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Indonesian Tutorial written by Vremita Desectia (vremita_desectia [at] yahoo.com)

Learning to speak Indonesian is not as difficult as you think. The rules are so simple, it has no gender, no agreement with plural/singular noun and genders and case and time, and it is easy to pronounce.

As far as I know, the most problems that non-Indonesian-speakers have, are the prefixes, suffixes, and circumfixes.

I don’t give much of those forms of the language in this book, I only give the basics.

I admit it; it is difficult to understand the prefixes, suffixes, and circumfixes. Even the students in the junior high schools seldom get an A+ for Indonesian :p

Did I say ‘to understand’? Well, in the spoken language it does not matter (mostly) about the usage of the prefixes and we can understand people well. But if you’re in an Indonesian school and you get the Indonesian subject… Well you have to think in Indonesian then.

Another problems in learning Indonesian: it has a lot of formal and informal forms.

But don’t worry, since we only use the formal forms in a very formal situation (formal speech, ceremonies, etc) and formal-written-Indonesian (newspapers, etc) and in poetry.

Indonesian also has ameliorative and pejorative words, and the use of these words depends on the subjects. Example:

mati                             = die (natural sense)

we use these words to say ‘die’ but we see, “who dies”?

-mangkat                      = King

-gugur                          = soldier (die in the war, etc)

-wafat                          = good men (die because of old age)

-meninggal dunia           = good men (die because of illness)

-tewas                          = people who die because of suicide, homicide, accident, etc.

-mampus                      = bad people, e.g a robber who dies because the police shot him

*for animal, just use the natural sense ‘mati’.

And if you’re talking in Indonesian and you don’t know what to say, just use the natural word and people will understand you. It’s all right; it’s just the sense.

If you’re a tourist and you want to ask some help from Indonesians, don’t worry about using formal form or informal form because the words are both grammatically right; it’s just the sense, and we Indonesians can understand you well.

Good luck in learning Indonesian J

Alphabets

Pronunciation

Example

Meaning

A

car

aku

I (informal)

B

bar

bola

ball

C

cheese, but softer, as in Italian ci, ce

cinta

love

D

day

dua

two

E

an opened one: French les (è)

nenek

Grandma

 

a semi-opened one: end (é)

elang

hawk

 

a closed one: opened

embun

dew

F

fun

foto

photo

G

good

gadis

girl

H

hard, hush

hotel

hotel

I

film

ikan

fish

J

judge (Arabic ج)

janji

promise, to promise

K

kind

kata

word

L

law

lampu

lamp

M

mother

mimpi

dream, to dream

N

new

novel

novel

O

an opened one: of, ball (ò)

(as in Arabic ر,ق)

omong

to say (informal)

 

A closed one: old (ó)

orang

man, people

P

pure

pandai, pintar

clever

Q

quality

Quran

The Koran

R

trilled like Italian, Spanish r,

like rrrrrrrrright :D (Arabic ر)

rumah

house

S

sand

surat

letter

T

time

   

U

good, blue

uang

money

V

viva

voli

volley

W

hard one: wave

wafat

to die (polite)

 

soft one: swing

waktu

time

X

extreme

xerofit

xerofit

Y

hard one: you, yard

yunior

junior

 

soft one: sounds like long ee

(Arabic ي)

yatim

kid who does not have father

Z

zorro, not like Italian z (tz), but like bee sound zzzz :D (Arabic ز)

zigot

zygote




Double Consonants

Pronunciation

Example

Meanings

kh

Arabic ﺥ

khusus

specific

ng

singing English song

senang

to be happy, glad, cheerful, pleased

ngg

mango, anggar

anggun

posh, beautiful, la serenitá

ny

Sonya (name), Italian Signore

nyanyi

to sing

sy

Shy, Italian scendere

syarat

requirement

Diphthongs

Pronunciation

Example

Meaning

ai

I, find, Italian hai

baik

good, well, nice

au

now, Raul Gonzales :D, Italian naufragare (like Arabic و)

mau

to will, want (informal)

ia

Italian, la mia bianca scia

siang

afternoon

iu

future, Italian più, giustizzia

cium

kiss, to kiss

oi

boy, voice, Italian noi

”Amboi!”

”Wow!”, ”Gosh!”

ua

Italian la sua

suara

voice

Note:

Ø      Some Indonesian words have double vowels, such as saat (time, when..) bait (a paragraph in a poetry).

Ø      Sometimes, a word has ‘triple diphtongs’, like beliau (he, she, polite), sesuai (suitable). You have to pronounce all the letters, because Indonesian pronunciation does not ‘swallow’ any word of its words.

Ø      There are more diphthongs in Indonesian, but those are the most important.
Basic Phrases in Indonesian

Hello                                        hai, halo

Good morning (til 10am)           selamat pagi (selamat—closed e)

Good afternoon (til 3pm)          selamat siang

Good evening (til 6pm) selamat sore (sore—semi-opened e)

Good night                               selamat malam

How are you?                           Apa kabar?

