For my first trip to Indonesia, I’m more anxious than excited because I’m worried about the language barrier…
Don’t worry! Indonesian is considered a relatively easy language to learn. Whether you’re traveling to Indonesia for a trip or for work, you’d want to greet the locals in their own language, right?
But… “Indonesian seems so difficult…” “Learning the vocabulary looks like a lot of work…”
I just heard your inner thoughts. Please don’t worry! Indonesian pronunciation is relatively simple, making it a very easy language to learn.
In this article, we’ve carefully selected and will introduce 15 useful Indonesian greeting phrases for your trip. We’ve covered useful phrases for various situations, from basic greetings to restaurants, shopping, and when trouble arises. Even if it’s your first time traveling abroad or you’re on a solo trip, just read this, and you can enjoy Indonesia with peace of mind!
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Let’s Use Them by Time of Day! 5 Basic Greetings
First, let’s master the basic greetings to communicate pleasantly with the people of Indonesia. Using greetings that match the time of day will give a more polite impression.
Like “Good morning” or “Good evening” in English, greetings in Indonesian are distinguished by the time of day.
Indonesian greetings are divided into four time periods: morning, midday, afternoon, and night. The main greetings used are “Selamat Pagi (Good morning),” “Selamat Siang (Good day [midday]),” “Selamat Sore (Good afternoon),” and “Selamat Malam (Good evening).”
1. Good morning (Selamat Pagi): A greeting for until around 11 AM
For ‘Good morning,’ you say “Selamat Pagi” in Indonesian.
Pronunciation of Selamat Pagi
First, please listen to the audio.
Pronunciation of selamat pagi
The “t” is pronounced lightly and can sometimes sound like “Slamat Pagi.” The trick for the “t” in Selamat is to touch the tip of your tongue to your upper front teeth while barely voicing the sound.
2. Good day (Selamat Siang): A greeting for around 11 AM to 3 PM
For ‘Good day,’ you say “Selamat Siang” in Indonesian.
Pronunciation of Selamat Siang
Pronunciation of Selamat Siang
The “si” is pronounced close to “see.” The trick is to pronounce it while lightly exhaling.
3. Good afternoon (Selamat Sore): A greeting for around 3 PM until sunset
While in English the greeting for the afternoon doesn’t change much, in Indonesian, the greetings for midday and late afternoon are different.
For ‘Good afternoon,’ you say “Selamat Sore” in Indonesian.
Pronunciation of Selamat Sore
Pronunciation of Selamat Sore
It can sometimes sound like “So-ray.”
4. Good evening (Selamat Malam): A greeting for after sunset
For ‘Good evening,’ you say “Selamat Malam” in Indonesian.
It can also be used as a greeting before bedtime, like “Good night.”
Pronunciation of Selamat Malam
Pronunciation of Selamat Malam
5. Hello (Halo): A convenient and easy greeting for any time of day
So far, we’ve introduced greetings for different times of the day, but there’s actually a simpler greeting you can use anytime: “Halo.”
The nuance is similar to the English “Hello,” but in Indonesian, “Halo” is often used in relatively familiar relationships.
Pronunciation of Halo
Pronunciation of Indonesian Halo
A Deeper Dive into the Grammar
“Selamat” is a word with the nuance of “good, congratulations.” It’s helpful to remember it as being close to the English “Good.”
By combining it with words that mean “morning,” “midday,” “afternoon,” and “night,” you can create greetings appropriate for the time of day.
For example, “Selamat pagi” means “good morning” and is used as a greeting for that time.
Oh! I think I’m starting to get it! The grammar isn’t that difficult!
Usable in Casual Situations! Informal Greetings
Let’s also learn some casual greetings to use with friends, family, and other close relations.
Halo: Means the same as the English “Hello” and is widely used among close acquaintances.
Hai: Means the same as the English “Hi” and is an even more informal way of saying it.
Oh! So just “Halo” or “Hai” is okay! I’ll try starting with “Halo”!
You Should Memorize These! 8 Basic Greetings & Phrases
Alhamdulillah, baik: Praise be to God, I’m well (A common expression used by Muslims)
When someone asks you “Apa kabar?”, it’s more polite to ask back, “Bagaimana kabar Anda? (formal) / Bagaimana kabarmu? (informal) How are you?” after replying.
Pronunciation of Apa kabar?
Pronunciation of Apa Kabar
2. Baik baik saja (I’m fine): A common reply to Apa kabar?
Pronunciation of Baik baik saja
Pronunciation of Baik baik saja
3. Terima kasih (Thank you): Expressing gratitude
You can use this expression to convey gratitude when someone has done something for you.
To express *more* gratitude, you can use the word “banyak” (many/a lot) to say “Terima kasih banyak,” which conveys greater thanks.
Pronunciation of Terima kasih
Pronunciation of Terima kasih
There are many ways to say thank you, including casual, formal, and expressions for stronger gratitude. We cover them in detail in this article.
4. Sama-sama (You’re welcome): A reply to Terima kasih
As a reply to “Terima kasih” (thank you), you can use the phrase “Sama-sama,” which means “You’re welcome.”
The nuance is close to the English “My pleasure” or “We’re in this together.”
Pronunciation of Sama sama
Pronunciation of Sama sama
5. Permisi (Excuse me): Used to call someone or get their attention
This is a phrase you can use, for example, when you want to call a waiter in a restaurant, pass in front of someone, or ask someone to make way for you to exit an elevator. It’s a phrase close to the English “Excuse me.”
Note that “Permisi” itself doesn’t mean “I’m sorry,” so in that respect, it’s different from how “sumimasen” is sometimes used in Japanese.
