Hi! If you are reading this, maybe you want to learn Bahasa Indonesia. That’s great! Bahasa Indonesia is a beautiful and simple language. It is the official language of Indonesia, a country with more than 17,000 islands and over 270 million people. This article will help you with easy tips to learn Bahasa Indonesia, step by step. Let’s get started! 1. Learn Simple Words First Don’t worry about grammar or long sentences in the beginning. Start with simple and useful words that you can use every day. Here are some examples: English Bahasa Indonesia Hello Halo Thank you Terima kasih Sorry Maaf Yes Ya No Tidak I Saya You Kamu / Anda Eat Makan Drink Minum Good Baik You can write them down in a notebook or use flashcards. Review them every day until you remember them. 2. Listen to How People Speak Bahasa Indonesia is easy to pronounce because it is written as it sounds. But still, listening is very important. Try these ways to listen and learn: Watch Indonesian movies or TV shows with En...
If you’re learning Bahasa Indonesia, you’ve probably noticed that people don’t always speak exactly like the textbook. That’s because, just like in any language, Indonesians use a lot of informal words in daily conversations. Two words that are very common in spoken Indonesian—but rarely explained in beginner textbooks—are "tuh" and "nih." I haven’t written about these two before, because I usually write based on what I hear when I watch movies. And you can’t choose what people say in movies! I have to listen, watch carefully, and take notes. If I hear someone say "tuh" or "nih" , then I can use it as a real example. I want to make sure you hear how Indonesians actually use the words in real life. That’s why it takes some time. But since these two words are very common and useful, I’ll try to explain them now with examples based on how I’ve heard them being used. Even if I don’t have direct quotes from a movie, I promise these examples are ...