When it comes to mastering a new language, it’s always a good idea to build your vocabulary. The same idea applies to anyone who is learning basic Indonesian. Having a wide range of Indonesian vocabulary is essential to your progress, especially when the grammar side of basic Indonesian is quite simple!
A Few Tips Before You Start Learning Basic Indonesian Vocabulary
To learn Indonesian vocabulary effectively, it’s essential to come prepared. Other than your usual pen and paper as learning tools, here are a few tips to help you learn basic Indonesian vocabulary so you won’t forget it easily:
1. Build a reading habit
When building any vocabulary, including basic Indonesian vocabulary, one of our most favorite ways of learning is through reading. It can be a bite-sized tweet, a snippet of news, social media feeds, and all different sources.
2. Indonesian Vocabulary Of The Day
Instead of aiming for dozens of new Indonesian vocabulary, try memorizing 3 words of the day. Make an effort to remember these basic Indonesian words consciously and then apply them to context whenever possible.
For example, if you just learned the word “Mari” which means “ let’s”, you can try to say it differently on the same day. It works wonders!
3. Focus on practical words
You want to learn Indonesian where you can use them in real life, so start with Indonesian vocabulary that relates to your daily activities. For example, if you are learning basic Indonesian as a part of your career, then focus on relevant Indonesian vocabulary instead of going too broad.
4. But don’t forget the basic Indonesian vocabulary
While trying to learn Indonesian vocabulary that is relevant to you, you also want to get the basic Indonesian vocabulary out of the way. So without further ado, let’s learn basic Indonesian vocabulary- all grouped into types and examples for your easy learning.
The Basic: Learn Indonesian Vocabulary
1. Nouns
In Indonesian vocabulary, nouns refer to a person/people, things, places, and abstracts. You will notice that as you learn the Indonesian language, there is no specific division or types of nouns- but rather, a certain basic Indonesian vocabulary for each word. For examples:
Indonesian Vocabulary | English |
Ibu Ayah Anak/anak-anak Rumah Kantor Teman Rekan kerja Pegawai Atasan Cuaca Orang-orang Pekerjaan Sekolah Bandara udara Mobil | Mother Father Child/Children Home Office Friend Colleague Employee Employer Weather People Job School Airport Car |
Examples:
- Ibu saya bekerja sebagai guru = My mother works as a teacher
- Mengapa orang-orang berkumpul? = Why are the people gathering?
- Tahun berapa kelahiranmu? = What year were you born?
- Komputer Saya sedang rusak = My computer doesn’t work
Saya harus ke dokter segera = I need to visit a doctor asap
2. Pronouns
Same as the English language, basic Indonesian vocabulary for pronouns takes the place of nouns.
Types of Pronouns | Indonesian Vocabulary | English |
Personal Pronouns
| Saya, kamu, kami/kita,mereka, dia |
|
Possessive Pronouns | Milik + ( Saya/ku, kamu/mu, kami/kita, mereka, dia) | Mine, yours, ours, theirs, him, hers, its |
Reflexive Pronouns | Diri + (Saya/ku, kamu/mu,kami/kita, mereka,dia) | Myself, yourself, ourselves, themselves, himself, herself, itself |
Demonstrative pronouns | Ini & Itu | This/these & that/those |
Relative Pronouns | Yang | Who, whom, that, which (=ever) |
Interrogative Pronouns | Siapa, yang mana, apa | Who/whom, which, what |
Reciprocal Pronouns | Satu sama lain, masing-masing | Each other |
Examples:
- Kamu masih ingat saya? = Do you remember me?
- Itu buku dia yang baru dibeli = That book is his which is new
- Saya bangga pada diriku = I’m proud of myself
- Siapa yang mau ikut dia ke kantor?= Who wants to follow him to the office?
- Kita harus percaya satu sama lain = We have to trust each other
3. Verbs
Verbs in basic Indonesian vocabulary describe an action.
Indonesian Vocabulary | English |
Pulang Pergi Makan Belajar Kerja Buka Tutup Bicara Pesan Baca Tulis Dengar Jual Beli | Go Home Go Eat Study Work Close Open Talk Order Read Write Listen Buy Sell |
Examples:
- Hubungi saya saat kamu tiba di rumah= Call me when you get home
- Saya suka sekali acara itu = I really love the show
- Jangan lupa tutup pintu! =Don’t forget to close the door!
- Kami olahraga setiap pagi = We exercise everyday
- Dia konsumsi vitamin untuk sehat = He takes vitamins for his health
Note: To learn the Indonesian language like a pro, mastering the verbs is essential since it’s a huge part of the basic Indonesian vocabulary. Be sure to keep practicing.
4. Adverbs
Adverbs are words or phrases used to explain verbs, adjectives, or relation of place, time, circumstance, manner, cause, degree, etc.
