Indonesian is a very exciting language to learn. This is largely due to its simplicity. No new alphabet to learn, no verb tenses, and no grammatical gender either. And the perks are huge. You’ll be speaking the ninth most common language in the world, and you’ll even be able to understand a fair bit of Malaysian. But let’s face it. Learning a language doesn’t really cut it. Total language mastery is what you should always be aiming for. Whether you’re a beginner, an intermediate learner, or a more advanced Indonesian student, you will always want to master the ins and outs of every skill within your current level before moving forward.  The three most important skills that dictate your performance at every level are... Show more

Assuming you’re on the verge of leveling up in your Indonesian studies, it’s time that you step up and learn some of the most useful intermediate Indonesian words. But before we dive in, some context:  Many language experts consider Indonesian to be the easiest spoken language for English speakers to learn. It’s a simplified language, and learning it is more fun than it is a chore. La coca-cola is feminine in Spanish. Le café is masculine in French. Das Bier is neuter in German. But in Indonesian, it’s all the same. So whether you’re ordering a coca-cola, kopi, or a bira, it all falls under the same blanket. Surprised?  You might be even more surprised to learn that there is no plural in Indonesian. For example, one... Show more

Ever heard of the 7-38-55 communication rule? The rule says that communication is composed of 7 percent spoken word, 38 percent tone of voice, and 55 percent body language. While this rule is sometimes misconstrued, it’s true that we rely heavily on these subtle clues when communicating.  But on the phone, we’re limited to only 45% of our communication means: spoken word and tone of voice.  This can make it nerve-wracking to get on the phone with a stranger. It’s a style of communication we’re not naturally made for.  And phone calls in a foreign language like Indonesian can be even scarier!  Learning a few Indonesian phone call phrases can help take a lot of this pressure off your shoulders. Once you have the most common... Show more

Before Google Translate and online dictionaries, we had to browse through a massive dictionary to find the meaning or translation for a single word. Nowadays, physical dictionaries have become obscure. That has made learning languages way easier. But with all these resources at our fingertips, it becomes increasingly difficult to focus. Sometimes, aspiring language learners end up just translating a bunch of words without learning any. This is why we’ve compiled a masterlist of 200+ basic Indonesian words for beginners.  Memorizing these words will help you to accurately build sentences, ask questions, express emotions, and much more. Without further ado, let’s get right into it. Table of Contents Pronouns ... Show more

"To banish imperfection is to destroy expression, to check exertion, to paralyze vitality." ― John Ruskin, The Stones of Venice Great quote, isn’t it?  We humans are prone to imperfections. We may not like them, but it’s very boss-like to accept them and move forward. After all, these small flaws can be found just about everywhere: in our appearance, voice, ideas, or even language skills.  We don’t always come up with the best words, expressions, or transitions while speaking. Our ideas often feel like a jumbled mess—doubly so when trying to speak in a foreign language!  That’s where Indonesian filler words come in. But what are they, exactly? Table of Contents What are filler words and why do we use them? ... Show more

If you’ve decided to learn a foreign language, whether for work or just for fun, it’s essential to stay positive and motivated. This will make all the difference as you progress toward your language learning goals.  As you aim for positivity and a smooth language learning journey, I’m sure you would love to always be able to say yes! However, as you may imagine, you’ll also need to learn how to form negative sentences in Indonesian before you master the language. Don’t worry though. We only mean "negative" from a grammatical point of view…so keep the positive vibe! In this article, you’ll learn all about negation in Indonesian: how to answer a closed-ended question correctly and politely, how to transform positive sentences into... Show more

Like nouns, verbs are an essential part of all sentences. They are the words we use to describe an action (menyanyikan - to sing), a state of being (hidup - to exist), or an occurrence (mengembangkan - to develop), and they usually have to agree with a subject, which is who or what performs the action described.  Generally, no sentence is complete without a verb. This makes it crucial to pay special attention to verbs when learning a foreign language. Luckily for you, there are no real tenses in Indonesian to worry about. In this article, you’ll learn more about what this means and how to form the main English tenses in Indonesian. By the end of it, you’ll have taken a great leap toward using Indonesian verbs with ease. We’ve... Show more

Those who have tried know: Learning a foreign language may not be easy, but it’s an amazing and fulfilling process. By learning to understand, speak, and think in a foreign language, we add a new skill to our repertoire—but that’s not all! We can also change the very way we see the world. But in today’s civilization, time is money and many of us feel too trapped by responsibilities to try mastering a language ourselves. So if you’re planning to study Indonesian, an important question to ask yourself is: How long does it take to learn Indonesian? And perhaps more importantly: Is it worth the investment?  Did you know that Indonesian has a lot of words that can’t be translated into English? One of my favorites is faedah, which... Show more

Proverbs are popular sayings that provide a little dose of wisdom, a truth that is sometimes so obvious we overlook it.  Can you think of a proverb in your native language that touched you at an important moment of your life? Indonesians are actually famous for using a lot of slang words and proverbs in their daily lives. If you want to sound like a local, you’d better learn some Indonesian proverbs yourself! Doing so is a great way to let your language skills shine and familiarize yourself with Indonesian culture. As they say, "There is no time like the present." Learn the thirty most popular Indonesian proverbs and you’ll be sure to leave a good impression! Table of Contents The Top 30 Indonesian Proverbs ... Show more

You may have heard that Jakarta has a little bit of a traffic problem (there are actually more cars than people in the city!). But I can assure you it offers so much more, if you’re willing to dedicate some time to discover it! Many tourists treat the city as merely an entry and exit point to Indonesia. They pass through without a second look, excited to get to their final destination. This is why, if you have some spare time on your hands, we recommend you travel in Jakarta a little before heading out to discover the rest of Indonesia.  And believe us: There are plenty of reasons to visit Jakarta! Home to over ten million people from all corners of Indonesia and the world, Jakarta is often referred to as "the Big Durian," the... Show more