Islam is the number-one religion in Indonesia, with roughly eighty-seven percent of the country’s population identifying as Muslim (as of 2010). In addition, Indonesia is known to have more Muslims than any other country in the world! This means that Muslim holidays are a pretty big deal here.

A major Muslim holiday, the Eid ul-Fitr celebration in Indonesia is a festive occasion with a variety of traditions. In this article, you’ll learn about the origins of Eid ul-Fitr, Indonesian observances for this holiday, and some new vocabulary words!

Let’s get started.

1. What is Eid ul-Fitr?

Eid ul-Fitr is an important Muslim holiday, marking the end of Ramadan fasting. This holiday was initiated by the Prophet Muhammad himself.

Traditionally, Eid ul-Fitr was celebrated in Medina following the Prophet Muhammad’s journey out of Mecca. Here, he found people having a massive celebration; he told them that there were two other days on which they should be celebrating instead (this holiday along with Eid ul-Adha).

Considering Indonesia’s huge Muslim population, it’s no surprise that Eid ul-Fitr is a major celebration each year!

2. When is Eid ul-Fitr This Year?

Each year, the date of Eid ul-Fitr varies on the Gregorian calendar. For your convenience, here’s a list of this holiday’s date for the next ten years.

• 2020: May 24
• 2021: May 13
• 2022: May 3
• 2023: April 22
• 2024: April 10
• 2025: March 31
• 2026: March 20
• 2027: March 10
• 2028: February 27
• 2029: February 15

Note: The holiday actually starts the evening before the dates given here, and then lasts until the end of the given dates. Dates can also vary a little based on the moon’s cycle in a given year.

3. The Eid ul-Fitr Celebration in Indonesia

The night before the Eid celebration, Muslims gather in the mosques to proclaim Allah as the Great God (an act which is called takbir in Indonesian). On Eid ul-Fitr, Indonesian Muslims get up early in the morning in order to perform ablution (called wudhu in Indonesian). After this, they put on baju baru (“new clothes” ) and visit mosques for the Eid prayer. Before they enter the mosque, however, Muslims are obligated to give an Eid ul-Fitr donation to the poor and other people who are in need.

Many Indonesians have a mudik (“homecoming” ). They visit their family members and offer each other Eid ul-Fitr greetings. One of the most common Eid ul-Fitr wishes in Indonesian is Selamat Idul Fitri (“Happy Eid Mubarak”). This mudik is unique because many Indonesians actually begin this visit a couple of days before the holiday begins.

Earlier, we mentioned an Eid ul-Fitr donation that Muslims are obligated to offer. Well, in Yogyakarta, this takes the form of an event called Grebeg Syawal. During this event, Indonesians fight over a mound of local produce offered by the sultan. It’s believed that receiving this produce is a sign of special blessings.

Pontianak employs the use of cannon fire to enliven its Eid ul-Fitr celebrations. A jumbo-sized wooden cannon mounted on the bank of the Kapuas River blasts throughout the holiday, accompanying the sound of chants and drums. Traditionally, Indonesians used this cannon fire as a means of repelling an evil female ghost called kuntilanak.

→ Here are some useful words related to Religion and Family Members that you can study!

4. Holiday Food for Eid ul-Fitr

A dish called ketupat is served on Eid ul-Fitr. This is a glutinous rice dish wrapped in coconut leaves and cooked in coconut milk for a distinct savory flavor. Other popular dishes for this holiday include:

• Rendang
• Gulai ayam (“gulai chicken” )
• Opor ayam

What’s your favorite Indonesian food? Check out this list, and let us know in the comments!

5. Must-Know Vocabulary for Eid ul-Fitr in Indonesia

Ready to review some of the vocabulary words from this lesson? Here’s a list of the most important words and phrases for Eid ul-Fitr in Indonesia!

• Kereta api — “Train” [n.]
• Idul Fitri — “Day after Ramadan” [n.]
• Rendang — “Rendang” [n.]
• Baju baru — “New clothes” [n.]
• Bedug — “Bedug” [n.]
• THR (Tunjangan Hari Raya) — “The Religious Holiday Allowance”
• Oleh-oleh — “Souvenir” [n.]
• Ketupat — “Ketupat” [n.]
• Opor Ayam — “Opor Ayam” [n.]
• Mudik — “Homecoming” [n.]
• Gulai Ayam — “Gulai chicken” [n.]
• Kurma — “Date” [n.]

To hear the pronunciation of each word and phrase, be sure to check out our Indonesian Eid ul-Fitr vocabulary list!

Final Thoughts

We hope you discovered something new about Indonesian culture in this article, and that we’ve fueled your desire to keep learning!

Do you celebrate Eid ul-Fitr in your country? If so, are celebrations there similar to those in Indonesia, or maybe a little different? We look forward to hearing from you!

IndonesianPod101.com has more free learning resources for you, such as the following blog posts:

• Ascension Day of Jesus Christ in Indonesia
• Celebrating Indonesian Independence Day
• How to Celebrate Batik Day in Indonesia
• Indonesian Remembrance Day: Hero’s Day in Indonesia
• Indonesian Etiquette: Table Manners in Indonesia and More!

This only scratches the surface of what you can expect from IndonesianPod101.com! By creating your free lifetime account today, you’ll gain access to even more detailed lessons and materials! And for access to more exclusive content, you can upgrade to our Premium or Premium PLUS plans, as well.

Anyway, we’re glad you joined us today to learn about the Indonesian take on this Muslim holiday. Happy learning! 🙂

Getting angry in Indonesian is a difficult subject to talk about.

Indonesians are, by and large, well-known for not getting very angry. The country often seems to tourists like a literal land of smiles.

A very important word in Indonesian is santai, meaning “relaxed” or “at ease.” If you’re stressed or frustrated, and very clearly not santai, then you’re probably going to alienate others.

How about on TV, though?

Have you ever seen Indonesian sinetron soap operas? They’re filled with angry outbursts and furious rants at the world.

So even though you might not see or hear it much in real life, Indonesian angry words and phrases definitely exist. If you want to take your Indonesian to the next level, you’d better learn them.

Table of Contents

1. Discussing Your Angry Feelings
2. Telling Others to Scram
3. Sending Warning Signals
4. Ordering Others Around
5. Play the Blame Game
6. Everybody Calm Down
7. Put Up Your Dukes
8. Say You’re Sorry
9. Conclusion

1. Discussing Your Angry Feelings

When you want to talk about your feelings in Indonesian, you can use the word merasa, meaning “to feel.” The root rasa by itself means “feeling” or “flavor,” so when you add the verbal prefix to it, it describes experiencing such a feeling.