I am fine, thanks                       Baik, terimakasih

What is your name?                  Siapa nama Anda? (formal)

My name is __                          Nama saya __

How old are you?                     Berapa umur Anda? (formal)

I am __ years old                      Umur saya __ tahun

Do you speak English?  Apakah Anda berbicara bahasa Inggris? (formal)

Yes, I speak English                 Ya, saya berbicara bahasa Inggris

Can you speak English?            Dapatkah Anda berbicara bahasa Inggris? (formal)

No, I can’t speak English          Tidak, saya tidak dapat berbicara bahasa Inggris

Nice to meet you                      Senang berkenalan dengan Anda (formal)

Note: To change formal forms into informal forms, simply change the word Anda to kamu.

Yes/No                                    Ya/Tidak

Excuse me/Pardon me              Permisi

Sorry                                        Maaf

Thank you                                Terimakasih

You are welcome                     Sama-sama

Please                                      Tolong

Goodbye                                  Daag (daah – taken from Dutch language)

                                                Selamat tinggal (it means..never see you again’)

Goodbye (have a nice trip)        Selamat jalan                         

See you                                    Sampai jumpa

Mr.                  Tuan (formal)

                        Bapak (married)

                        Saudara (not married)

Mrs.                 Nyonya (formal)

                        Ibu

Miss                 Nona (formal)

Saudari


I will add some note about addressing in Indonesian. Well, in Indonesian culture, people prefer to address each other with their names. It is to respect other people. But sometimes  in informal situation, e.g with classmates, Indonesians can address others with ‘kamu’.

When addressing elder people, Indonesians NEVER use ‘kamu’, but Indonesians also seldom address with Anda. Indonesians usually address with ‘Bapak’ or ‘Ibu’ or ‘Saudara/i’. Sometimes it is followed with the person’s name. For example, Bapak Ahmad.

Do NOT address these people with ‘kamu’:

-         Any member of your family. I mean, ANY. Even your little sister.

-         Your teachers, even if they are younger than you.

-         Your schoolmates that are in grades higher than you, e.g. you’re in Grade 10th, so you shouldn’t address the 11th Graders with ‘kamu’.

-         Your colleagues

-         Any persons in your business life.

-         Any elder people you know or you meet.

-         Strangers.

You should address these people with ‘Bapak’ or ‘Ibu’ (can be followed with their names):

-         Your teachers

-         Any persons in your business life.

-         Any elder people you know or you meet.

Note on addressing in family:

Indonesians prefer to address their family members with their status, example:

Bapak / Ayah / Papa                father

Ibu / Bunda / Mama                  mother

Kakak                                      elder sister/brother

Adik                                         younger sister/brother

Nenek                                      grandmother

Kakek                                      grandfather

Paman/Om                               your parents’ brother

Bibi/Tante                                 your parents’ sister

etc.

When addressing cousins, Indonesians tend to use ‘kamu’ or their names instead.         


A similar rule applies to the first person pronoun (saya and aku).

The rule is pretty simple, just call yourselves with ‘saya’ when talking to elderly people, at work/school, business, in public, when talking to strangers, and some other formal situations.

Call yourselves with ‘aku’ when talking to your friends, younger persons, and some other informal situations.

Important note:

- Old people, married people, business men/women, etc always call themselves  ‘saya’ instead of ‘aku’ due to politeness. They also NEVER address people with ‘kamu’. They always address with Bapak, Ibu, Saudara/i, and can be followed by the persons’ names.

- Young people can call themselves with ‘saya’ or ‘aku’, while the rules of politeness apply, as mentioned above.


Singular Pronouns

I

saya (formal)

 

aku (informal)

you (singular)

Anda (formal) >> also formal plural

 

kamu (informal)

he, she, it

ia (formal)

 

beliau (formal, addressing an elder person)

beliau—closed e

 

dia

Plural Pronouns

we

kami (I and my friend)

 

kita (I, my friend, and you)

you (plural)

Anda (formal) >> also formal singular

 

kalian (informal)

he, she, it

mereka

Indonesian singular and plural nouns are easy to recognize.

buku                                         a book

buku-buku                                some books

komputer                                  a computer

komputer-komputer                  some computers

But be careful; repeated words not only express plural form, but they also mean other things. Sometimes, prefixes/suffixes/circumfixes are added, or the letters/sound are changed.

Meaning

Word

Meaning

Note

look-a-like

mobil-mobilan

not a real car; just a car toy

mobil: car

frequnciness

memukul-mukul

to hit a few times

pukul: to hit

reciprocal

berpandang-pandangan

to gaze at each other

pandang: to gaze

slightly

kemerah-merahan

nearly red; pink-red

merah: red

Actually there are some other functions of the repeated words, but since we need more knowledge about the language (even we Indonesians still have to study about these forms), I decided not to give them yet. But if you find any Indonesian sentences that you feel difficult to translate, just send me an e-mail and I’ll contact you.


