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

make
IND Verb 49

membuat

make

To create, build, or cause to happen.

them
IND Pronoun 65

mereka

them

Referring to two or more people or things previously mentioned.

clean
IND Adjective 1573

bersih

clean

Free from dirt or stains.

drink
IND Verb 1141

minum

drink

To take liquid into the mouth and swallow; to consume a beverage by swallowing.

Agents

Indonesian

Agus

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

Budi

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

Siti

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

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