If you haven’t yet, take a look at our vocabulary resource for talking about feelings in Indonesian.

As a cultural note, Indonesians are alright with talking about angry feelings, but actually going beyond that to blaming others or even rebuking them is rarely seen.

This is the most basic way to say you’re angry in Indonesian:

• Aku merasa marah.
  “I feel angry.”

To tell the truth, you don’t even need merasa. This works too:

• Aku marah.
  “I’m angry.”

That’s definitely a less formal way of putting things, but it’s not rude either. It’s simply a shortened version of the first phrase, just in the same way that the Indonesian verb adalah doesn’t always need to be explicitly said.

The Indonesian language allows us to be a little more creative with that root word marah. We can turn it into verbs, like so:

• Aku memarahi dia.
  “I was angry with him.”

The word memarahi (“to anger” ) is a little bit formal, so in colloquial speech and writing, you’ll hear the following sentence structure which is rather similar to the English version.

• Itu membuat aku marah.
  “That makes me angry.”

You can also come up with questions and explanations for this feeling, depending on how much detail you want to go into. It all comes from that single word!

• Mengapa kamu begitu marah?
  “Why are you so angry?”
• Aku marah karena kamu memukulku.
  “I’m angry because you hit me.”

Interestingly, there are only a couple of synonyms for “angry” in Indonesian. Marah covers pretty much everything. There are some words that come from Malay, such as bergelora or geram, but those are totally unused in everyday language.

2. Telling Others to Scram

This is one of the few times it’s reasonably acceptable to raise your voice and publicly get angry at someone in Indonesia. Just like in every country, there are some people who will harass others and refuse to take no for an answer.

If there’s somebody being pushy, you can use this first phrase. The actual feeling conveyed is going to be totally different with a different inflection. Speak seriously and firmly just like you would in English.

• Aku tidak mau.
  “I don’t want (it).”
• Pergilah dari sini!
  “Get out of here!”
• Aku tak mau lagi mendengar keluh kesahmu!
  “I don’t want to hear you complain!”

3. Sending Warning Signals

• Awas kau!
  “Watch out, you!”

The word awas usually appears on warning signs. Kau is another way to say kamu, and it’s a very familiar variant. If you don’t know a person well, calling them kau is pretty weird and perhaps even insulting.

• Sini, aku layani!
  “I’m ready to fight!”

Melayani is simply the verb “to fight” in Indonesian, and so this is a way to say “I’m ready for action.”

• Sudah selesai?
  “Are you done talking?”
• Sudah kubilang berkali-kali.
  “I’ve already said it several times.”

This is an interesting feature of Indonesian called “reduplication.” The word kali by itself means “time,” as in “one time, two times.” If we add the ber- prefix and reduplicate it, it gives the word a sense of “countless times,” including the implication of exasperation.

• Cukup! or Sudahlah!
  “That’s enough!”

The word sudah fills several grammatical functions in Indonesian. It literally means “already,” and so it functions often as a past tense marker. Here, adding the -lah suffix shows that we’ve really had it, and that there’s absolutely nothing else we want to hear!

• Aku tidak akan memaafkanmu.
  “I’m not going to forgive you.”

In Indonesian culture, “forgive and forget” is the way things get done. If you come out and directly say that you’re not going to forgive what someone else has done, that might scare them straight.

As luck would have it, Indonesian has an idiom about getting angry that’s awfully close to what’s said in English.

• Awas, dia akan naik darah.
  “Watch out, he’s going to blow up.”

Naik means “to raise” and darah means “blood.” “Raising your blood” seems quite similar to “raising your temper,” or perhaps something about high blood pressure. In either case, it should be easy to remember.

4. Ordering Others Around

We’ve already seen how, in Indonesian, you can make a verb into a polite or neutral request by adding -lah to the end.

• Berdirilah.
  “Stand up, please.”

Now is not the time for polite requests. Now is the time for demands.

By simply saying the verb in a forceful tone of voice, you’re communicating exactly the same thing you would with a request, just much ruder.

Here are a couple more great Indonesian angry phrases—normally if you’re shouting at someone like this, there are only a couple of things that you’re likely to say.

• Tutup mulutmu!
  “Shut your mouth!”
• Jangan bicara! Dengar!
  “Don’t talk! Listen!”
• Dengar kataku!
  “Listen to what I’m saying!”

5. Play the Blame Game

Anger usually has a reason behind it. With these phrases, you’ll let people know exactly what they did to cause your frustration.

If you say these strongly enough, then they might feel so bad that they back down and apologize by themselves.

• Kamu tidak pernah menghargaiku.
  “You never appreciate me.”
• Semuanya adalah kesalahanmu.
  “Everything is your fault.”

Now here are some good rhetorical questions. If you hear these, there’s not really any explanation you can give—just try and ride out the storm.

• Mengapa kau begitu?
  “Why are you like this?”
• Apa maksud semua ini?
  “What’s the meaning of this?”

6. Everybody Calm Down

There’s one last chance for things not to get crazy. When tempers are flaring, you can use a couple of well-timed phrases to remind everyone to take deep breaths and maybe set aside the issue.

The word for “calm” is tenang. When you’re trying to calm somebody down who’s upset, especially if you don’t know them, you should absolutely use polite pronouns when you address them.

• Tenang dulu, Pak!
  “Take it easy, mister!”

In Indonesian culture, offering a refreshment is one of the most basic fundamentals of hospitality. If there’s a water cooler nearby or even an unopened bottle, you can offer that to the affronted party.

• Ini diminum dulu, ya.
  “Here, drink this.”

There are a few more tricks going on with language here. The word dulu literally means “first,” and so by saying “drink first” or “calm down first,” you’re acknowledging that their complaint is valid and that you want to hear about it—once they’re in a better state of mind.

• Oke, saya dengar.
  “Alright, I’m listening.”
• Saya mengerti ada kesalahan.
  “I understand there’s a mistake here.”

Again, these phrases make it easy for the other person to feel respected and valid, and that takes a lot of the force out of somebody’s anger.

7. Put Up Your Dukes

Now it’s time for the real meat of this topic: the insults. You couldn’t calm down the situation, so instead you’ve got to bring it down to their level.

It might be surprising, but Indonesian doesn’t have an incredibly rich variety of swear words. There are some that we won’t print here because they’re too vulgar in English. But the list as a whole isn’t actually too long.

