Halo

'Hello' in Indonesian

Photo by Harry Kessell

Language

Indonesian

Austronesian Family
Left to Right Script
Non-Gendered Language
Indonesian, or Bahasa Indonesia, is an Austronesian language spoken by over 270 million people, primarily in Indonesia, and also in East Timor and parts of Malaysia. A standardized form of Malay, it uses the Latin alphabet and is known for its phonetic simplicity and lack of tones. Indonesian grammar is straightforward, with no grammatical gender, minimal verb conjugation, and a flexible word order (typically subject-verb-object). Reduplication is common for plurals and emphasis. Its vocabulary draws from Malay, with loanwords from Arabic, Dutch, Portuguese, and English due to trade and colonial history. As Indonesia’s official language and a unifying lingua franca across its diverse archipelago, Indonesian is vital to national identity, education, and media.

Flashcards

often
Indonesian Adverb

sering

often

Frequently; many times.

egg
Indonesian Noun

telur

egg

An oval or spherical reproductive body laid by a female bird, reptile, or fish, typically with a shell and containing a yolk; used as food.

dirty
Indonesian Adjective

kotor

dirty

Not clean; covered with dirt or grime.

hand
Indonesian Noun

tangan

hand

The end part of a person’s arm beyond the wrist.

Agents

Budi
Indonesian

Budi

Casting nets in Java Sea
Male
33
Jakarta, Indonesia
Fisherman
Grounded
surfing, cooking, music
Agus
Indonesian

Agus

Studying Indonesian culture
Male
21
Jakarta, Indonesia
Student
Energetic
surfing, reading, cooking
Siti
Indonesian

Siti

Teaching Bahasa Indonesia online
Female
29
Jakarta, Indonesia
Language teacher
Welcoming
weaving, dancing, traveling

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