Indonesia is a country for tourism. Its natural wonders attract tourists from around the world. But to ensure a hassle-free trip you should know their language. The problem is learning a new language is not an easy task. I created a list of 120+ common Indonesian phrases for travelers with the help of an Indonesian and sharing it with you.
Read Our Ultimate Bali Travel Guide for First Timers
👉 My phrase guides are getting featured on various websites because of my easiest techniques.
12 Basic Indonesian Travel Phrases
Learn these common Indonesian phrases before your trip to Indonesia. These are the basic phrases that you will need to use frequently using them will help you to indulge in a friendly relationship with locals.
| English Phrases | Indonesian Phrases | Pronunciation Guide |
| Hello/Hi | Halo | Halo |
| Thank You! | Terima kasih! | Ter-ree-ma ka-sih |
| Yes | Ya | Ya |
| No | Tidak | Tee-dahk |
| Please | Tolong | Toh-long |
| Excuse me/ Sorry | Maaf | Maa-af |
| How are you? | Apa kabar? | Apa ka-bar? |
| My name is [Your Name] | Nama saya [Nama Anda] | Na-ma sa-ya [Na-ma An-da] |
| I need help | Saya butuh bantuan | Sa-ya boo-tooh ban-too-ahn |
| I’m from [Italy] | Saya berasal dari [Italia] | Sa-ya buh-ra-sal da-ri [Ita-li-a] |
| Excuse me, can you recommend a good [restaurant, hotel, tourist place] nearby? | Maaf, bisakah Anda merekomendasikan [restoran, hotel, tempat wisata] yang bagus di sekitar sini? | Maa-af, bee-sa-kah An-da me-re-ko-men-da-si-kan [res-to-ran, ho-tel, tem-pat wi-sa-ta] yang ba-goos dee se-ki-tar si-ni? |
| I don’t understand what you are saying | Saya tidak mengerti apa yang Anda katakan | Sa-ya tee-dahk me-nger-tee a-pa yang An-da ka-ta-kan |
8 Indonesian Phrases for Question
Here are some phrases that will help you ask basic questions. Furthermore, these phrases will help you to generate longer questions. That’s how you should dive deeper to learn a new language.
| English Phrases | Indonesian Phrase | Pronunciation Guide |
| Where? | Di mana? | Dee ma-na? |
| What? | Apa? | A-pa? |
| When? | Kapan? | Ka-pan? |
| How? | Bagaimana? | Ba-ga-i-ma-na? |
| Why? | Mengapa? | Me-nga-pa? |
| How much? | Berapa harganya? | Be-ra-pa har-ga-nya? |
| Where is the [Pen]? | Di mana [Pulpen]? | Dee ma-na [Pul-pen]? |
| Do you speak English? | Apakah Anda bisa berbicara bahasa Inggris? | A-pa-kah An-da bsa be-rbi-ca-ra ba-ha-sa Ing-gris? |
15 Useful Indonesian Words for Travelers
These are some common words that you should know as a traveler. Wherever you go you can use them to attract attention. It’s not mandatory to learn these words as you can continue in English.
| English Phrases | Indonesian Phrase | Pronunciation Guide |
| Restaurant | Restoran | Res-to-ran |
| Chair | Kursi | Kur-si |
| Man | Pria | Pri-a |
| Men | Laki-laki | La-ki-la-ki |
| Women | Wanita | Wa-ni-ta |
| Driver | Pengemudi | Peng-ge-mu-di |
| Shop | Toko | To-ko |
| Beach | Pantai | Pan-tai |
| Money | Uang | U-ang |
| Food | Makanan | Ma-ka-nan |
| Water | Air | Ai-er |
| Hospital | Rumah sakit | Ru-mah sa-kit |
| Station | Stasiun | Sta-si-un |
| ATM booth | Mesin ATM | Me-sin ATM |
| Currency exchange | Penukaran uang | Pe-nu-ka-ran u-ang |
7 Most Used Indonesian Pronouns
| English Phrases | Indonesian Phrase | Pronunciation Guide |
| You (formal) | Anda | An-da |
| He/She/It | Dia | Dee-a |
| We | Kami | Ka-mi |
| They | Mereka | Me-re-ka |
| I | Saya | Sa-ya |
10 Emergency Indonesian Phrases for Travelers
These are life-saving phrases that you must memorize. While exploring local areas where English may not be used, these phrases will help you to establish communication.