Types of Adverbs | Indonesian Vocabulary | English |
Adverbs of Frequency | Selalu, biasanya, sering, kadang-kadang, jarang, tidak pernah dll | Always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, never, etc |
Adverbs of Time | Sudah, lalu, sebelum, belum, tidak pernah, kemarin, segera, akhir-akhir ini dll | Already, ago, before, yet, never, yesterday, soon, lately, etc |
Adverbs of Manner | Jadi, dengan pelan, dengan buruk, dengan indah, dengan bising, dengan senang hati dll | So, slowly, badly, beautifully, loudly, happily, etc |
Adverbs of Degree | Hampir, sepenuhnya, agak, juga, cukup dll | Almost, fully, quite, too, enough, etc |
Adverbs of Place | Disini, dimana-mana, dekat, bawah, jauh, mundur, naik dll | Here, everywhere, near, down, away, backward, upwards, etc |
Conjunctive Adverbs | Lalu, sekarang, pasti, lagipula, jadi dll | Next, now, undoubtedly, besides, anyway, etc |
Examples:
- Hubungi saya saat kamu tiba di rumah= Call me when you get home
- Saya suka sekali acara itu = I really love the show
- Jangan lupa tutup pintu! =Don’t forget to close the door!
- Kami olahraga setiap pagi = We exercise everyday
- Dia konsumsi vitamin untuk sehat = He takes vitamins for his health
5. Adjectives
Here are some of the most common Indonesian vocabularies for adjectives:
Indonesian Vocabulary | English |
Besar Kecil Mahal Murah Cantik Lucu Pintar Bodoh Tua Muda Bahagia Sedih Cepat Lambat | Big Small Expensive Cheap Pretty Cute/funny Smart Stupid Old Young Happy Sad Fast Slow |
For comparative adjectives, simply add the word “ lebih—daripada” to replace “ more—-than”. Meanwhile, for superlative adjectives, use “paling” to represent “the most”
Examples:
- Rumahnya dekat dengan rumahku = His house is near my house
- Filmnya menarik sekali = The movie is very interesting
- Topi favorit saya berwarna biru = My favorite hat is blue color
- Dia ngantuk dan pulang lebih cepat = He was sleepy and went home earlier.
- Dia murid paling rajin di kelas = He is the most diligent student in the class.
6. Preposition
Prepositions are used before a noun/pronoun to show direction, time, place, location or to introduce an object. Here are some basic Indonesian vocabulary for prepositions:
Indonesian Vocabulary | English |
Di Pada Dengan Dari Selama Hingga Seberang Sekitar Diantara Bawah Atas Dalam Sejak Oleh | at/in/on ( place) at/in ( time) With From For/during/throughout Until Across About/ Around Between/among Under Above/On In/Into Since By |
Examples:
- Saya tinggal di Jakarta sejak tahun 2000 = I have lived in Jakarta since 2000
- Kita janji berjumpa pada pukul 7 malam = We plan to meet at 7 tonight
- Dia belajar selama 2 jam = He studied for 2 hours
- Diantara mereka berdua, Joni lebih rajin = Between the two of them, Joni is more hardworking
- Dia meletakkan mainan ke dalam kotak = He put the toy into the box
7. Conjunction
Conjunctions act like connectors between two ideas ( words, phrases, clauses, or paragraphs). Here are some examples of basic Indonesian vocabulary for conjunctions.
Types of Conjunctions | Indonesian Vocabulary | English |
Coordinating Conjunctions | Karena, Dan, Tidak juga, Atau, Namun, Jadi | For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So |
Subordinating Conjunctions | Setelah, Meskipun, Ketika, Karena, Sebelum, Supaya, Kecuali, dll | After, Although, As, Because, Before, So that, Unless etc |
Correlative Conjunctions | Baik….atau, Tidak hanya…tapi juga, Baik ….dan, Sama….jadi, Daripada….lebih baik dll | Either….or…., Not only…but, Both….and, Just as….so, rather….than etc |
Examples:
- Kakakku dan suaminya bekerja sebagai pengacara, tapi di kantor yang berbeda= = My sister and her husband work as lawyers, but in different firms.
- Setelah saya pulang, saya segera mandi supaya lebih segar = After I got home, I took a bath so that I felt better.
Bukan hanya makanannya enak, tapi juga harganya murah = Not only is the food yummy, but the price is affordable too.
8. Interjection
Interjections are a collection of vocabulary that is used to express feeling rather than meaning. In Indonesian vocabulary, interjections are largely ruled by spontaneity and are often used in daily conversations.
Expressions | Indonesian Vocabulary |
| Hmmm… |
| Hei! Woi! Oi! |
| Aduh! Ow! Ahhh! |
| Hah?! Ah! Eh?! Wow! Astaga! Masa?! |
| Dor! Plak! Bum! Kring! Brak! |
| Yah, deh ( end of sentence) |
Examples:
- Aduh!! Tolong hati-hati yah .. = Ouch! Be careful, please.
- Woy! Tunggu dulu. = Hey! Wait up
- Hmmm, pikir-pikir dulu deh = Hmm… I’ll think about it.
So there you have it! All the basic Indonesian vocabulary to help you learn Indonesian the easy and fun way. Always remember to build your knowledge by practicing daily. Need someone to practice learning Indonesian conversation? Reach out today and be in touch with our certified mentor to learn more about the Indonesian language at Cakap. Click here to start.
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