The most common insult in Indonesian might surprise you.

• Anjing!
  “Dog!”

That’s…not really an insult in English. Maybe in a movie about pirates? But not these days. It’s vaguely rude, sure, but it’s just not used!

Not so in Indonesian. As a majority-Islam country, Indonesian people believe dogs are unclean. You won’t see many pet dogs or stray dogs in Indonesia for that reason. And that’s why calling somebody a dog is taken so seriously. In some situations, you might even see it self-censored, like anj*ng.

• Anak haram!
  “Illegitimate child!”

In Indonesian culture, specifically in Islam, having a child out of wedlock is a strong taboo. Therefore, calling somebody an anak haram is extremely serious as it insults their entire family.

• Bajingan!
  “Lowlife!”

Literally, bajingan is a street criminal, a petty thief, or a pickpocket. Crimes like that don’t happen often in Indonesia, and people are likely to take offense if you call them this word.

The rest of these are pretty standard and interchangeable—insults that work in English and Indonesian. As you can see, these normally wouldn’t be used in complete sentences.

• Gila kau!
  “You’re crazy!”
• Sialan!
  “You’re trash!”
• Bodoh sekali!
  “So stupid!”
• Kurang ajar!
  “You’re losing it!”

One thing to note here, on a social level: Learning insults in other languages is a lot of fun.

But that’s only because you lack the social upbringing to really know what it feels like to be called sialan or kurang ajar. You might know intellectually that they’re serious words, but you don’t really hold that feeling in your heart.

So the advice here is to rarely, if ever, joke around with insults or angry words in another language. Even if you’ve been immersed for years, all it takes is just one mistake for people to think you’re too touchy and rude to be friends with.

By the way, if you’re wondering “Is that it?” then, no, it’s not. There are other things that go beyond the severity of what we’ve discussed here, but they’re too obscene to print (in this article, at least).

Keep your eyes peeled for a special members-only offering of the juiciest Indonesian curse words, here at IndonesianPod101!

8. Say You’re Sorry

So did you end up going too far? It’s probably going to be alright. Indonesians are tolerant and forgiving of people’s mistakes, and you should definitely learn to be the same if you want to fit in.

In fact, we have a whole lesson on how to say sorry in Indonesian, so we won’t repeat everything here. But imagine yourself all heated up after having traded insults back and forth.

• Aku minta maaf.
  “I’m very sorry.”
• Aku salah.
  “I was wrong.”
• Aku tidak akan melakukan ini lagi.
  “I won’t do this again.”
• Aku minta maaf karena membuat kamu marah.
  “I’m sorry for making you mad.”
• Aku harap kamu bisa memaafkanku.
  “I hope you can forgive me.”

If you didn’t screw things up too badly, and your apology was genuine, then you may be lucky enough to hear these phrases.

• Ayo kita lupakan saja.
  “Let’s just forget about it.”
• Tidak apa-apa.
  “It’s alright.”

9. Conclusion

Hopefully by this point, you’ve gotten a satisfying glimpse into the dark side of Indonesian anger. Keep in mind that so much of how these words are used and received has to do with the tone of voice.

If you turn on a TV show (or more likely, a web series, thanks to broadcast regulations), you’ll probably hear words like this thrown around very frequently between friends.

You have to read the room and know your audience well if you want to speak like them—and that goes far beyond just insults.

At IndonesianPod101, we give you that extra insight into Indonesian culture to give you a sense of understanding. With our lessons, articles, and flagship podcast, you’ll naturally learn what’s right and wrong to say, every time.

Before you go, drop us a comment and let us know which of these Indonesian angry phrases is your favorite. What are common angry phrases in your language? We look forward to hearing from you!

There’s a lot to be said for being able to make good small talk in another language. Conversations can start up and keep going indefinitely with the right people.

But what can you talk about? Perhaps you’ve tried talking about the weather and didn’t end up getting terribly far.

Or perhaps you’ve already met someone in Indonesia and gotten along with them, but you don’t know what to talk about whenever you hang out.

When something big happens in their life, you’ve got the perfect opening. For example, wishing them a happy birthday in Indonesian is a good way to open up new conversation topics (like what they want to do during this next year of their life, if they have special plans, etc.).

Well-wishes, or ucapan in Indonesian, are an important part of any culture. Knowing the right thing to say, whether it’s good news or bad, is the cornerstone of any interesting conversation.

In this article, you’ll learn about phrases of congratulations in Indonesian, as well as how to offer Indonesian condolences when they’re needed. Let’s get started.

Table of Contents

1. Birthdays
2. Holidays
3. Christmas
4. Babies
5. Graduation
6. Weddings and Anniversaries
7. Bad News in General
8. Good News in General
9. Conclusion

1. Birthdays

Indonesians definitely celebrate birthdays, meaning that wishing someone a happy birthday in Indonesian is much appreciated. The word for “birthday” is hari kelahiran (literally “day of birth” when translated), but instead of using that construction, there’s a set phrase you should use.

• Selamat ulang tahun!
  “Happy Birthday!”

In very formal contexts, like when an important person is celebrating their birthday as a large public event, the word dirgahayu is used. Generally, dirgahayu is used for Indonesian Independence Day—so it has the same connotation as the birth of a country!

If you’re writing a card, you should also include some of these excellent phrases for wishing long life, happiness, and success.

• Semoga permohonanmu terkabul.
  “May your wishes be granted.”
• Semoga selalu sejahtera.
  “Keep staying prosperous.”
• Semoga panjang umur.
  “May your life be long.”

In English, we have one typical birthday song that everybody knows (perhaps two, if you count He’s a Jolly Good Fellow). In Indonesian, though, people don’t really sing the song. Only in the case of celebrating a foreigner’s birthday would a song be sung, and then it would just probably be the same tune as the English Happy Birthday to You.

2. Holidays

Wishing someone a happy holiday in Indonesian can be a bit uncertain if you’re new to the country.

For example, when you’re living in Indonesia and everything starts closing up early during the holy month of Ramadan, if you’re not a Muslim you may not be clear on how to wish other people a “Happy Ramadan.” To be honest, it’s not really done with the kind of fervor that, say, Americans tend to use when they wish every stranger in sight “Merry Christmas.”