| English Phrases | Indonesian Phrase | Pronunciation Guide |
| Help! | Tolong! | Toh-long! |
| I’m lost | Saya tersesat | Sa-ya ter-se-sat |
| I’m in trouble | Saya dalam masalah | Sa-ya da-lam ma-sa-lah |
| Where is the police station? | Di mana kantor polisi? | Dee ma-na kan-tor po-li-si? |
| Where is the hospital? | Di mana rumah sakit? | Dee ma-na ru-mah sa-kit? |
| Where is the bathroom? | Di mana kamar mandi? | Dee ma-na ka-mar man-di? |
| Where is the (American) Embassy? | Di mana Kedutaan (Amerika)? | Dee ma-na Ke-du-ta-an (A-me-ri-ka)? |
| Someone stole my money | Seseorang mencuri uang saya | Se-se-o-rang men-tsu-ri u-ang sa-ya |
| Where are customs and immigration? | Di mana bea cukai dan imigrasi? | Dee ma-na be-a chu-ka-i dan i-mi-gra-si? |
| Where is the currency exchange? | Di mana penukaran uang? | Dee ma-na pe-nu-ka-ran u-ang? |
11 Phrases for Sightseeing
As you are a traveler these phrases will help you establish connections with locals while exploring attractions. Also, I add some phrases to ask questions and get directions.
| English Phrases | Indonesian Phrase | Pronunciation Guide |
| I want to see [sight] | Saya ingin melihat [tempat] | Sa-ya in-gin me-li-hat [tem-pat] |
| I want to visit [Location Name] | Saya ingin mengunjungi [Nama Lokasi] | Sa-ya in-gin meng-un-jungi [Na-ma Lo-ka-si] |
| Beautiful | Indah | In-dah |
| View | Pemandangan | Pe-man-dan-gan |
| Tourist attraction | Tempat wisata | Tem-pat wi-sa-ta |
| Museum | Museum | Mu-se-um |
| Is there an entrance fee for this museum/park? | Apakah ada biaya masuk untuk museum/taman ini? | A-pa-kah a-da bi-ya ma-sook un-tuk mu-se-um/ta-man i-ni? |
| What time does [tourist attraction] open/close? | Jam berapa [tempat wisata] buka/tutup? | Jam be-ra-pa [tem-pat wi-sa-ta] bu-ka/tu-tup? |
| Can I take photos here? | Bolehkah saya mengambil foto di sini? | Bo-leh-kah sa-ya meng-am-bil fo-to dee si-ni? |
| Do you have a map or brochure of the area? | Apakah Anda punya peta atau brosur daerah ini? | A-pa-kah An-da pun-ya pe-ta a-tau bro-sur da-e-rah i-ni? |
| Is there a guided tour available? | Apakah ada tur dengan pemandu? | A-pa-kah a-da tuhr de-ngan pe-man-du? |
12 Indonesian Phrases to Use in Restaurants
I found these phrases helpful if you are eating outside of a tourist area. The other thing is it adds more interaction to waiters and creates a friendly relationship. So don’t miss to learn these phrases before making a trip to Indonesia.
| English Phrases | Indonesian Phrase | Pronunciation Guide |
| Where is the Menu? | Di mana menu? | Dee ma-na me-nu? |
| What’s the local cuisine or specialty dish I should try? | Apa masakan lokal atau hidangan khas yang sebaiknya saya coba? | A-pa ma-sa-kan lo-kal a-tau hi-da-ngan khas yang se-ba-ik-nya sa-ya cho-ba? |
| Water, Please | Air, tolong | Ai-er, toh-long |
| Food | Makanan | Ma-ka-nan |
| Delicious | Enak | E-nak |
| Bill, Please | Tolong bon/cek | Toh-long bon/chek |
| Table for [number] | Meja untuk [jumlah] | Me-ja un-tuk [ju-m-lah] |
| I’m a vegetarian | Saya vegetarian | Sa-ya ve-je-ta-ri-an |
| I’m allergic to [food] | Saya alergi terhadap [makanan] | Sa-ya a-ler-gi ter-ha-dap [ma-ka-nan] |
| I like spicy food | Saya suka makanan pedas | Sa-ya su-ka ma-ka-nan pe-das |
| I don’t like spicy food | Saya tidak suka makanan pedas | Sa-ya tee-dahk su-ka ma-ka-nan pe-das |
| Do you have [Name] in your restaurant? | Apakah Anda memiliki [Nama] di restoran Anda? | A-pa-kah An-da me-mi-li-ki [Na-ma] dee res-to-ran An-da? |
11 Indonesian Phrases to Use While Shopping
Indonesian shopping phrases are most important for a traveler as we shop outside of a shopping mall. There are tons of street shops in Indonesia that have handcrafted souvenirs, clothes, and other items to buy. In that case, we must know some basic phrases to communicate with them.
