What Indonesian phrases should I learn before visiting Bali and Indonesia?

Greetings and goodbyes

Greetings follow the clock: selamat pagi until about 11am, selamat siang until about 3pm, selamat sore until dusk and selamat malam after dark. Halo is a perfectly normal casual hello, and apa kabar? is answered with baik (fine).

Goodbye depends on who is leaving. The person going says selamat tinggal (stay well), and the person staying says selamat jalan (go well). Day to day, sampai jumpa (see you) or a time-of-day greeting is more common than either.

Polite essentials

Indonesian has two words for please. Tolong is for asking someone to do something for you; silakan is for inviting someone to go ahead, as in silakan duduk (please sit). Permisi is the all-purpose excuse me: for squeezing past, entering a shop or calling a waiter.

Call men your age or older Pak and women Bu. On Java, younger staff, drivers and vendors are often Mas or Mbak. Anda is the safe formal "you"; kamu sounds too familiar with strangers and elders. Tidak usah (no need) is the gentle way to wave off a tout or driver.

Eating and drinking

Get a server's attention with permisi, and ask for things with minta (I'd like): minta menunya for the menu, minta bon for the bill. Many dishes come with chilli or sambal by default, so tidak pedas (not spicy) is worth knowing.

In casual speech daging (meat) can mean beef specifically, so vegetarians should also rule out ayam (chicken) and ikan (fish). Bersulang is the formal word for a toast. Many Indonesians don't drink, and public drunkenness can cause real trouble, so keep toasts for bars and tourist settings.

Shopping and markets

Bargaining is normal in traditional markets, small shops and roadside stalls, but not where a harga pas (fixed price) sign is posted, in supermarkets and department stores, or when buying food. Start with a smile and terlalu mahal (too expensive), then boleh kurang? (can it be less?).

Prices are spoken in thousands of rupiah: lima puluh ribu means 50,000. Markets are mostly cash; cards are fine in malls and hotels.

Getting around

On angkot minibuses, passengers call out kiri! (left, meaning pull over to the kerb) to get off. In a taxi or a ride-hailing car, berhenti di sini (stop here) is clearer. Bali has no trains, so the station phrases matter mainly on Java.

Numbers 1-10, 100 and 1,000

Indonesian numbers are regular. Eleven to nineteen add -belas (sebelas, dua belas), tens add -puluh (dua puluh is 20), and se- means one: seratus is 100 and seribu is 1,000. Because prices are said in thousands, confirm the full amount if a price sounds oddly cheap.

Help and emergencies

Indonesia's official tourism site lists police on 110 (or 112 from a mobile), ambulance on 118 or 119, fire on 113 and search and rescue on 115. Tolong means both please and help, so shouted on its own it is a call for help.

Balinese words you will hear in Bali

Balinese is a separate language with low, middle and high speech levels, chosen by who you are talking to, so nobody expects a visitor to speak it, and virtually every Balinese also speaks Indonesian. A few words still land well. Om Swastiastu is the respectful Hindu greeting that opens ceremonies, meetings and conversations, usually with palms pressed together below the chin; the reply is the same words. Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om closes prayers, events and letters.

The most useful one is suksma, thank you. Balinese don't normally greet each other by time of day, so rahajeng semeng is polite but rarely heard. We spent 18 days in Bali, from Seminyak up to Munduk, Ubud, Kintamani, Sidemen and Padangbai, and terima kasih worked everywhere.

Etiquette that matters more than words

Right hand only. Give and receive money and things with your right hand, or both. Don't touch anyone's head, and don't point at people.

Temples and mosques have dress rules. At Balinese temples, cover shoulders to knees; a sarong and sash are often required and usually provided or sold at the entrance, and Balinese custom asks women who are menstruating not to enter. Dress conservatively at mosques, and be especially considerate during Ramadan. Our Bali temple etiquette guide covers the details.

Pak and Bu, not first names. Use Pak or Bu with adults, and permisi to get attention rather than waving or calling out. In Bali, the palms-together sembah goes with Om Swastiastu.

See what is considered rude in Indonesia for the customs that matter more than vocabulary.

Frequently asked questions