30 Essential Indonesian Phrases for Your First Trip to Bali

Friendly at any hour and with anyone, often followed by apa kabar?, how are you? The usual answer is baik, fine.

See you, to anyone. Sampai jumpa besok is see you tomorrow. Selamat jalan is said to someone leaving, selamat tinggal to someone who stays.

Two words, said as one phrase. Terima kasih banyak is thank you very much; among friends you will hear the short makasih.

Three syllables, to-i-let. Kamar kecil, small room, is a politer word; signs may also read WC.

Everyday speech often says iya. Tacked on the end of a sentence, ya softens it or asks for agreement, like "OK?".

No, and also not before a verb or adjective: tidak mahal, not expensive. Tidak, terima kasih turns down an offer. The final k is cut short, almost a catch in the throat; in speech you will hear nggak.

Shouted alone, it calls for help. It is the same word as please, phrase 8; the tone tells them apart.

Put it before a verb to ask for something: tolong bicara pelan-pelan, please speak slowly. To invite someone to go ahead, sit or eat, Indonesian uses silakan instead.

The apology, for a bump or a late arrival. Both as are said. It can also open a polite question, much like permisi.

Gets a stranger's attention before a question, or asks to get past: permisi, boleh saya bertanya?, excuse me, may I ask something? It does not admit a mistake; that is maaf.

Di mana...? asks where something is: di mana stasiun?, where is the station? Ke mana asks where to, and dari mana where from.

Saya tidak mengerti, I don't understand, is the form to have ready. The ng is the sound in singer, with no hard g after it.

Doubled, and the hyphen is part of the spelling. It asks for slower speech, or a slower pace on the road.

The usual reply to terima kasih. Selamat datang is a different welcome, the one for someone arriving.

Asks how much and how many alike. Berapa harganya? asks the price.

Boleh saya minta tagihan? asks for the bill. In cafés bon is just as common. The g is always hard, as in go.

Di mana apotek terdekat? asks for the nearest one. Medicine is obat.

Two syllables, and nothing to do with English air. Tap water in Bali is not for drinking; ask for air mineral, bottled water.

The morning greeting. Later in the day selamat siang, selamat sore and selamat malam take over. Add Pak for a man or Bu for a woman to sound polite: selamat pagi, Bu.

Saya alergi... names what you react to: saya alergi udang, I'm allergic to prawns. The g is hard, as in go.

Boleh saya membayar dengan kartu bank? asks to pay by card; in speech kartu alone will do. Small eateries (warung) and market stalls usually want cash.

Meja untuk dua orang, ya asks for a table for two; ya on the end makes it a friendly request. Swap dua for tiga or empat as needed.

Word for word, train under the ground: di mana kereta bawah tanah? asks where it is. Bali has no metro; in Jakarta people call it the MRT.

Satu tiket, ya asks for one; ya on the end keeps it friendly. Add ke and the place to say where to: satu tiket ke Ubud.

Apakah Anda bisa membantu saya? asks for help politely; in speech bisa bantu saya? is enough. Add Pak for a man or Bu for a woman.

It follows what is repeated: apakah Anda bisa mengatakan itu lagi? Put maaf first to soften it. In speech you will also hear bisa diulang?, can it be repeated?

Tolong berhenti di sini asks a driver to stop here; tolong before the verb makes it a request. In a shared minibus, kiri, left, also means pull over.

Panggil ambulans! calls for one. The emergency number is 112; 118 also reaches an ambulance.

Ini enak! praises the food; enak sekali is really delicious. Stall cooks love to hear it.

Saya mau yang sangat pedas asks for real heat, and local chilli heat is serious. Sedikit pedas is a little spicy, tidak pedas not spicy at all.