Indonesian verbs are both very different from English verbs and very easy to learn. How can that be? Well, it turns out that Indonesian syntax is pretty close to English syntax, and the verb complications simply add extra shades of meaning—we're not dealing with huge differences here. Since verbs are indisputably important to everything you want to say in Indonesian, here's a list of the most common Indonesian verbs, divided into categories based on both grammatical function and meaning. We're not even going to explain very much here about the grammar. By the time you get to the end, you'll be amazed at how much you’ve picked up! Ready to learn Indonesian verbs? Let’s get to it. Table of Contents Warmup: Common... 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

*ring ring* That’s your alarm clock. It’s time to learn Indonesian! Hey, do you know how to say that phrase—or, really, any phrases about time in Indonesian? You should! If you’re learning Indonesian for travel, you’re definitely going to want to know how to ask about time. Good luck getting on buses or trains at the right time if you don’t know how to ask when they leave! And if you’re planning on a longer stay there, well, that’s even more of a reason to learn how to tell time in Indonesian. Imagine making a restaurant reservation or calling to ask when a store closes if you don’t know how to talk about time. Pretty tricky, right? This article is definitely for you. Table of Contents Asking for the Time Talking... Show more

Did you get lost again? In the sweltering heat of an Indonesian dry season, it’s no fun to not know where you’re going. (The rainy season is arguably worse!) Going to Indonesia and learning some of the language to help you prepare is an excellent step you can take for a great trip. But did you remember to learn about directions in Indonesian too? Suppose your motorcycle taxi driver has heard of your guesthouse, but never actually been. Or suppose your class is starting in ten minutes and you’re still wandering around the same university streets. Table of Contents Basic Cultural Notes and Phrases Pull Out Your Map and Learn the Compass Points City Vocabulary and Reference Points Phrases for Directions in... Show more

When it comes to parts of speech that you ought to know, you never see nouns ranked super high. If you don’t know a verb, the conversation might grind to a halt as you figure out how to talk around that. If you don’t know a noun, though, it’s not the end of the world. You can probably say something similar, or maybe even the English word. Right? That philosophy might work for some things. But try describing an electrical outlet, or your knee, without resorting to pointing. Tough work! This is a no-fluff list of common Indonesian nouns, and lots of them. Fill up those lexical gaps and hit the ground running! Table of Contents What Makes Indonesian Nouns Tick? Time The Body The Family Working Life School Days ... 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