Bahasa Indonesia for Foreigners: 10 Survival Phrases

Just arrived in Jakarta? 20 phrases for transport, warung, shopping and office small talk — with polite vs casual notes.

bahasatipsenglish
Expats learning Bahasa Indonesia

Survival Bahasa

Taught in English, our Bahasa Indonesia for Foreigners (BIPA) is for other-language speakers who need Bahasa Indonesia now.

Daily life - Selamat pagi / siang / malam - Berapa harganya? (How much?) - Saya mau... (I want...) - Di mana ...? (Where is ...?) - Terima kasih (Thank you)

Transport & food - Ke Sudirman, ya Pak. (To Sudirman, please) - Tidak pedas, ya. (Not spicy, please) - Minta bon, ya. (Check, please)

Office polite forms - `Mohon maaf` is softer than *maaf* for work emails. - Use `Bapak/Ibu` in meetings/formal setting.