That said, a holiday greeting in Indonesian is normally appreciated. Here are a couple of examples:

• Selamat menunaikan ibadah puasa.
  “Wishing you a blessed Ramadan.”
• Selamat Idul Fitri. Minal aidin wal faidzin.
  “Happy Eid Mubarak. Please forgive any wrongdoing.”

These two phrases can function as a sort of conversation, in that if somebody greets you with one, you can reply with the other.

From dawn to dusk, Indonesian Muslims fast during Ramadan. As the word for “fast” is puasa, you can say Selamat puasa! to others to wish them a happy fasting period.

After the month of Ramadan is over, the fasting period is broken with the celebration of Eid al-Fitr, or as it’s known in Indonesian, Hari Raya Idul Fitri. During this time, there are public holidays known as Lebaran, where everybody takes time off to be with family.

3. Christmas

When it gets past November, the Christmas spirit is alive and well in big shopping centers and near churches. (You’ll get past the incongruity of seeing Christmas trees next to palm trees.) But because most people you meet aren’t likely to celebrate Christmas, it’s a good idea to refrain from sending out season’s greetings to ordinary people on the street.

With people you know better, you can certainly tell them Merry Christmas in Indonesian:

• Selamat Hari Natal!
  “Merry Christmas!”

In a casual context, the ubiquitous word selamat can be shortened to simply met.

Lastly, for a holiday greeting in Indonesian that says both Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in Indonesian, you can do exactly what we do in English:

• Selamat Hari Natal dan Tahun Baru!
  “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!”

The New Year isn’t the largest holiday of the year, by far, but you’ll definitely hear fireworks. People celebrate all through the country. If you can, try to get up to the top of a building in a residential area and watch the fireworks go off all around you. A great way to ring in the new year!

4. Babies

The arrival of a new baby is a joyous time for anyone. In Indonesia, the equivalent of a “baby shower” can take many forms. In some places, it’s held in the seventh month of a woman’s pregnancy, and is a time for a woman’s closest friends and relatives to give their blessings.

In other places, there’s no ceremony until after the baby is born, at which time they’re welcomed into the world with an enormous feast and party.

No matter what the ceremony looks like, you can’t go wrong by wishing the mother or the father congratulations with this phrase:

• Selamat atas kelahiran bayi!
  “Congratulations on the birth of a new baby!”

Naturally, you can be more specific with your Indonesian congratulations by being more descriptive with your words.

• Selamat atas kelahiran sosok yang begitu menakjubkan.
  “Congratulations on finding something so magical.”
• Nikmatilah petualangan sebagai orang tua!
  “Enjoy your journey into parenthood!”
• Aku sangat bahagia dengan kelahiran si kecil dalam keluarga kalian.
  “I’m overjoyed at the arrival of the little one in your family.”

A quick note on Indonesian usage: That little word si is actually kind of like a title. Here it’s being used in a very cute way to say “the little one,” but it could just as easily fit before any adjective: si gemuk, meaning “the plump one,” or si manis, meaning “the sweet one,” for example.

5. Graduation

More and more students are graduating from Indonesia’s top schools every year. But that doesn’t mean graduating isn’t a big deal. If you know someone who’s graduating (or if you yourself are), then you should definitely study up with these phrases.

• Selamat wisuda!
  “Happy graduation!”

In a card, you can send these more formal wishes for the future:

• Aku bangga denganmu.
  “I’m proud of you.”
• Saya berharap kamu selalu sukses.
  “I hope you achieve success.”

The word berharap here implies both a hope and an expectation—so no pressure!

• Kamu sudah bekerja keras untuk lulus.
  “You’ve worked hard for this graduation.”

One interesting thing is that, since a lot of young people are studying English or speak it very well, plenty of Indonesians will just use English to congratulate each other on graduating. It’s almost seen as more formal than Indonesian.

6. Weddings and Anniversaries

If you’re lucky enough to be invited to an Indonesian wedding, you should make your best effort to be present. Unlike in the West, where you can send a gift or card if you’re unable to make it, people in Indonesia generally give out invitations to their close friends with the expectation that they’ll be able to come.

There are two very common wedding congratulations or set phrases in Indonesian.

• Selamat ulang tahun pernikahan!
  “Happy Wedding Day!”
• Semoga bahagia sampai tua.
  “Wish You Happiness Until Old Age”

Doesn’t quite roll off the tongue in English, but it will be very well appreciated, particularly if you know the bride or groom well.

In addition to these set phrases, you can use some of these example sentences to create your own more personalized Indonesian wedding congratulations.

• Selamat, dan harapan yang indah untuk kalian berdua di hari pernikahan ini.
  “Congratulations, and warm wishes to both of you on this wedding day.”
• Selamat untuk kawanku! Semoga selalu bahagia dan keluargamu sehat.
  “Congratulations my friend! I wish you happiness and good health for your family.”

As many weddings are held within religious traditions, it’s very common to send spiritual blessings or doa, which are “prayers,” during a wedding as well.

• Aku berdoa agar Tuhan memberkati kalian berdua dengan pernikahan yang indah.
  “I wish to God to bless the two of you with a beautiful wedding day.”
• Semoga Allah memberi berkah kepadamu dan atasmu serta mengumpulkan kamu berdua dalam kebaikan.
  “May Allah bring blessings upon you and gather the two of you together in kindness.”

Those are just two examples of the highly formal style of language you can expect for doa (and in Islamic weddings, these prayers are often delivered in Arabic outright). Many people actually consult religious scholars to provide them with prayers that fit the situation, and the bride and groom, exactly.

7. Bad News in General

Not every life event is all sunshine and roses. If somebody’s going through a tough time or has received bad news, you should extend some heartfelt words of sympathy.

Many Indonesians use the word “sorry” in English (some spell it sori). To foreign ears, this can sound rather dismissive, but it’s not rude. Even for relatively serious things, you might hear someone say sori ya but mean it with respect and gravity.

However, this is somewhere where you can’t totally rely on simple set phrases. If somebody thinks that you’re not sincere in your words—just reciting something memorized—then it’ll hurt more than if you hadn’t said anything. And as a foreigner learning Indonesian, using just your own language might seem like a bit of a cop-out.

So keep that in mind as you look at these following phrases, and if you ever have to use them, do your best to speak more specifically about the actual situation.

1- Death or Funerals

Funerals are a bit complicated here, as they’re highly personal events that are still celebrated in literally hundreds of different ways throughout Indonesia. Remember, the Indonesian language, as a national language, is only about two or three generations old, and cultural roots go way deeper than that.

First, the basic phrase for expressing sorrow is turut berduka.

