Learn which languages are similar to Indonesian
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Intro |
|---|
| Michael: What languages are similar to Indonesian? |
| Michael: At IndonesianPod101.com, we hear these questions often. Ben Lee is a college student and he is at a coffee shop with his friend, Farah Fauzi. Ben overhears a conversation at the next table, but can't understand it. He asks Farah, |
| "Is this Indonesian?" |
| Ben Lee: Ini bahasa Indonesia? |
| Dialogue |
| Ben Lee: Ini bahasa Indonesia? |
| Farah Fauzi: Bukan, ini bahasa Melayu. |
| Michael: Once more with the English translation. |
| Ben Lee: Ini bahasa Indonesia? |
| Michael: "Is this Indonesian?" |
| Farah Fauzi: Bukan, ini bahasa Melayu. |
| Michael: "No, it's Malay." |
Lesson focus |
| Michael: In the conversation, we hear Ben Lee ask, |
| Blanca: Ini bahasa Indonesia? |
| Michael: "Is this Indonesian?"—to which Farah Fauzi responds |
| Blanca: Bukan, ini bahasa Melayu. |
| Michael: "No, it's Malay." |
| Michael: As a student of Indonesian, you'll soon realize that there are many similar languages. Many of these languages are spoken in bordering countries of Southeast Asia, such as Malaysia, Singapore, and parts of Thailand. As we see in the dialogue, some beginner-level language learners may confuse Indonesian with Malay. However, Malay is an umbrella language spoken in many parts of Southeast Asia, whereas |
| Blanca: Bahasa Indonesia, |
| Michael: meaning "Indonesian" is spoken exclusively in Indonesia. Both languages come from the Austronesian language family, which is why they resemble one another. However, the biggest differences reside in pronunciation and phonology--or letters grouped together to form unique sounds. |
| Michael: The most distinct pronunciation difference between Indonesian and the Malay language are the ways the vowel "a" is pronounced. While the word meaning "I" in Indonesian is pronounced |
| Blanca: [saya] |
| Michael: in Malay it is pronounced |
| Blanca: [sayə] |
| Michael: You will see many examples of Spanish and English loanwords, but be wary of false friends, since these are also common in both languages. |
| Michael: Other Austronesian languages include |
| Blanca: Batak, Tetun, Kiribati, |
| Michael: and |
| Blanca: Tahitian. |
| Michael: When discussing languages that are similar to Indonesian, it's also important to consider the wide array of regional languages, sometimes considered dialects, spoken throughout this island nation. Some of these include |
| Blanca: Betawi, Banjarese, Sundanese, Javanese, Balinese, |
| Michael: and |
| Blanca: Tolaki. |
| Michael: You'll notice major similarities when it comes to vocabulary shared between languages. Take the word |
| Blanca: rumah, |
| Michael: for example, which means "house" in Indonesian |
| Michael: and is nearly identical in each regional language: |
| Blanca: ruméh |
| Michael: in Betawi |
| Michael: and |
| Blanca: umah |
| Michael: in Balinese. |
| Michael: The counting system is also very similar from one language to another. |
| Michael: Because the Dutch ruled for so long in the country (nearly 350 years), some legal jargon and official records are still written in Dutch. Among the older generation, those who were highly educated may also speak Dutch. However, the majority of Indonesian people speak Indonesian, Malay, and regional languages in everyday life today. |
| Practice Section |
| Michael: Let's review the sample conversation. I'll say each sentence in English, and I want you to try and reply out loud in Indonesian. The native speaker will then model the correct answer. Listen and repeat with an emphasis on your pronunciation. |
| The first sentence is "Is this Indonesian?" |
| [Beep. Pause 5 seconds.] |
| Blanca: Ini bahasa Indonesia? |
| Michael: Did you get it right? Listen to the native speaker again and pay careful attention to the pronunciation before repeating. |
| Blanca: Ini bahasa Indonesia? |
| [Beep. Pause 5 seconds.] |
| Blanca: Ini bahasa Indonesia? |
| Michael: The second sentence is, "No, it's Malay." |
| [Beep. Pause 5 seconds.] |
| Blanca: Bukan, ini bahasa Melayu. |
| Michael: How did you do this time? Listen again and repeat. |
| Blanca: Bukan, ini bahasa Melayu. |
| [Beep. Pause 5 seconds.] |
| Blanca: Bukan, ini bahasa Melayu. |
| Cultural Insight |
| Michael: Some say that Indonesian is close to Tagalog. Well, this may be true at the vocabulary level, but, when they are thrown in actual sentences, it is a slim chance for Indonesians to understand sentences in Tagalog. This is mostly because the two languages are very different in terms of grammar. Besides the regional dialects, Indonesian is closest to Malay. |
Outro |
| Michael: Do you have any more questions? We're here to answer them! |
| Blanca: Dadah. |
| Michael: See you soon! |
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