Articles

 

Actually, Indonesian does not have articles. But we have different ways to say ‘a/an/some’ and ‘the’ for person/s, thing/s, or animal/s.

The rule is to add ‘se’ (which means one, a/an) plus a special word.

 

Singular                                    Plural

Person:    seorang                     Persons:  beberapa orang

Thing:      sebuah                       Things:    beberapa buah

Animal:    seekor                       Animals:  beberapa ekor

*What have you learnt? Good. ‘beberapa’ can be translated as ‘some’.

 

Kakakku adalah seorang guru

My sister/brother is a teacher

 

Saya mempunyai beberapa ekor kelinci

I have some rabbits

*Notice: beberapa ekor kelinci >> ‘beberapa’ showed the plural form, so you don’t have to say ‘beberapa ekor kelinci-kelinci’.

There are several other indefinite articles. They are specialized:

Secarik/selembar kertas            a (piece of) paper

Sebutir telur                              an egg

Sebulir air mata             a tear (liquid comes from the eye)

Sepotong roti                            a (piece of) bread

Setetes air                                a dip of water

Actually there are still lots of articles like those, but those are the most common.
I’ll tell you that Indonesian does not have the verb ‘to be’. But sometimes, it’s similar to the Indonesian word adalah. Only for several situation:

Saya adalah pelajar.

I am a student.

Ini adalah buku saya.

This is my book.

Itu adalah kesalahan besar.

That is a big mistake.

However, in informal situation (mostly in spoken Indonesian), we can omit the word adalah.

In formal/written language, this word is just sometimes omitted.

And remember that adalah CAN’T be used as ‘to be’ when:

-telling time

-showing adjectives

-passive sentence, e.g. I am called.
Indonesian only has two ways to say this, these, that, or those:

this, these                     ini

that, those                     itu

Note: The demonstratives are placed after the noun, i.e:

kursi ini             this chair

meja itu (médja)           that table

kursi-kursi ini                these chairs

meja-meja itu                those tables

*In the informal spoken language, we can place the demonstrative before/after the noun.

How to say here, there:

sini

here

di sini

In here, at here

ke sini

to here

sana

sana

di sana

in there, at there

ke sana

to there

 


Possesive Pronouns

 

My

… saya (formal)

-ku (informal)

Your

… Anda (formal)

-mu (informal)

Her, his, its

-nya

 

Pacarmu adalah teman sekolahku

Your girlfriend/boyfriend is my schoolmate

Boleh saya beritahu kamu rahasianya?

May I tell you her/his secret?

Sebenarnya dia adalah tunangan saya

Actually he/she is my fiance/e

Note:

-nya can also define a noun (definite article). Example:

Radionya menyala

The radio is turned on

Aku membawa bukunya

I bring the book

Our

kami, … kita

Your

kalian

Their

mereka

 

Mari kita mulai pelajaran kita

Let us start our lesson

Tutup mata kalian.. tarik nafas..

Close your eyes.. take a breath..

Dengarkan suara mereka..

Listen to their voice..

Mine

Milik saya, milikku, punya saya (formal)

Punyaku (informal)

Yours

Milik Anda, milikmu (formal)

Punyamu (informal)

Hers, his, its

Miliknya (formal)

Punyanya (informal)

Jangan sentuh! Buku itu milik saya

Don’t touch! That book is mine

Dan ini milik Anda

And this is yours

Maaf, tapi buku yang Anda pegang itu miliknya

Sorry, but the book you’re holding is hers

Ours

Milik kami, milik kita (formal)

Punya kami, punya kita (informal)

Yours

Milik Anda, milik kalian (formal)

Punya kalian (informal)

Theirs

Milik mereka (formal)

Punya mereka (informal)

 

Mobil ini milik kita

This car is ours

Dua mobil itu milik kalian

Those two cars are yours

Dan yang baru itu milik mereka

And that new one is theirs

 


Present, Past, and Future tense

Simpler than you think. Just put:

tengah (formal)

sedang (informal)

present, simple present, perfect present, continuous, etc.

telah (formal)

sudah (informal)

past, simple past, past participle, etc.

akan

future, conditional, etc.

Saya merokok

I smoke

Saya sedang merokok

I am smoking

Saya sudah merokok

I smoked

I have smoked

I had smoked

I have been smoking

I had been smoking

Saya akan merokok

I will smoke

I will be smoking

I will have smoked

The subject, the verb, the nouns, the adjectives, and the adverbs do not change their forms.


Negation

 

Indonesian has two ways to form a negative sentence. We use the words tidak and bukan.  The word bukan is to form a negative sentence such as denial about something, then follow the clause with an explanation using the word melainkan (but).

 

Tidak:

Buku itu tidak bagus.

That book is not good.