• Turut berduka atas ayahmu.
  “I’m very sorry about your father.”

When giving condolences in Indonesian, it’s common to refer to someone’s death in a sensitive way, just as in English we might say that someone “passed away.”

• Saya sangat kaget mendengar bahwa dia telah tiada.
  “I am very sorry to hear that she has passed away (literally: that she is not here).”

The most common condolence messages for funerals in Indonesia take the form of reminders about the person’s afterlife. Although not all Indonesians are devoutly religious, the vast majority believe strongly in a creator and an afterlife, and these thoughts are very comforting for someone who has lost a loved one.

• Semoga Tuhan memberinya tempat yang terbaik.
  “May God give them the finest place.”
• Dia akan mendapatkan tempat terbaik di surga.
  “He will receive the finest place in heaven.”
• Ingatlah kebahagiannya untuk bertemu dengan Sang Pencipta.
  “Think of her happiness in meeting the Creator.”

Aside from that, condolences often come with gifts of flowers. You should deliver them personally if possible, along with words like these:

• Tetap kuat dan ingat bahwa kamu memiliki banyak orang yang peduli denganmu.
  “Remain strong and remember that you have a lot of people who care about you.”
• Kami selalu mendoakanmu.
  “We’re always praying for you.”

2- Poor Health

If you were suffering from an illness, wouldn’t it feel great to know that your friends and family were thinking of you? It’s always a great gesture of kindness to send nice thoughts to someone who’s feeling under the weather, whether it’s serious or just an ordinary bug.

First, the all-purpose phrase:

• Semoga cepat sembuh!
  “Get well soon!”

But when you’re really feeling awful (think day three or four of tropical fever), the concept of “getting well” might seem awfully far away. In that case, you’ll want to hear encouraging messages of support, both from the perspective of friendship and of spirituality.

• Jangan merasa sendiri. Aku akan selalu bersamamu.
  “Don’t feel alone. I’m always with you.”
• Jangan pernah menyerah!
  “Never give up!”
• Doaku selalu untukmu.
  “My prayers are always with you.”

10. Good News in General

And in order to end on a happy note, let’s look at just a few more quick phrases you can use for any kind of catch-all good stuff. Someone’s cat had kittens? Promotion’s coming up? These are perfect responses.

• Keren!
  “Awesome!”
• Bagus sekali!
  “Fantastic!”

What about when somebody’s about to take on a challenge, or they’re not sure whether the outcome will be good or bad? In that case, you can quite literally “wish them success” with this phrase:

• Semoga sukses!
  “Best of luck!”

11. Conclusion

Now that you’re armed with all of these great phrases, you should be able to connect with other people on a totally different level than before.

Seriously, there’s a big difference between letting some foreigner know about your upcoming graduation and getting into an interesting conversation with them about it. If you can make yourself into a foreigner who’s capable of having that kind of conversation, your life in Indonesia will be all the richer for it.

I hope you enjoyed learning about Indonesian life event messages, and that you took away something valuable from this article. Before you go, let us know how you feel about holding conversations in Indonesian using these phrases! Are there any life event messages you still want to know about? We look forward to hearing from you. 🙂

Is your first thought of Indonesia a beach? Relaxing in the sunshine on a beautiful warm day, no matter the season? Indeed, the weather Jakarta, Indonesia (and the rest of the country) experiences can be delightful.

Or perhaps it’s a blustery day, threading through stalled traffic on a motorbike as buckets of rain pour down from the heavens. (One of the reasons you should always keep up with Indonesian weather forecasts!)

To be honest, the longer you visit Indonesia for, the more likely you are to experience both. Climate and weather in Indonesia can be extreme, so knowing what to expect from the weather in Indonesia all year long is essential.

The question is, how well will you be able to describe these experiences in the local language?

Since the weather is something we all experience every day of our lives, it’s a great way to break the ice with strangers. Indonesians are happy to chat with foreign visitors about anything if they speak the language, and so in this article we’ll give you the tools and the background to do just that. By the end of this article, you should be able to talk with natives about Indonesia weather like it’s nothing!

At IndonesianPod101.com, we hope to make learning about the weather and talking about the weather in Indonesian both fun and informative!

Table of Contents

1. All Two of the Indonesian Seasons
2. Fifteen Typical Phrases for Describing Day-to-Day Weather
3. Natural Occurrences Besides the Weather
4. Telling the Temperature
5. Idioms and Expressions about the Weather
6. Conclusion

1. All Two of the Indonesian Seasons

So let’s get this out of the way first. Whether you’re talking about Bali weather, Jakarta weather, or weather anywhere else in the country, it’s not likely to get very cold. Instead of temperature, what varies throughout the year is usually precipitation.

The year is divided into two seasons: Roughly six months of very little rain from May to September, and then six months of quite a bit more rain from October to April. These two seasons are known as musim kemarau or “drought season,” and musim hujan meaning “rain season,” respectively. Musim hujan, by the way, gets translated to English sometimes as the much more evocative “monsoon season,” but it’s nowhere near as dangerous as it sounds.

That said, weather in Indonesia by month doesn’t vary too much apart from these two seasons.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that the four seasons experienced by other countries are impossible to talk about in the Indonesian language. Everybody understands the phrases “spring” (musim semi), “summer” (musim panas), “fall” (musim gugur), and “winter” (musim dingin).

In the following sections, I’ll be going over different ways to talk about weather in Indonesia throughout the year.

2. Fifteen Typical Phrases for Describing Day-to-Day Weather

1- Hot Weather

There’s a reason this section is first. Indonesia is not a cool place, generally speaking. The word for “hot” (as in temperature) is panas in Indonesian, and this is the kind of weather in Indonesia you’re most likely to experience. Knowing this word will definitely be helpful in talking about Indonesia weather by month, considering the typical hot weather year-round.

• Waduh, panas sekali hari ini!
  “Goodness, it’s so hot today!”

It’s tough to translate waduh. Just treat it as an exclamation that isn’t considered rude at all, while still carrying more weight than “wow.”

• Ingatlah minum lebih banyak air waktu panas.
  “Remember to drink more water when it’s hot.”

You’re likely to get this kind of advice from locals. They know foreign visitors often find themselves gasping at the heat, and so they’re here to helpfully remind you to stay healthy even when you feel uncomfortable.

• Mas, bisa mengecilkan AC?
  “Hey mister, can you turn down the AC?”

