These are beautiful times for language learners. Even ten years ago, language learning materials on the Internet were nothing like they are today. We’ve had YouTube for a decade and a half, and only in the last several years has it become possible—or even likely—that someone could learn a language mostly through YouTube. If you’ve set out to learn Indonesian, YouTube may have you feeling left out at this point. Why should other language learners get all the fun? Never fear, though. Today’s article is going to introduce you to the top ten YouTube channels for Indonesian learners! Later, we’ll show you why IndonesianPod101’s channel is the best source for learners at every level. → Before starting, check out our vocabulary list... Show more

Is Indonesian easy or hard? Both. It’s hard because the structure and organization of the language is quite different from that of English or other European languages. But it’s easy because you don’t have to remember a lot of complicated rules—you can pick up most of the differences just by looking at examples. Take Indonesian pronouns for example. You can actually get further in Indonesian without pronouns than you might imagine. When people talk to you, though, this is something you’ve really got to know. And Indonsian language pronouns are different from those in English, by a wide margin.  Is that going to be hard? Only one way to find out. Table of Contents The Standard Indonesian Personal Pronouns Using... Show more

There's a sort of balance between the different languages of the world. Some have extremely complex systems of verb changes and noun changes, requiring you to think about every last little detail of who does what in the sentence so that you can get all the endings right. Others say to themselves, "You know, all those extra grammatical endings aren't for me." So they simply put their words in a line and never change them. The tradeoff is that these "simpler" languages have very inflexible word order. So what does this look like in Indonesian word order?  Well, if you switch the position of a few words in a sentence in, say, Russian, the grammatical endings will keep you informed about what you need to know. If you do the same in... Show more

Indonesia is a beautiful place filled with wonderful people. If you’ve ever been, you’ve probably felt the same way. But have you told them so? Foreigners aren’t expected to make any effort to learn Indonesian, particularly not in international hotspots like Jakarta and Bali. However, learning just enough of the language to complete everyday interactions and compliment your hosts is a very doable goal that will make your time in Indonesia much more special. Further than that, though, you also need to learn about the culture of Indonesian compliments. How do things work? What might be considered going too far, and what might be expected of you in various interactions? Learning this information and using it well will not only grease the... Show more

Everyone has certain values, ideologies, or principles which guide them and help them be the best person they can be. Whether this is a certain religious code, a philosophy, or just a general mindset, these values are an important part of being human. Well, countries are founded on values and principles, too! In Indonesia, this is the Five Principles of Pancasila, which we’ll discuss in this article. You’ll also learn about Pancasila Day in Indonesia, how Indonesians observe this holiday, and some useful vocabulary. Let’s get started. 1. What is Pancasila Day? Pancasila Day, though not a public holiday, is a day of peringatan ("commemoration" ) for the Lima Asas Pancasila ("Five Principles of Pancasila" ). These... Show more

Islam is the number-one religion in Indonesia, with roughly eighty-seven percent of the country’s population identifying as Muslim (as of 2010). In addition, Indonesia is known to have more Muslims than any other country in the world! This means that Muslim holidays are a pretty big deal here. A major Muslim holiday, the Eid ul-Fitr celebration in Indonesia is a festive occasion with a variety of traditions. In this article, you’ll learn about the origins of Eid ul-Fitr, Indonesian observances for this holiday, and some new vocabulary words! Let’s get started. 1. What is Eid ul-Fitr? Eid ul-Fitr is an important Muslim holiday, marking the end of Ramadan fasting. This holiday was initiated by the Prophet Muhammad himself. ... Show more

Getting angry in Indonesian is a difficult subject to talk about. Indonesians are, by and large, well-known for not getting very angry. The country often seems to tourists like a literal land of smiles. A very important word in Indonesian is santai, meaning "relaxed" or "at ease." If you're stressed or frustrated, and very clearly not santai, then you're probably going to alienate others. How about on TV, though? Have you ever seen Indonesian sinetron soap operas? They're filled with angry outbursts and furious rants at the world. So even though you might not see or hear it much in real life, Indonesian angry words and phrases definitely exist. If you want to take your Indonesian to the next level, you'd better learn them. Table of... Show more

There’s a lot to be said for being able to make good small talk in another language. Conversations can start up and keep going indefinitely with the right people. But what can you talk about? Perhaps you’ve tried talking about the weather and didn’t end up getting terribly far. Or perhaps you’ve already met someone in Indonesia and gotten along with them, but you don’t know what to talk about whenever you hang out. When something big happens in their life, you’ve got the perfect opening. For example, wishing them a happy birthday in Indonesian is a good way to open up new conversation topics (like what they want to do during this next year of their life, if they have special plans, etc.). Well-wishes, or ucapan in Indonesian, are... Show more

Good Friday in Indonesia, called Jumat Agung, is a major holiday for the country’s Christian population—it’s an even bigger holiday here than Easter! In this article, you’ll learn about the origins of certain Good Friday celebrations in Indonesia, what those celebrations look like today, and much more. Let’s get started! 1. What is Good Friday? Good Friday is a Christian holiday celebrated in many countries around the world, by both Protestants and Catholics. This holiday commemorates the death of Jesus on the cross, as well as his suffering beforehand, before finally celebrating his Resurrection on Easter. Catholics know this holiday as Trihari Suci, or "Easter Triduum." In Indonesia, Good Friday is a time of mati raga,... Show more

Read a couple of pop culture articles in English, and you’ll notice right away that Netflix is a pretty indelible part of Western entertainment these days. It’s almost like if you take a break from catching up on shows and movies, everybody will be speaking a totally different language when you come back. When you study a language, you’re going to be hard-pressed to avoid the pop culture that goes along with it. And on Netflix, Indonesia has tons of movies and TV series for you to enjoy already. But one of the biggest obstacles to people teaching themselves languages is convenience. Try to sign up for an Indonesian streaming service using an American bank card (and with shaky knowledge of Indonesian, at that) and you might want to... Show more