 

Saya tidak tahu.

I don’t know.

Bukan:

Buku itu bukan hitam, melainkan hijau.

That book is not black, but (it is) green.

 

Saya bukan dokter, melainkan reporter.

I am not a doctor, but (I am) a reporter.

 


Position

Di

in, on, at

Di atas

up, upon, on, onto, over, above

Di bawah

down, under, below

Di depan

in front of

Di belakang

behind

Di samping

beside

Di dalam

in, into, inside

Di luar

out, outside

Di antara

between

Ke

to

Ke atas

upwards

Ke bawah

downwards

Ke depan

forwards, towards

Ke belakang

backwards

Ke samping

aside

Ke dalam

inside

Ke luar

outside

Dari

from

Dari dalam

from inside

Dari luar

from outside

Kue itu di atas meja

The cake is on the table

Saya di sekolah

I am at school

Saya pergi ke sekolah

I go to school

Saya pindah ke depan

I move towards

Saya dari kedai kopi

I am from the coffee shop

(I just from the coffee shop)

(I just back from the coffee shop)


Comparative and Superlative

Just add:

lebih                for comparative                       

paling or ter-   for superlative

big                    besar

bigger               lebih besar

biggest              paling besar / terbesar

small                 kecil

smaller              lebih kecil

smallest            paling kecil

Botol ini lebih besar daripada itu

This bottle is bigger than that

Bola ini lebih kecil daripada itu

This ball is smaller than that

Ini adalah botol terkecil / paling kecil

This is the smallest bottle

Itu adalah ball terbesar / paling besar

That is the biggest ball

Note:

Daripada means ‘than’. It can also means ‘instead of’

Saya lebih muda daripada kamu

I am younger than you

Dia akan bermain piano daripada bernyanyi

He will play the piano instead of singing
Useful words

at, in, on

to

from

for

that, which

(similar to Italian che)

now

before

after

very

very

until

until

because

will (going to)

have (avere)

not yet

is spite of / despite

If

only, just

only, just

with, by

di -- we’ll learn further about this :D

ke (closed e)

dari

untuk

yang

yang

sekarang (closed e)

sebelum (closed e)

sesudah (closed e)

sangat (before the word)

sekali (after the word))

sampai (places)

hingga

karena, sebab

akan

sudah

belum

walaupun (formal), walau (informal)

jika, bila, seandainya, andaikan, andai (formal), kalau (informal)

hanya (before the word)

saja (after the word)

dengan (closed e)

Saya sangat senang

I am very happy

Kamu cantik sekali / Kamu sangat cantik

You are very beautiful

Kamu tampan sekali / Kamu sangat tampan

You are very handsome

Saya sudah sarapan

I have had breakfast

Saya belum sarapan

I have not had breakfast yet

Jika Anda merasa kesulitan, saya siap membantu Anda

If you feel any difficulties, I am ready to help you

Kalau kamu mau, aku akan ke rumahmu besok

If you want, I will come to your house tomorrow

Questions

what

who

where at

where to

which one

when

why

why

how

how much/

how many

apa

siapa

mana, di mana / dimana

ke mana / kemana

yang mana

kapan

mengapa (formal)

kenapa (informal)

bagaimana

berapa

(all e in this column are closed e)

Apa yang kamu lihat?

What are you looking at?

Siapa di sana?

Who is there?

Dimana kamu?

Where are you?

Kemana kamu pergi?

Where are you going?

Bunga yang mana yang paling indah?

Which flower is the most beautiful?

Mengapa kamu menangis?

Why are you crying?

Kenapa kamu tidak menjawab?

Why aren’t you answering?

Berapa harganya?

How much does it cost?

Berapa banyak kelinci yang kamu punyai/kamu miliki?

How many rabbits do you have?


Numbers

0                                  nol

1                                  satu

2                                  dua

3                                  tiga

4                                  empat

5                                  lima

6                                  enam

7                                  tujuh

8                                  delapan

9                                  sembilan

10                                sepuluh

11                                sebelas

12                                duabelas

13                                tigabelas

14                                empatbelas

15                                limabelas

16                                enambelas

17                                tujuhbelas

18                                delapanbelas

19                                sembilanbelas

20                                duapuluh

21                                duapuluh satu

22                                duapuluh dua

23                                duapuluh tiga

24                                duapuluh empat

25                                duapuluh lima

30                                tigapuluh

40                                empatpuluh

50                                limapuluh

60                                enampuluh

70                                tujuhpuluh

80                                delapanpuluh

90                                sembilanpuluh

100                              seratus

101                              seratus satu

110                              saratus sepuluh

120                              seratus duapuluh

200                              duaratus

300                              tigaratus

1.000                           seribu

10.000                         sepuluh ribu

100.000                       seratus ribu

1.000.000                    satu juta

1.000.000.000             satu milyar


Kedua pria itu sangat tampan

Those two guys are very handsome

Saya menyukai keduanya

I love both of them (those two guys)

Saya akan mendekati salah satu dari mereka

I will approach one of them

Hei, kalian berdua! Ini nomor telepon saya:

Hey, you two! Here’s my phone number:

Nol-enam-dua-dua-tujuh-empat-delapan-delapan-dua-tiga-nol-satu

Zero-six-two-two-seven-four-eight-eight-two-three-zero-one

Telepon saya sesudah pukul sembilan malam

Call me after nine p.m.