| English Phrase | Indonesian Phrase | Pronunciation Guide |
| I want to buy [item] | Saya ingin membeli [barang] | Sa-ya in-gin mem-be-li [ba-rang] |
| How much does [this] cost? | Berapa harganya [ini]? | Be-ra-pa har-ga-nya [i-ni]? |
| Is there a discount? | Apakah ada diskon? | A-pa-kah a-da dis-kon? |
| Can I pay with a card? | Boleh saya bayar dengan kartu? | Bo-leh sa-ya ba-yar de-ngan kar-tu? |
| Cash or credit card? | Tunai atau kartu kredit? | Tu-nai a-tau kar-tu kre-dit? |
| Do you have [color/size]? | Apakah Anda punya [warna/ukuran]? | A-pa-kah An-da pun-ya [war-na/uu-ku-ran]? |
| I’ll take it | Saya ambil | Sa-ya am-bil |
| Bag | Tas | Tas |
| Receipt | Struk | Strook |
| Can I try this on? | Bolehkah saya mencoba ini? | Bo-leh-kah sa-ya men-co-ba i-ni? |
| Can you show me some [Polo shirts, T-shirts, Pants, Shorts, Shoes]? | Bisa Anda tunjukkan beberapa [kaos Polo, kaos, celana, celana pendek, sepatu]? | Bi-sa An-da tun-juk-kan be-be-ra-pa [ka-os Po-lo, ka-os, che-la-na, che-la-na pen-dek, se-pa-tu]? |
8 Phrases to Use for Directions
If you are like me and are curious to explore new or less popular places then you must know how to ask for directions and navigate drivers.
| English Phrase | Indonesian Phrase | Pronunciation Guide |
| Go straight | Jalan lurus | Ja-lan lu-rus |
| Turn left | Belok kiri | Be-lok kee-ree |
| Turn right | Belok kanan | Be-lok ka-nan |
| Stop here | Berhenti di sini | Be-ren-tee dee see-nee |
| Where is [place]? | Di mana [tempat]? | Dee ma-na [tem-pat]? |
| How far is [place]? | Seberapa jauh [tempat]? | Se-be-ra-pa ja-oo [tem-pat]? |
| How do I get to [name of tourist attraction] from here? | Bagaimana cara menuju [nama objek wisata] dari sini? | Ba-ga-i-ma-na cha-ra me-nu-ju [na-ma ob-yeek wi-sa-ta] da-ree see-nee? |
| What’s the best way to get to [landmark]? | Apa cara terbaik untuk menuju [landmark]? | A-pa cha-ra ter-ba-ik un-tuk me-nu-ju [land-mark]? |
12 Indonesian Phrases for Transportation
| English Phrase | Indonesian Phrase | Pronunciation Guide |
| Where is the taxi line? | Di mana antrian taksi? | Dee ma-na an-tri-an tak-see? |
| Where is the bus stop? | Di mana halte bus? | Dee ma-na hal-te bus? |
| Can I buy a ticket on the [bus, Train]? | Bisa saya beli tiket di [bus, kereta]? | Bi-sa sa-ya be-lee ti-ket dee [bus, ke-re-ta]? |
| Where’s the ticket counter? | Di mana loket tiket? | Dee ma-na lo-ket ti-ket? |
| Does this bus stop at [Paris]? | Apakah bus ini berhenti di [Paris]? | A-pa-kah bus i-ni be-ren-tee dee [Pa-ris]? |
| Could you tell me when we get to [Location]? | Bisakah Anda memberitahu saya kapan kita sampai di [Lokasi]? | Bee-sa-kah An-da mem-be-ree-ta-hu sa-ya ka-pan kee-ta sam-pai dee [Lo-ka-si]? |
| Could you please stop at [Location]? | Bisakah Anda berhenti di [Lokasi] ini? | Bee-sa-kah An-da ber-hen-tee dee [Lo-ka-si] i-ni? |
| Do you mind if I sit here? | Apakah Anda keberatan jika saya duduk di sini? | A-pa-kah An-da ke-be-ra-tan ji-ka sa-ya du-duk dee see-nee? |
| I’ve lost my ticket | Saya kehilangan tiket saya | Sa-ya ke-hi-lang-an ti-ket sa-ya |
| What’s the next stop? | Apa yang merupakan berhenti selanjutnya? | A-pa yang meru-pa-kan be-ren-tee se-lan-jut-nya? |
| How often do buses run to [Location]? | Seberapa sering bus beroperasi ke [Lokasi]? | Se-be-ra-pa se-ring bus be-ro-pe-ra-si ke [Lo-ka-si]? |
| Stop here, please | Berhenti di sini, tolong | Be-ren-tee dee see-nee, toh-long |
10 Indonesian Phrases for Accommodation
Even though hotel staff typically know basic English, these phrases can be useful if you meet new staff or stay at a hotel in a village.
