Learning new languages can be fun. Especially when you just start skimming on the basics. The laughs that you get when you say something in a completely different meaning than the one you intended, or the joy when you get to memorize exciting new words and how to use them correctly in a sentence… it’s a fun feeling. And if you want to visit some place where the people there speak different languages than you, knowing some words and sentences—even if it’s just a small amount—can and should be helpful for your journey.

And that’s why I include this post about how to speak and understand simple Indonesian words that should be useful if one day you decide to visit Bandung for vacation—or any other part of Indonesia, for that matter. On the other hand, I will also divulge to you some basic Sundanese words since Sundanese is a culture that is dominant here in Bandung and knowing some Sundanese words can drastically help you getting acquainted with many folks here in the city (believe me on that.)

First thing first: you shouldn’t worry too much about correct pronunciations. Just try to follow the letters on the word(s) as best as you can, and most people should still be able to understand it (though they may find you a bit funny.) Indonesians are typically a helpful lot, and knowing a few simple words can help you wonders in trying to get their favors.

Let’s start (English = Indonesia = what is it):

• Thank you = “Terima kasih” = pretty self explanatory.

• Good morning/afternoon/evening/night = “Selamat pagi/siang/sore/malam” = also self explanatory.

• How much? = “Berapa?” or “Berapa harganya?” = used when inquiring prices on things.

• Left! Left! Left! = “Kiri! Kiri! Kiri!” = believe it or not, this one word is actually very useful especially if you want to get around Bandung using public transportation. This word is used to cue the driver to stop the vehicle allowing you to disembark on your destination.

The following is the basics of understanding how to say Indonesian numbers. It will be useful, for example, when you want to buy something or commit a transaction that requires money.

• One = “Satu.” Two = “Dua.” Three = “Tiga.” Four = “Empat.” Five = “Lima.” Six = “Enam.” Seven = “Tujuh.” Eight = “Delapan.” Nine = “Sembilan.” Ten = “Sepuluh.”

When combined with knowledge of the following, you’re pretty much set:

• Tenths = “Puluh.” Hundreds = “Ratus.” Thousands = “Ribu.” and for the heck of it: Millions = “Juta.” and Billions = “Milyar.”

So for example, if you want to say Five Hundreds, in Indonesian it will be “Lima Ratus.” If you want to say Ten Thousands, then you say “Sepuluh Ribu.” If you want to say Fifty Thousand, for example, that means five + tenths + thousands, so you say “Lima Puluh Ribu.” If you want to say Sixty two million (just for example), then you say “Enam Puluh Dua Juta.” It’s pretty easy. The only exception is One. You do not say “Satu Ribu” or “Satu Ratus” if you mean One Thousand or One Hundred. Replace the “Satu” with “Se”, so you say “Seribu” for One Thousand and “Seratus” for One Hundred (although it is acceptable to say “Satu Juta” for One Million and “Satu Milyar” for One Billion, but I very seriously doubt you will ever need to say either of them during your visit to Bandung.)

The lesson will continue later on a different post

Tags: Bandung, Indonesian Language, Language, Let's study, Study, Travel
Categories: Let's study

This entry was posted on Monday, November 16th, 2009 at 5:04 AM and is filed under Let's study. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.