Kamu sudah menelepon saya sekali / dua kali / tiga kali

You have called me once / twice / three times

 

Numbers

First                 pertama

Second             kedua

Third                ketiga

Fourth              keempat

Fifth                 kelima

*and just add ke- and so on :P

Saya merupakan anak pertama di dalam keluarga saya

I am the first child in my family

Saya mendapat rank kedua di sekolah saya

I got the second rank in my school

Ini adalah ketiga kalinya saya mendapat posisi bagus di sekolah saya

This is the third time I got good position in my school

Dan untuk keempat kalinya, orangtua saya memberikan saya hadiah

And for the fourth time, my parents give me prizes

Days in a Week

Sunday             Ahad / Minggu

Monday                       Senin

Tuesday                       Selasa

Wednesday                  Rabu

Thursday                      Kamis

Friday                          Jumat (Jum’at)

Saturday                       Sabtu

week                            minggu

day                               hari

holiday                         hari libur

yesterday                      kemarin

today                            hari ini

tomorrow                     esok (formal), besok (informal)

next tomorrow              lusa

Notice how similar are those days with Arabic numbers:

wahid, isnain, tsalasa, arba’atun, khamsatun, etc.

However, usually Indonesian starts the day with Senin, Selasa, etc.

Hari apa hari ini?

What day is today?

Hari ini hari Minggu

Today is Sunday

Aduh, aku harus masuk sekolah besok!

Ow, I have to go to school tomorrow!

(literally: I have to be inside the school tomorrow. Masuk: in, inside)

 

Besok? Tapi besok hari libur

Tomorrow? But tomorrow is holiday

 

Eh.. Aku ketinggalan sesuatu di sekolah kemarin.. Tugas untuk minggu ini

Er.. I left something in school yesterday.. Homework for this week

 

Pergilah. Aku akan menunggumu. Ingat, kita akan ada pesta malam ini

Off you go. I’ll be waiting for you. Remember, we’ll have a party tonight

 

Oke. Sampai nanti

Okay. See you later

 


Months in a Year

January             Januari

February                      Februari

March                          Maret

April                             April

May                             Mei

June                             Juni

July                              Juli

August                          Agustus

September                    September

October                       Oktober

November                    November

December                    Desember

month                           bulan

year                              tahun

Note:  The word ‘month’ (bulan) in Indonesian is the same as ‘moon’ (bulan).

Saya akan ke Jakarta pada bulan Mei

I am going to Jakarta on May

Saya akan ke SMU tahun ini

I am going to go to high school this year

Direction

North                           utara

Northwest                    barat laut

West                            barat

Southwest                    barat daya

South                           selatan

Southeast                     tenggara

East                              timur

Northeast                     timur laut

Rumahku terletak di timur Masjid

My house is to the east of the mosque

Di selatannya terdapat rumah sepupuku

To the south of it there is my cousin’s house


Colors

black                            hitam

grey                              abu-abu                       

white                            putih

red                               merah

pink                              merah muda

green                            hijau

blue                              biru

yellow                          kuning

orange                          oranye

purple                           ungu

brown                          cokelat

dark green                    hijau tua

light green                     hijau muda

dark blue                      biru tua

light blue                       biru muda

*and so on

Matanya berwarna cokelat muda

His eyes are light brown

Saya menyukai jaket biru tua itu

I love that dark blue jacket

Seasons

Spring                          musim semi

Summer                        musim panas

Fall                               musim gugur

Winter                          musim dingin

Rain                             musim hujan

Dry                              musim kemarau

Note: musim means season

Pada musim kemarau udara menjadi dingin

In dry season the air becomes so cold


Countries, Languages, and Nationalities

Australia

Belgium

Canada

China

Croatia

France

Egypt

England

Germany

Great Britain

Italy

Japan

Mexico

Netherlands

Norway

Poland

Russia

Saudi Arabia

Singapore

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Turkey

USA

Australia

Belgia

Kanada

Cina

Kroasia

Perancis

Mesir

Inggris

Jerman

Britania Raya

Italia

Jepang

Meksiko

Belanda

Norwegia

Polandia

Rusia

Arab Saudi

Singapura

Spanyol

Swedia

Swiss

Turki

Amerika Serikat

Those are some of the country names. What about the languages and nationalities? Simple. Just put bahasa (language) or orang (people, person, man/woman) before the name of the country you desire.

