It’s 9 AM. You drive your motor scooter up to your favorite noodle soup place for breakfast, but with a cry of despair you find that it’s tutup—"closed." Scrawled on the sign is a phrase that you manage to make out as being "closed for national holiday." A national holiday? How were you supposed to know? This kind of situation is pretty common in Indonesia for foreigners. And one major cause can be traced to simple ignorance—not knowing how to talk about dates in Indonesian. It’s an easy skill to overlook when you’re juggling a bunch of Indonesian resources to get a handle on the different vocabulary words that seem to fill the air wherever you go. But it’s no less important for day-to-day life, and as it turns out, just a little... Show more

Everybody knows about the beautiful beaches and temples of Bali. Millions of people flock there every year, and the island is developing at an incredible speed. Did you know, though, that there’s a whole lot more to Indonesia—frequently referred to as the country of 1,000 islands—than just Bali? And the beautiful thing for the tourist who wants to see it all is that the effort to promote the national Indonesian language has been enormously successful. The vast majority of Indonesians are perfectly bilingual in at least one local language as well as standard Indonesian. So the visitor with Indonesian phrases for travelers under their belt gets to avoid the hassle of learning multiple local languages, and instead gets to experience the... Show more

I remember that one of the hardest things for me when I was actually living in Indonesia was using numbers automatically. Anybody can count through the numbers to ten in Indonesian—you can pick that up on the plane ride over. When you actually have to use these Indonesian numbers, though, things are probably a bit more tight. It’s probably hot, and there’s probably somebody behind you in line who doesn’t care at all that it’s your first time in an Indonesian restaurant. Can’t you just feel their gaze on the back of your head? Well, probably not, because Indonesians are famously polite and patient. Nevertheless, it’s not a situation you want to be in. You want to have those numbers down pat. And the best way to learn numbers in... Show more

When I was little, I always hated getting in trouble at a friend’s house. Something about being in a slightly unfamiliar environment made the feeling of shame and embarrassment ten times worse. It’s kind of the same when you have to apologize for something in a foreign language, right? You’re completely out of your comfort zone, to begin with, and now you’ve gone and messed something up to the point where you’ve got to rely on your language skills to get you out of trouble, and say sorry in the Indonesian language. Lucky for you, if you land into trouble in Indonesia, you’ve already got an advantage. Indonesians are extremely accommodating and are more often than not perfectly willing to let an altercation go without so much as a... Show more

Out of the many, many countries that I’ve been to, Indonesia is one that I can describe as the "friendliest." People just want to talk to you, in a real and genuine way that doesn’t happen in some other countries where foreigners are either too commonplace or too much of a curiosity. And although a lot of younger people in big cities can hold conversations in English, there are also quite a few people who would love to chat and find out more about you—if only you knew how to introduce yourself in Indonesian. So, must you learn how to introduce yourself to learn Indonesian? Yes! When you learn Indonesian, how to introduce yourself can’t be skipped over! That’s where we come in, as we’ll teach you how to introduce yourself (English to... Show more

Do you often feel lonely and sad? Do you long for romance and are willing to do whatever it takes to meet that special person? Speaking another language could revolutionize your love life! So, why wait? Learning how to say ‘love’ in Indonesian could be just what you need to find it. Or perhaps you were lucky, and have found your Indonesian partner already. Fantastic! Yet, a cross-cultural relationship comes with unique challenges. Learning how to speak your lover’s language will greatly improve your communication and enhance the relationship. At IndonesianPod101, our team will teach you all the words, quotes and phrases you need to woo your Indonesian lover with excellence! Our tutors provide personal assistance, with plenty of extra... Show more

So, you’re heading for to travel or work. Awesome! You’re in for an amazing adventure! It’s a beautiful country, steeped in a rich culture that may be very unlike your own. However, showing respect to the locals is a big deal in every country around the world. A respectful manner and attitude could open doors for you that would otherwise remain mystifyingly closed. Aside from just knowing ‘Thank you’ in Indonesian, greeting someone correctly in Indonesian could incline a local to treat you more favorably than otherwise! So, the clever thing to do would be to learn Indonesian greetings before you embark on your journey. Indonesian greetings are different from other languages and probably not what you’d expect. But if learning how to say... Show more

Most everyone is familiar with this day, as it is celebrated nearly everywhere the world. Yet, when exactly is April Fools’ Day? And where did April Fools come from? April Fools’ Day is observed on April 1st every year. This day of jokes and pranks is believed to have stemmed from the 16th-century calendar change in France, when New Year’s Day was moved from April 1 to January 1. This action was taken due to the adoption of the Gregorian calendar. However, a few people were resistant to the calendar change, so they continued to observe New Year’s Day on April 1st, rather than the new date. They were referred to as the “April Fools”, and others started playing mocking tricks on them. This custom endured, and is practiced to this day... Show more

Not only is it possible to learn Indonesian in your car, there are 3 great benefits that will help you master the language faster and with less effort. With everyone so pressed for time these days, it might seem like a daydream to believe that you could learn Indonesian in your car—but it’s not! Thanks to a wide range of new technologies and resources, learning a language in your car is easier than ever. Not only is it easy to learn a language while driving, there are actually a number of benefits, especially if the lessons are part of a structured learning program like IndonesianPod101. Here are three specific benefits to learning Indonesian or any other new language in your car. Create Your Free Account and Learn Indonesian... Show more