This might seem like a strange question at first, given the context. But tons of taxi drivers like to absolutely blast the AC in their cars, and after a few minutes your teeth might start chattering.

• Kalau Anda tinggal di daerah laut, cuaca lebih lembap.
  “If you stay (in a hotel) near the sea, the weather is more humid.”

Of course, if you’re used to anything even approaching kering “dry” cuaca “weather,” the climate in Indonesia is going to be extremely lembab, or “humid,” for you. Now that we’re on the topic of moisture…

2- Wet Weather

All too often, when it rains in Indonesia, it pours. Sometimes there’s little to no warning about how much the skies are really going to open up.

• Kelihatannya akan segera hujan deras.
  “It looks like it’s going to rain really hard soon.”

If you get caught out on the street during a cloudburst, you may want to head to the nearest convenience store for something to keep you dry. These words will be quite helpful:

• Ada jas hujan di sini? Ada payung?
  “Do you have ponchos here? Do you have umbrellas?”

You may happen to be from a place where ponchos aren’t as commonly worn in the rain. Just try holding an umbrella while driving a motorbike, and see how much you miss ponchos then.

• Kita tidak bisa ke sana. Ada banjir.
  “We can’t go there. There’s a flood.”

Thanks to the intensity of sudden rains combined with a sometimes lacking road drainage system, it may be quite a shock to you to see how fast the water can rise in the streets. This happens especially often in certain areas of Jakarta, giving that city a reputation for flooding in the rainy season.

Fortunately, in most cases, the water is just a nuisance instead of a real danger. Your shoes should dry overnight if you keep them inside. Besides:

• Kamu lebih baik tidak jalan-jalan waktu hujan.
  “You shouldn’t go walking when it’s raining.”

In Indonesia, most people believe that going out in the rain causes people to get sick. Whether or not you think the same, it’s just common sense that you should postpone your stroll until later. The clouds are known to clear as fast as they form, anyway.

• Hujan sudah berhenti belum?
  “Has the rain stopped yet?”

This simple sentence is actually an extremely useful pattern that you can use with tons of different verbs. Belum means “not yet,” so you’re literally saying “Rain stop, (or) not yet?”

3- Cold Weather

What’s cold weather doing here if all I’ve been doing so far is talking about how hot it is? Well, remember: You can talk about other places than just Indonesia. The Indonesian diaspora around the world certainly experiences cold weather too!

• Di sana dingin setiap malam.
  “It’s cold there every night.”
• Apakah bersalju di musim dingin?
  “Does it snow in the winter?”

If you’re from a faraway country, curious locals might ask you this question—even if you’re from a place like Miami or Barcelona.

• Cuacanya tidak cukup dingin sehingga turun salju. Tapi ada gunung di mana orang bisa bermain ski!
  “The weather doesn’t get cold enough to snow. But there are mountains where people can ski!”

And if you end up going up into the mountains of Kalimantan or Papua, you’ll feel the urge to bundle up, too.

When it’s cold, wind chill makes things even worse. That’s actually one of the times you might find yourself shivering even without going some place really exotic. You get up on top of a peak for an afternoon hike and find that the wind is practically blowing you over!

• Angin kencang sekali di sini! Ayo pergi!
  “The wind is so strong here! Let’s go!”

Lastly, Indonesian rain does in fact have a middle setting between “off” and “heavy.” The word for a light rain or drizzle is gerimis, which you can remember because it sounds kind of like “gray” and “miserable,” the general color and feeling during that kind of rain.

• Biasanya ada gerimis setiap pagi.
  “There’s usually a drizzle every morning.”

It’s good to keep in mind that Indonesians rarely complain very much. If you’re too negative, you might find yourself in an awkward situation where your host wants to try to solve the problem for you. So when you’re talking about weather you don’t like, keep it light and simple!

3. Natural Occurrences Besides the Weather

More than just rain and wind happens in the natural world. One thing Indonesia is regularly in the news for is volcanic eruptions, which—while not exactly weather events—still get talked about in a similar way and have their own set of vocabulary.

An “eruption” is formally called a letusan, while a “volcano” is a gunung berapi (literally “mountain with fire”). A more poetic term for an eruption, though, is batuk, literally “cough.”

• Gunungnya batuk malam ini.
  “The mountain coughed this evening.” (The volcano erupted this evening.)

Certain types of eruptions don’t have any lava flow associated with them, but they do end up spewing a bunch of abu, or “ash,” all over the place. The ash cloud can be blown across entire cities, resulting in a fine dusting over a large area known as hujan abu or “ash rain.” Note that this is dry, so it’s different from actual precipitation mixed with ash in the air—but both are unpleasant to be outside in.

Another natural event that happens with some frequency in Indonesia is an “earthquake,” or gempa bumi. These rarely make more than local news because they’re not often strong enough to cause any damage, just a gentle swaying of the lights in your room.

• Gempa bumi yang terjadi kemarin tidak parah.
  “The earthquake that happened yesterday wasn’t serious.”

Air pollution is another noticeable problem in some areas. Built-up metropolitan areas suffer from chronic congestion, and when you’re in the thick of a crowd of idling motorcycles, the fumes can make your eyes water in seconds.

For that reason, lots of people buy cheap single-use or washable face masks that serve the dual purpose of blocking some of the pollution while also preventing a hilarious helmet-shaped tan line around your face.
Protip: If you rent a motorcycle, throw a pack of masks in the little storage compartment for when traffic strikes. Otherwise…

• Saya lupa membawa masker.
  “I forgot to bring my face mask.”

4. Telling the Temperature

To talk about Indonesian weather by month, knowing temperature terms is a must. This is an essential aspect of Indonesian climate and weather, and you should know a little about this to better understand Indonesian weather forecasts.

Indonesia uses degrees Celsius. This is actually a somewhat unusual word in that it’s been adopted wholesale into Indonesian, but the spelling didn’t change. So it’s pronounced selsius but spelled celsius. The word for
“temperature” is suhu.

Here, you’ll find some phrases you can use to talk about Indonesia weather and the temperature year-round.

• Suhu hari ini lebih tinggi daripada kemarin.
  “The temperature is higher today than it was yesterday.”

The word for “degrees” is derajat. Equally interesting (to me at least) is that in the English phrase “degrees Celsius” the adjective comes after the noun, just like in Indonesian.

• Sekarang suhunya minus sepuluh derajat Celsius.
  “The temperature right now is minus ten degrees Celsius.”