Australia                       Australia

English              Bahasa Inggris

Australian                     Orang Australia

Saudi Arabia                Arab Saudi

Arabic                          Bahasa Arab

Arabian                        Orang Arab

Italy                              Italia

Italian                           Bahasa Italia

Italian                           Orang Italia

Note: If you’re an American and you speak English, then you shouldn’t say “Saya berbicara bahasa Amerika”, but you should say “Saya berbicara bahasa Inggris”. Just like ordinary.


Family

Mother                                                 Ibunda (very formal)

                                                            Bunda (formal)

                                                            Ibu (informal/familiar)

Father                                                  Ayahanda (very formal)

                                                            Ayah (formal)

                                                            Bapak (informal/familiar)

Elder sister / brother                             Kakak

Younger sister / brother                        Adik

Elder brother                                       Kanda (very formal)

Younger sister                                     Dinda (very formal)

 

Grandmother                                        Nenek

Grandfather                                          Kakek

Granddaughter / grandson                     Cucu

 

Husband                                               Suami

Wife                                                     Istri

Daughter                                              Putri

Son                                                      Putra

 

Aunt                                                     Bibi (vocative: Tante)

Uncle                                                   Paman (vocative: Om)

Cousin                                                  Sepupu

Nephew / niece                                    Kemenakan (formal)

                                                            Keponakan (informal)

 

Mother-in-law                                      Ibu mertua

Father-in-law                                        Ayah mertua

Elder sister/brother-in-law                     Kakak ipar

Younger sister/brother-in-law                Adik ipar

 

Stepmother                                           Ibu tiri

Stepfather                                             Ayah tiri

Step-eldersister/brother                        Kakak tiri

Step-younger sister/brother                   Adik tiri


Animals

cat                    kucing

dog                  anjing (pejorative)

fish                   ikan

ant                    semut

rooster/hen       ayam

cow                  sapi

goat                  kambing

bee                   lebah

bird                  burung

rabbit               kelinci

elephant            gajah

giraffe               jerapah

frog                  katak (ameliorative), kodok (pejorative)

snake               ular

sheep               biri-biri

butterfly            kupu-kupu

spider               laba-laba

Note:


Schools and Professions

School              sekolah

Teacher            guru

Student murid

Book                buku

Pen                  pena

Class                kelas

Classroom        ruang kelas

Math                matematika

Biology biologi

Geography       geografi

Chemical          kimia

History sejarah

Economy          ekonomi

Physic              fisika

accountant                    akuntan

engineer                        insinyur

office worker                karyawan (m), karyawati (f)

doctor                          dokter

teacher                         guru

architect                       arsitek

lawyer                          pengacara

Note:

teacher means guru. Literally, it also means ‘pengajar’. >>

ajar                  to study/to teach

mengajar          teach

pengajar           teacher

pelajar              student

belajar              to study


Now it’s time to get serious. I will give some examples about the conjugation with prefixes, suffixes, and circumfixes.

Prefixes

word

me

ber

di

ter

pe

per

memper

se

Tulis

(to write)

Menulis

(write)

-

Ditulis

(written)

Tertulis

(written)

Penulis

(writer)

-

-

-

Jalan

(to walk)

-

Berjalan

(to walk)

-

-

Pejalan

(walker

-

-

-

Baca

(to read)

Membaca

(read)

-

Dibaca

(read)

Terbaca

(read)

Reader

(pembaca)

-

-

-

Lihat

(to see)

Melihat

(see)

-

Dilihat

(seen)

Terlihat

(seen)

-

-

-

-

Dengar

(to hear, listen)

Mendengar

(hear, listen)

-

Didengar

(heard)

Terdengar

(heard)

Pendengar

(listener)

 

-

-

The table that I left does not mean that the words do not exist; they just don’t make sense, or they need a suffix.

The prefix ‘memper-’ has two function:

1. if it is followed by an adjective, it is to make something to be.. (the adjective).

2. if it is followed by a verb, it is to do something to other person, to make other person.. (the verb)

There is a confusion between the prefix ‘pe’ and ‘per’.

-         ‘pe’ shows the person who does the verb, while

-         per’ shows the person who has a profession as the verb.

se’ means one. You can see how it works on the numbering section.


