How many words are in this list?

This page gives 100 Indonesian words on “Politeness and small talk”. The full topic holds 129 in the KoKo app: 51 at the easy level, 45 at the medium level and 33 at the hard level.

Which words should I start with?

With level 1: these are the easiest words of the topic. Move on to level 2 once they come to you without thinking, then to level 3.

How can I remember this Indonesian vocabulary?

By seeing each word again at longer and longer intervals, just before you forget it: that is spaced repetition. The KoKo app does it for you and tells you each day which words to review.

Can I print this list or save it as a PDF?

Yes. The “Print the list” button at the top of the page opens your device’s print dialog: choose to save as PDF to keep the 100 words and their translation, with nothing else around them.

Indonesian vocabulary: greetings and polite phrases

Hello, thank you, please, sorry, see you soon: the polite Indonesian phrases for greeting, thanking and starting a conversation.

Here are 100 Indonesian words on “Politeness and small talk”, translated into English and sorted from easiest to hardest.

Level 1: easy 39 words

Indonesian	English
silakan duluan	after you
bersulang	cheers
semoga berhasil	good luck
selamat tidur	good nightWhen parting to go to sleep
sampai jumpa	goodbye
selamat ulang tahun	happy birthday
selamat tahun baru	happy New Year
selamat malam	have a good eveningWhen leaving someone early in the evening
selamat siang	helloGreeting on arrival, during the day
hai	hiInformal greeting
bagaimana mengatakannya	how do you say
saya tidak tahu	I do not know
saya tidak mengerti	I do not understand
tidak apa-apa	it does not matter
semangat	keep it up
anggap saja rumah sendiri	make yourself at home
ada yang bisa saya bantu	may I help you
tidak	no
tidak masalah	no problem
terima kasih kembali	not at all
tentu saja	of course
baiklah	okay
sebentar	one moment
sampai nanti	see you shortly
sampai jumpa lagi	see you soon
syukurlah	so much the better
maaf	sorryApology
terima kasih	thank you
sayang sekali	that is a pity
berkenalan	to get acquainted
memperkenalkan	to introduce
memperkenalkan diri	to introduce oneself
sampai lain kali	until next time
awas	watch out
apa artinya	what does it mean
ada kabar apa	what is new
dengan senang hati	with pleasureEnthusiastic acceptance
ya	yes
sama-sama	you are welcomeEveryday use

Level 2: medium 35 words

Indonesian	English
permintaan maaf	apology
harapan terbaik	best wishes
percakapan	conversation
bisakah Anda	could you
diskusi	discussion
apakah Anda bisa berbahasa Inggris	do you speak English
selamat makan	enjoy your meal
permisi	excuse me
selamat tinggal	farewell
ikuti saya	follow me
semoga lekas sembuh	get well soon
selamat sore	good eveningGreeting on arrival, from late afternoon onwards
jabat tangan	handshake
selamat berakhir pekan	have a good weekend
tolong saya	help me
saya ingin	I would like
perkenalan	introduction
undangan	invitation
selamat Natal	merry Christmas
lebih pelan	more slowly
sudahlah	never mind
tolong	please
senang berkenalan dengan Anda	pleased to meet you
celaan	reproach
terima kasih sebanyak-banyaknya	thanks a million
baik sekali	that is kind
meminta maaf	to apologise
menyapa seseorang	to approach someone
menyapa	to greet
mengundang	to invite
mendoakan	to wish
penyambutan	welcomeNoun, the act of receiving someone
sungguh disayangkan	what a shame
siapa nama Anda	what is your name
kembali	you are welcomeFormal register

Level 3: hard 26 words

Indonesian	English
izinkan saya	allow me
keheningan canggung	awkward silence
silakan masuk	come in
penghiburan	comfort
pujian	compliment
dorongan	encouragement
sapaan hormat	formal address
sapaan	greeting
halo	helloOn the phone, when picking up
sabar sebentar	hold on
tidak sopan	ill mannered
salah paham	misunderstanding
turut berduka cita	my condolences
senang bertemu Anda	nice to meet you
mohon menunggu	please hold on
ungkapan sopan	polite formula
dengan sopan	politely
kesopanan	politeness
tolong ulangi	repeat
kekasaran	rudeness
silakan duduk	sit down
memberi selamat	to congratulate
mengganggu	to disturb
menyela	to interrupt
mencium pipi	to kiss on the cheek
menyapa dengan akrab	to use informal address

Mini quiz

5 words from this page, picked at random. Find their translation.

Frequently asked questions

How many words are in this list?: This page gives 100 Indonesian words on “Politeness and small talk”. The full topic holds 129 in the KoKo app: 51 at the easy level, 45 at the medium level and 33 at the hard level.
Which words should I start with?: With level 1: these are the easiest words of the topic. Move on to level 2 once they come to you without thinking, then to level 3.
How can I remember this Indonesian vocabulary?: By seeing each word again at longer and longer intervals, just before you forget it: that is spaced repetition. The KoKo app does it for you and tells you each day which words to review.
Can I print this list or save it as a PDF?: Yes. The “Print the list” button at the top of the page opens your device’s print dialog: choose to save as PDF to keep the 100 words and their translation, with nothing else around them.