5. Idioms and Expressions about the Weather

Probably the very first idioms that English learners hear about in class are “raining cats and dogs” and “every cloud has a silver lining.” These are the most common and accessible for a reason. Everybody understands that weather can represent quite a lot symbolically.

In Indonesia, too, weather-related terms can talk about more than actual Indonesian climate and weather.

Here are two phrases and three idioms in Indonesian that use the weather as a metaphor for something else. Can you guess the meaning before reading the explanation?

• makan angin
  Literally: “eat wind”

Instead of snacking on the breeze, this phrase means “to get fresh air.” You know the feeling; it’s hot and stuffy inside, and you just want to go outside and get a mouthful of clean air to clear your head.

Di sini terlalu panas, saya akan keluar makan angin.
“It’s too hot in here. I’m gonna go outside for some air.”

• masuk angin
  Literally: “enter wind”

Just to show you how versatile wind can be in Indonesian, here’s another. This phrase means “to get a cold.” There’s actually a popular herbal cold remedy under the brand name Tolak Angin, or “repel wind.”

Anton sakit. Dia masuk angin.
“Anton is sick. He has a cold.”

• Kemarau setahun dihapuskan hujan sehari.
  “A year of drought is washed away by a day of rain.”

This idiom is pretty self-explanatory, actually. A long-running feud or a long-lasting period of suffering can be brought to balance once more by a single act of kindness or love. Of course, it can also go the other way. Trust built up between people for years can be destroyed by one misdeed.

• Mengharapkan hujan turun, air di tempayan ditumpahkan.
  “Expecting rain to fall, the water that has been saved is thrown away.”

Here, the meaning isn’t quite so obvious at first. This is a piece of advice for planning for bad outcomes. In other words, it warns against expecting only good things to happen. It describes someone who is so sure of a lucky break that they risk everything all at once.

6. Conclusion

There’s no better way to actually remember all these words and phrases than to use them. One of the best ways to practice is simply by reading some Indonesian weather forecasts online; just go to a website like Kompas and head to the cuaca section.

Simply read a single article every day or so for about a month, and you’ll know all the Indonesian vocabulary you need to talk about Indonesian climate and weather like the back of your hand.

You can also check out our lessons here on IndonesianPod101.com. Combining audio reinforcement with your other studies is a fantastic way to make your speech totally automatic.

That way, when it comes time to relax in Bali, call a cab during a Medan thunderstorm, or walk around in the weather Jakarta poses that day, you’ll be totally prepared for jabbering about the weather with anyone nearby.

We hope you now feel more prepared for Indonesia weather, and that you know what to expect year-round.

Before you go, be sure to drop us a comment to let us know what you thought of this article! Did you learn any new Indonesian weather vocabulary, or new facts about Indonesian weather you didn’t know before? We look forward to hearing from you!

Author: Yassir Sahnoun is a HubSpot certified content strategist, copywriter and polyglot who works with language learning companies. He helps companies attract sales using content strategy, copywriting, blogging, email marketing & more.

Good Friday in Indonesia, called Jumat Agung, is a major holiday for the country’s Christian population—it’s an even bigger holiday here than Easter! In this article, you’ll learn about the origins of certain Good Friday celebrations in Indonesia, what those celebrations look like today, and much more.

Let’s get started!

1. What is Good Friday?

Good Friday is a Christian holiday celebrated in many countries around the world, by both Protestants and Catholics. This holiday commemorates the death of Jesus on the cross, as well as his suffering beforehand, before finally celebrating his Resurrection on Easter. Catholics know this holiday as Trihari Suci, or “Easter Triduum.”

In Indonesia, Good Friday is a time of mati raga, or “mortification,” in commemoration of Jesus’ own suffering. It’s also a time of celebration in honor of his Resurrection three days later.

So, is Good Friday a public holiday in Indonesia?

Yes, it is! Due to the large number of Christians in the country, the Good Friday holiday in Indonesia is considered a public holiday. Most people have the day off from work and school to attend the festivities. Interestingly, Indonesians do not consider Easter a public holiday, though.

→ To learn some Indonesian words and phrases related to Easter, take a look at our Easter vocabulary list!

→ For information on the Top Five Most Important Dates on the Indonesian Calendar, visit our relevant lesson.

2. When is Good Friday in Indonesia?

Because the date of Good Friday varies from year to year, here’s a list of this holiday’s date for the next ten years:

• 2020: April 10
• 2021: April 2
• 2022: April 15
• 2023: April 7
• 2024: March 29
• 2025: April 18
• 2026: April 3
• 2027: March 26
• 2028: April 14
• 2029: March 30

3. Celebrating Good Friday in Indonesian Culture

On Good Friday, Indonesians re-internalize the suffering of Jesus and commemorate his death on the cross. To do so, they attend church services for the three days of the Triduum, where celebrations culminate on Easter Sunday. Another popular tradition is the Drama penyiksaan Yesus, or “Stations of the Cross play,” in which Jesus’ suffering while bearing the cross is depicted.

The Holy Week in Larantuka

In Larantuka, there’s a special Pekan suci, or “Holy Week,” tradition—the only one of its kind in Indonesia. The Good Friday portion of the celebration draws crowds from the island of Flores, Australia, and around the world.

For this Good Friday tradition, thousands of people dress in black, parading statues of Jesus and Mother Mary from one point to another. While parading, these people sing Gregorian songs.

This tradition began about five centuries ago when a statue depicting a woman showed up on the shore. On the side of it, there was writing that no one at the time was able to read. They called it Tuan Ma, and locals worshipped it in the hope of receiving blessings.

A century later, a missionary from Portugal arrived in Indonesia and found that the writing on the statue said Reinha Rosario Maria. He also noticed that its face resembled that of Mother Mary. In 1650, the king of Larantuka was baptized, handing over his kingdom to Mother Mary.

The Cathedral Church in Jakarta

On Good Friday, Jakarta is also abuzz with religious traditions and festivities. Perhaps the most popular are those taking place at the Jakarta Cathedral. A couple of years ago, this cathedral in Jakarta needed to employ the use of online registration to avoid becoming too crowded!

During these celebrations, Jesus’ suffering is portrayed, and worshippers can be found mencium kaki salib, or “kissing the foot of the cross.” Because celebrations are so large in this cathedral, and in other churches in this area, it’s not uncommon for police to be around, keeping the celebrations secure and worshippers safe.

4. Christianity in Indonesia

When and where did the spread of Christianity begin in Indonesia?