Prefixes, suffixes, and circumfixes

Prefix

Circumfix

Suffix

Prefix and suffix

me-

ber-

di-

ter-

pe-

per-

memper-

se-

ke-

-em-

-an

-kan

-i

-wan

-man

-lah

me-kan

me-i

memper-i

memper-kan

pe-an

per-an

ber-an

se-nya

Prefixes >> prefixes are always closed e

me-

to make an active sentence, to make something change, and needs an object

(watch how the letter  changes before the first word of the  infinitive)

Mengambil

Membuat

Mencari

Mendengar

Mengevaluasi

Mengganti

Menghilang

Mengisi

Menjual

Mengira

Melihat

Memasak

Mengoperasi

Memindah

Merasa

Menyapu

Menulis

Mengulang

Me + ambil

Me + buat

Me + cari

Me + dengar

Me + evaluasi

Me + ganti

Me + hilang

Me + isi

Me + jual

Me + kira

Me + lihat

Me + masak

Me + operasi

Me + pindah

Me + rasa

Me + sapu

Me + tulis

Me + ulang

To take

To make, to create

To search, to look for

To hear, to listen to

To evaluate

To change

To be disappeared

To fill in

To sell

To guess

To see

To cook

To do an operation(surgery)

To move (stuff)

To feel

To sweep

To write

To repeat

Saya mengambil baju-baju saya

Kamu membuat lukisan

Saya mencari teman saya

Saya mendengar sesuatu

Kamu mengisi gelas itu dengan air

Ayah menjual mobilnya

Kamu melihatku?

Saya memindah weblog saya

Saya merasa capai / lelah

Dia menyapu lantai

Kamu menulis sebuah lagu

I take my clothes

You make a painting (you paint/you are painting)

I look for my friend

I hear something

You fill the glass with water

Father sells his car

Do you see me?

I move my weblog

I feel tired

She/he sweeps the floor

You write a song

ber-

to make an active sentence that does not have to followed by an object

Berangkat

Berbahasa

Bercinta

Berdansa

Berguru

Berhitung

Berjanji

Bermain

Berpura-pura

Bersantai

Bertaruh

Berubah

Bervariasi

Berzina

Ber + angkat

Ber + bahasa

Ber + cinta

Ber + dansa

Ber + guru

Ber + hitung

Ber + janji

Ber + main

Ber + pura-pura

Ber + santai

Ber + taruh

Ber + ubah

Ber + variasi

Ber + zina

To have a departure

To have an ability to speak a/some language/s

To have sex

To have a dance

To have a study

To have count

To have a promise

To have a play

To have a pretend

To have a relax

To have a bet

To have a change

To have a variation

To have an affair, a prostitution

Ayah berangkat ke kantor

Saya berbahasa Indonesia

Apakah kamu bercinta dengannya?

Maukah kamu berdansa denganku?

Saya berjanji padamu

Jangan berpura-pura tidak tahu

Mari bersantai di gazebo

Aku bertaruh dia akan menang

Father leaves for office

I speak Indonesian

Do you have sex with her?

Would you dance with me?

I promise you

Don’t pretend like you don’t know

Let’s have a relax in the gazebo

I bet she/he will win

di-

to make a passive sentence

note: must be caused by something

(not improvviso)

Diambil

Dibuat

Dicari

Didamba

Diganti

Dihuni

Diisi

Dijumlah

Dikandung

Dilihat

Diminta

Diolah

Diproses

Dirinci

Disumpah

Ditambah

Diulang

Di + ambil

Di + buat

Di + cari

Di + damba

Di + ganti

Di + huni

Di + isi

Di + jumlah

Di + kandung

Di + lihat

Di + minta

Di + olah

Di + proses

Di + rinci

Di + sumpah

Di + tambah

Di + ulang

To be taken

To be made

To be searched, to be looked for

To be wanted, to be waited

To be changed

To be occupied

To be filled in

To be calculated

To be contained

To be seen

To be asked

To be processed (factory)

To be processed

To be explained, to be described

To be sworn

To be added, to be increased

To be repeated

 

Kamu dicari orangtuamu

Jadwal hari ini telah diganti

Rumah ini hanya dihuni oleh kami berdua

Aku sudah lakukan apa yang diminta olehnya

Susu itu diolah di pabrik

Saya adalah penerjemah yang telah disumpah

You are looked for by your parents

(your parents [are]look[ing] for you)

Today’s schedule is changed

This house is only occupied by us

(just us that live in this house)

I have done what she/he asked me to

The milk is processed in the factory

I am a sworn translator

Ter-

To make a superlative

Note: you can change the prefix ‘ter-‘ with the word paling, i.e:

terbaru = paling baru

(the newest)

Terbaru

Tercantik

Terenak

Terindah

Terkecil

Terlebar

Termanis

Terpandai

Terpintar

Tertua

Ter + baru

Ter + cantik

Ter + enak

Ter + indah

Ter + kecil

Ter + lebar

Ter + manis

Ter + pandai

Ter + pintar

Ter + tua

The newest

The fairest (woman)

The most delicious

The most beautiful

The smallest

The widest

The sweetest

The cleverest/the smartest

The cleverest/the smartest

The oldest

 

To make a passive sentence, but not like di-, we don’t know if the word with ter- is caused by somehing or just improvviso

Terambil

Tercuri

Terganggu

Teringat

Terjual

Terlihat

Tertulis

Ter + ambil

Ter + curi

Ter + ganggu

Ter + ingat

Ter + jual

Ter + lihat

Ter + tulis

To be taken

To be stolen

To be disturbed

To be remember

To be sold

To be seen

To be written

Dia adalah wanita tercantik di Swedia

Bali adalah tempat terindah yang pernah kulihat

Kenangan itu termanis dalam hidupku

Dia adalah anak terpandai di kelas

She is the most beautiful woman in Sweden

Bali is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen

That was the sweetest memory in my life ever

He is the cleverest boy in the class

Saya merasa sangat terganggu

Saya teringat akan Bali

Gaun itu telah terjual

Kamu bisa terlihat orang lain!