Pronunciation of Permisi
Pronunciation of Permisi
“Permisi” is especially useful to remember. Once you get used to it, you’ll hear locals shortening it to something like “misi.”
I’ll try using “misi”! lol
6. Maaf (I’m sorry): An expression for apologizing
The word you can use to mean “I’m sorry” is “Maaf.”
To express a stronger sense of apology, you can also use expressions like “Minta maaf” or “Mohon maaf.”
These expressions are closer to saying something like “I am *terribly* sorry” in English.
Pronunciation of Maaf
Pronunciation of Maaf
7. Sampai jumpa lagi (See you next time): An expression for parting
An expression you can use when parting, similar to saying “See you next time” in English, is “Sampai jumpa lagi.”
How to be more specific?
If you have a specific time you’ll meet again, like tomorrow, you can replace the “lagi” part to express the specific time of reunion.
Tomorrow: besok → Sampai jumpa besok
Next week: minggu depan → Sampai jumpa minggu depan
Next month: bulan depan → Sampai jumpa bulan depan
Pronunciation of Sampai jumpa lagi
Pronunciation of Sampai jumpa lagi
8. Hati hati (Take care): A phrase for parting
A phrase that can be used with a nuance similar to “Take care” in English is “Hati hati.”
Pronunciation of Hati hati
Pronunciation of Hati hati
9. Salam kenal (Nice to meet you): A phrase for meeting someone for the first time
A phrase that can be used with a nuance close to “Nice to meet you” in English is “Salam kenal.”
Pronunciation of Salam kenal
Pronunciation of salam kenal
10. Selamat datang(Welcome): A phrase for welcoming someone
When you go to Indonesia, this is the greeting for “welcome” that you’ll hear everywhere—at the airport, hotels, restaurants, and shops. When someone says Selamat datang! with a smile, it makes you feel warm, doesn’t it? It’s a representative phrase that every learner of Indonesian should master.
The phrase is a combination of the words Selamat (congratulations/good) + datang (to come), and is used to mean “welcome” or “come in.”
Examples
Example: Selamat datang di Indonesia! (Welcome to Indonesia!)
Example: Selamat datang di toko kami! (Welcome to our shop!)
Pronunciation of Selamat datang di Indonesia
Pronunciation of selamat datang di Indonesia
To Express More Closeness! Master Greetings for Different Situations
Once you’ve mastered the time-based greetings, let’s learn these expressions to convey more warmth and closeness!
Using these expressions when parting can show your consideration for the other person.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Indonesian Greetings
Here are some frequently asked questions and answers about greetings in Indonesia, compiled in an FAQ format. This will help you deepen your understanding of Indonesian greetings!
How do you say “hello” in Indonesian?
“Hello” in Indonesian changes depending on the time of day.
Morning (until ~11 AM) → Selamat pagi
Midday (11 AM to ~3 PM) → Selamat siang
Afternoon (3 PM to ~6 PM) → Selamat sore
Night (after 6 PM) → Selamat malam
Are there casual greetings like “hey” or “how are you?”
Yes, some casual greetings in Indonesian include:
Hai or Halo: Both mean “hey” or “hello.”
Apa kabar?: Often used to mean “How are you?” → A common reply is “Baik (I’m good).”
What does “Selamat” in greetings mean?
A3. “Selamat” means “congratulations,” “peace, safety, or good fortune,” and is often used at the beginning of greetings. For example:
Selamat pagi (Good morning)
Selamat ulang tahun (Happy birthday)
Selamat jalan (Have a safe trip)
Selamat datang (Welcome)
Can I use the same greeting for everyone?
Basically, yes, but it’s polite to use a respectful tone with older people or superiors. For example, in response to “Selamat Pagi?”, you can be more polite by adding “Pak” (a respectful term for men) or “Bu” (a respectful term for women), as in “Selamat Pagi, Pak.”
We cover titles of respect in more detail in the following article.
Do people shake hands or bow in Indonesia?
Yes, a light handshake (with the right hand only) and a smile are common greetings. Handshakes are especially common in business settings. Due to religious and cultural backgrounds, some people may avoid shaking hands with the opposite sex, so it’s best to observe the other person’s lead.
Shaking hands with the left hand is taboo, so please be careful.
How should I greet and introduce myself to someone I’m meeting for the first time?
When meeting someone for the first time in Indonesian, starting the conversation with the following flow will make it smoother.
Greeting
Name
(A brief self-introduction, such as where you’re from or your hobbies)
We introduce this in more detail in the following article, so please check it out.
Manners and Taboos to Be Aware of When Traveling to Indonesia
There are certain manners and customs to be aware of when living in or visiting Indonesia. Be sure to check them before your trip.
Manners and Taboos to Be Aware of When Traveling to Indonesia
Don’t use your left hand! Use your right hand for eating and shaking hands.
Men should not initiate a handshake with a woman (※on first meeting).
Do not get angry in public.
Do not touch someone’s head.
Use a special handshake called “Salim” with elders or people you respect.
If it’s your birthday, you are the one who treats others to a meal.
Do not eat pork (or pork-derived products) ※Islam.
Do not drink alcoholic beverages ※Islam.
Tipping and donation culture.
Titles of respect and forms of address for elders.
Conclusion: Master the Basic Greetings and Befriend People in Indonesia!
In this article, we introduced basic Indonesian greetings for different situations, along with example sentences.
By remembering these greetings, you should be able to communicate more enjoyably with the people of Indonesia!
Please be proactive and try using Indonesian!
Finally
Thank you for reading to the end!
This blog features a lot of useful information related to Indonesia! Please be sure to check out these other articles as well!
