima buah jeruk five oranges; empat buah mobil four cars |
| biji | seed, general counter for small objects, e.g. tiga biji kancing three buttons |
| ékor | for animals, e.g. seékor sapi a cow |
| batang | for long thin objects, e.g. sepuluh batang rokok ten cigarettes |
ASKING QUESTIONS
| who | siapa |
| what | apa |
| where | di mana, (directional) ke mana |
| when | kapan |
| how | bagaimana |
| why | mengapa, kenapa (colloquial) |
| yes | ya |
| no | tidak, bukan (for objects) |
| not yet | belum |
To make a question not using a question word, all you have to do is start the sentence with Apakah (or Apa for short). Literally, apakah means “whether” while apa means “what.”
Joni suka makan kepiting.
Apakah Joni suka makan kepiting?
Kepanasan.
Apa kepanasan?
As in English, you can simply use a rising intonation at the end of the sentence to make it a question, but it is much simpler and clearer to use Apa or Apakah in front.
PART TWO
Key Words and Expressions
INTRODUCTIONS & SMALL TALK
| Good morning | |
| (until 10 a.m. or so) | Selamat pagi |
| (from 10 to midday) | Selamat siang |
| Good afternoon | |
| (from midday to 3 p.m.) | Selamat siang |
| (from 3 p.m. to dark) | Selamat soré |
| Good evening | Selamat malam |
| Good night | Selamat tidur |
Halo
Apa kabar? (lit. what news?)
Kabar baik (lit. news good)
Baik-baik saja (lit. just OK)
Times of the day are divided into three phases in Indonesia: pagi, siang and soré.
Communicating
Apa bisa bahasa Inggris?
Bisa, sedikit.
Saya bisa berbahasa Inggris.
| English | bahasa Inggris |
| Indonesian | Bahasa Indonesia |
| Dutch | bahasa Belanda |
| Javanese | bahasa Jawa |
Tolong bicara perlahan-lahan.
Tolong, sekali lagi.
Saya mengerti.
Saya tidak mengerti.
Saya mau belajar Bahasa Indonesia.
| Excuse me | Permisi |
| Sorry | Maaf |
| Thank you | Terima kasih |
| You’re welcome/ | Sama-sama / (Terima kasih) |
| That’s OK | kembali |
| No, thank you | Terima kasih |
| Please | Tolong (asking for help) |
| Coba (if inviting someone to try something) | |
| Silahkan (if offering something) |
Mari, saya duluan ya.
| Goodbye | Mari / Silahkan |
| Goodbye | Selamat jalan |
| (have a good trip) | |
| Goodbye | Selamat tinggal |
| (to someone staying) |
It is important to take leave of others. Indonesians would not leave the house without saying goodbye first (pamit)