Kalimat itu tertulis di kertas

I am feeling so disturbed/annoyed/aggravated

I remember about Bali

The gown is sold

You could have been seen!

That sentence is written on the paper


Pe-

Person / thing who does, makes, etc.

Pengambil

Pemburu

Pencium

Pendaki

Penghitung

Pengikut

Penjual

Pengasih

Pelukis

Pemula

Pemukul

Penyanyi

Penyaji

Penari

Penunggu

Pe + ambil

Pe + buru

Pe + cium

Pe + daki

Pe + hitung

Pe + ikut

Pe + jual

Pe + kasih

Pe + lukis

Pe + mula

Pe + pukul

Pe + nyanyi

Pe + saji

Pe + tari

Pe + tunggu

Person who takes

Hunter

Kisser

Hiker

Person who counts

A tool used for counting things

Follower

Seller

Person who likes to give

Painter

Beginner

Person who hits

Singer

Servant

Dancer

Person who waits

 

Dia adalah pendaki yang hebat

Mereka adalah pengikutku

Pelan-pelan, aku masih pemula

Aku ingin menjadi penyanyi

Kamu adalah penari yang baik

Dia adalah pencium yang hebat

She/he is a great climber

They are my follower

Slow down, I am still a beginner

I want to be a singer

You are a good dancer

He’s an unbelieveable kisser


Indonesian phrases in several situations

1. Common expressions

Saya senang

I am happy/glad

Saya sedih

I am sad

Saya lelah

I am tired

Saya lapar

I am hungry

Saya haus

I am thirsty

Saya mengantuk

I am sleepy

Saya takut

I am scared/I am afraid

Saya bingung

I am confused

Saya bosan

I am bored

Saya sakit

I am sick/I am ill


2. In the restaurant

Pelayan!

Waiter! Waitress!

Tolong menunya

The menu, please

Apa menu spesial hari ini?

What’s the special menu of today?

Saya pesan..

I want.. (literally: I reserve)

Jangan terlalu pedas / asin / manis

Don’t be too spicy(hot) / salty / sweet

Tolong bonnya

The bill, please

Makanan          Foods                          Minuman          Beverages

Nasi                 rice                               air                    water

Sup                  soup                             susu                  milk

Daging              meat                             kopi                 coffee

Telur                egg                               teh                    tea

Mie                  noodle                          jus                    juice

Ayam               chicken             bir                    beer

Sapi                 beef                              limun                lemonade

Jagung              corn                            

Jamur               mushroom                   

Keju                 cheese                         

Tomat              tomato                         

Kentang           potato                         

Kue                  cake                            

Roti                  bread                          

Note:

Nowadays, western foods in Indonesian restaurants are written as their natives:

salad, spaghetti, tiramisu, pizza, kebab, sushi, yakiniku, etc.


3. In the hotel

Anda punya kamar kosong?

Do you have any unoccupied rooms?

Kamar Anda di lantai satu / dua / tiga

Your room is on 1st floor / 2nd floor / 3rd floor

Ini kunci kamar Anda

This is your key

Anda punya kamar yang lebih baik / murah?

Do you have any rooms better(nicer) / cheaper?

Saya ingin kamar dengan..

I want a room with..

Saya tidak memerlukan kamar dengan..

I do not need a room with.. (it’s not necessary to me)          

Kamar mandi, air panas, ekstra bed, AC, televisi, lemari es, telepon

Bathroom, hot water, extra bed, AC, TV, refrigerator, telephone

Apakah sudah termasuk sarapan?

Is breakfast included?

Saya mau check in / check out

I want to check in / check out

Tolong angkat koper saya

Please lift my luggage

Tolong carikan taksi

Please get me a taxi
4. In the city

Taksi!

Taxi!

Tolong antar saya ke..

Please take me to the..

Berhenti! Stop!

Stop!

Berapa saya harus bayar?

How much do I have to pay?

Permisi, dimana..

Excuse me, where is the..

Belok kanan / kiri

Turn right / left

Lurus

Move towards

Saya mau tukar 100 Euro ini dengan Rupiah

I want to change these 100 Euros to Rupiahs

Places

bank                             bank

restoran                        restaurant

supermarket                 supermarket

hotel                             hotel

mall                              mall

halte bus                       bus shelter

rumah sakit                   hospital

kantor polisi                  police station

gereja                           church

masjid                          mosque

kantor pos                    post office