Chapter Ten
A Few Words
Twenty words of Indonesian will change how your week goes
Reviewed August 2026 · Fees, forms and fines change. Ask us to confirm before you fly.
English is widely spoken anywhere near tourism, so you will never be stuck. But Indonesian is an unusually easy language to make a start in — no tenses, no genders, no verb endings — and a visitor who tries a few words is treated noticeably differently from one who does not. Say them badly and cheerfully; that is the whole trick.
- Selamat pagi
- Good morning (until about 11)
- Selamat siang
- Good day (midday to about 3)
- Selamat sore
- Good afternoon (3 until dark)
- Selamat malam
- Good evening
- Terima kasih
- Thank you
- Sama-sama
- You're welcome
- Permisi
- Excuse me
- Maaf
- Sorry
- Tolong
- Please / help me
- Ya / Tidak
- Yes / No
- Berapa harganya?
- How much is it?
- Terlalu mahal
- Too expensive
- Enak!
- Delicious!
- Tidak pedas
- Not spicy
- Tanpa terasi
- Without shrimp paste
- Air minum
- Drinking water
- Di mana kamar kecil?
- Where is the toilet?
- Saya tidak mengerti
- I don't understand
- Bagus
- Good / lovely
- Om Swastiastu
- The Balinese greeting — used with palms together
Names and numbers
Most Balinese share a small set of birth-order names — Wayan, Made, Nyoman and Ketut for the first four children, then round again — which is why you will meet a great many Wayans and why we are Anik and Made. Numbers are worth ten minutes: satu, dua, tiga, empat, lima, enam, tujuh, delapan, sembilan, sepuluh. Ribu means thousand, so lima puluh ribu is fifty thousand rupiah. Knowing that alone makes markets much easier.
Bargaining
Bargain at markets and with street sellers; do not bargain in shops with marked prices, at workshops, in restaurants or with drivers on an agreed fare. Where it applies, start at somewhere near half, stay cheerful, and be willing to walk. If you would be happy at the price, take it — the last twenty thousand rupiah matters far more to the seller than it does to you, and grinding someone down over it in front of their neighbours is not a good look.
Reviewed August 2026. This chapter carries figures that expire — fees, levies, fines and phone numbers. They were checked against current sources in August 2026, and the hedging in the copy above is deliberate. Message us and we will confirm what is current for your dates.