| English Phrase | Indonesian Phrase | Pronunciation Guide |
| I’d like a room for 2 nights, please? | Saya ingin sebuah kamar untuk 2 malam, tolong? | Sa-ya in-gin se-bua ke-maar un-tuk dua ma-lam, toh-long? |
| Can I see the room, please? | Boleh saya melihat kamar ini, tolong? | Bo-leh sa-ya me-li-hat ka-maar i-ni, toh-long? |
| Reservation | Reservasi | Re-ser-va-si |
| Do you have any rooms available for (the seventeenth of April)? | Apakah Anda memiliki kamar yang tersedia untuk (tujuh belas April)? | A-pa-kah An-da me-mi-li-ki ka-maar yang ter-sa-di-ya un-tuk (tu-juh be-las A-pril)? |
| What time is checkout? | Jam berapa waktu checkout? | Jam be-ra-pa wa-ktoo chek-out? |
| Does the room have [air conditioning, Bathroom, etc.]? | Apakah kamar ini memiliki [AC, kamar mandi, dll.]? | A-pa-kah ka-maar i-ni me-me-li-ki [Air Con-di-tio-ning, ka-mar man-di, dl-l.]? |
| Can someone help me with my bags? | Bolehkah seseorang membantu saya dengan tas-tas saya? | Bo-leh-kah se-se-o-rang mem-ban-tu sa-ya de-ngan tas-tas sa-ya? |
| I’d like to book a room, please. | Saya ingin memesan kamar, tolong. | Sa-ya in-gin me-me-san ka-maar, toh-long. |
| I would like to change my room. | Saya ingin mengganti kamar saya. | Sa-ya in-gin me-ng-gan-ti ka-maar sa-ya. |
| Can I have another room please, this one is [Not clean/ too noisy/ very small] | Bolehkah saya memiliki kamar lain, yang ini [tidak bersih/ terlalu berisik/ sangat kecil]? | Bo-leh-kah sa-ya me-mi-li-ki ka-maar la-in, yang i-ni [tee-dak ber-sih/ ter-la-lu be-ree-sik/ san-gat ke-cil]? |
16 Essential Numerical Expressions
| English | Indonesian | Pronunciation Guide |
| One | Satu | Sa-too |
| Two | Dua | Du-a |
| Three | Tiga | Ti-ga |
| Four | Empat | Em-pat |
| Five | Lima | Lee-ma |
| Six | Enam | E-nam |
| Seven | Tujuh | Tu-juh |
| Eight | Delapan | De-la-pan |
| Nine | Sembilan | Sem-bi-lan |
| Ten | Sepuluh | Se-pu-luh |
| Twenty | Dua puluh | Du-a pu-luh |
| Thirty | Tiga puluh | Ti-ga pu-luh |
| Forty | Empat puluh | Em-pat pu-luh |
| Fifty | Lima puluh | Lee-ma pu-luh |
| Hundred | Seratus | Se-ra-tus |
| Thousand | Seribu | Se-ri-bu |
In the end, I can say that these phrases will help you every day during your trip no matter where you go. It took time to create such a list that you won’t find anywhere and verify them. Please pin this article to reach more tourists who would like to make a trip to Indonesia. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest to stay updated.