The Christian religion had left its trace in Sumatra Island in the seventh century AD. However, its continuous dissemination did not happen until the sixteenth century through Portuguese missionary work in Maluku, and then it spread to Flores and Timor Island. Apart from the religious mission, the Portuguese came to Indonesia to trade spices.

→ Learn some religion-related words with our Religion vocabulary list!

5. Essential Indonesian Vocab for Good Friday

Ready to review some of the vocabulary words from this article? Here’s a list of the most important words and phrases for Good Friday!

• Mati raga — “Mortification”
• Ibadah penghormatan salib — “Veneration of the cross”
• Drama penyiksaan Yesus — “Stations of the Cross play”
• Trihari Suci — “Easter Triduum”
• Pekan suci — “Holy Week”
• Pra-Paskah — “Lent”
• Prosesi — “Procession”
• Katedral — “Cathedral”
• Pengakuan dosa — “Penance and Reconciliation”
• Jalan Salib — “Station of the Cross”
• Mencium kaki salib — “Kissing the foot of the cross”
• Jumat Agung — “Good Friday”

To hear the pronunciation of each word, and to read them alongside relevant images, be sure to check out our Indonesian Good Friday vocabulary list!

Final Thoughts

We hope you enjoyed learning about Good Friday in Indonesia with us, and that you took away some valuable cultural information!

Do you celebrate Good Friday in your country? We would love to hear from you in the comments, and learn about this holiday in your culture.

If you want to learn even more about Indonesian culture and holidays, IndonesianPod101.com has much more where this came from:

• Introduction to Indonesian Society
• Popular Culture in Indonesia
• Ascension Day of Jesus Christ in Indonesia
• Celebrating Indonesian Independence Day
• Indonesian Etiquette: Table Manners in Indonesia and More!

Whatever your reasons or goals for wanting to learn Indonesian or become acquainted with its culture, know that IndonesianPod101.com is the best way to expand your knowledge and improve your skills. With tons of fun and effective lessons for learners at every level, there’s something for everyone!

Create your free lifetime account today, and start learning with us.

Right now, in just five minutes, you can give your Indonesian vocabulary a super-size boost.

In just one regular-sized article, we’ve prepared for you a fantastic overview of popular Indonesian adjectives, plus the top 100 Indonesian adjectives you need for any situation. Looking for an example of Indonesian adjectives at work? We have plenty of those, too.

With the isolating grammar of the Indonesian language, simply reading a lot of example sentences with these popular Indonesian adjectives is a great way to naturally assimilate syntax and vocabulary.

Table of Contents

1. A Quick Overview of Indonesian Adjectives
2. List of the Top 100 Indonesian Adjectives
3. Modifying Adjectives
4. Conclusion

1. A Quick Overview of Indonesian Adjectives

If you haven’t already realized it by now, the way adjectives work in Indonesian grammar couldn’t be easier. The words simply don’t change at all. The adjectives simply come directly after the noun phrase, the opposite of where they go in English.

There’s also no word to directly connect an adjective to a noun like “is” can be used in English. You either directly say the adjective or use a ber-verb.

• Gedung ini besar.
  “This building is big.”
• Kopi saya berwarna hitam.
  “My coffee is colored black.” (My coffee has-the-color-of black.)

However, one potential downside of this is that, because there’s no such thing as “adjective endings” or declension in Indonesian, it may be hard at first to figure out which words in the sentence are adjectives to begin with.

Take a sentence like this for example:

• Saya bekerja di kapal besar.
  “I work on a big boat.”

The adjective there is besar, meaning “big,” but that just has to be memorized.

Fortunately, the more example sentences you read and internalize, the better your sense will be for how adjectives work syntactically in Indonesian, and the more you’ll start to remember as well.

Ready to learn Indonesian describing words? Let’s get started with our list of the top Indonesian adjectives.

2. List of the Top 100 Indonesian Adjectives

1- Describing Colors

The most basic adjectives you can learn in any language are the words for different colors. For some reason, a lot of textbooks leave out “gray” and “brown”—two of the most common colors anywhere! Here’s our list of the Indonesian top adjectives for colors.

1. putih – white

• Tas ini putih atau abu-abu?
  “Is this bag white or gray?”

2. hitam – black

• Matanya warna hitam.
  “Her eyes are black.”

3. merah – red

• Langitnya merah, dan aku takut.
  “The sky is red, and I’m scared.”

4. biru – blue

• Anda harus membawa pulpen biru atau hitam.
  “You have to bring a blue or black pen.”

5. hijau – green

• Di sana semua pohon hijau.
  “All the trees are green there.”

6. kuning – yellow

• Apakah kamu suka ayam kuning?
  “Do you like yellow chicken (a Javanese dish)?”

7. coklat – brown

• Rambutku berwarna coklat.
  “My hair is brown.”

8. merah muda – pink

• Aku tidak suka pakai pakaian merah muda.
  “I don’t like wearing pink clothes.”

9. abu-abu – gray; ash-colored

• Waktu hujan, langit berwarna abu-abu.
  “When it rains, the sky is gray.”

10. oranye – orange

• Jeruk sunkist biasanya berwarna oranye.
  “Orange juice is usually orange.”

2- Describing Taste

Indonesians love flavorful food. Go into any restaurant, from the smallest warungs to the biggest restos, and you’ll find people who are experts at making food taste great, making it essential to know words for taste when you learn Indonesian adjectives.

11. asin – salty

• Orang Tiongkok suka telur asin.
  “Chinese people like salted eggs.”

12. manis – sweet

• Kamu suka es teh manis?
  “Do you like sweet iced tea?”

13. hambar – bland

• Nasi putih hambar.
  “White rice is bland.”

14. segar – fresh

• Di mana susu segarnya?
  “Where is the fresh milk?”

15. busuk – rotten

• Duren di koper Anda busuk!
  “The durian in your suitcase is rotten!”

16. pahit – bitter

• Pare rasanya pahit.
  “Bitter gourd tastes bitter.”

17. enak – delicious

• Mie goreng di warung ini enak!
  “The fried noodles at this restaurant are delicious!”

18. lezat – delicious (used in advertising)

• Super lezaaat!
  “Super tastyyyyy!”

19. sedap – delicious (used in advertising)

• Ada Mie Sedap di sini?
  “Do you have Mie Sedap (an instant noodle brand) here?”

20. pedas – spicy

• Saya tidak suka makanan pedas.
  “I don’t like spicy food.”

Note that for pedas, you may hear it pronounced and written as pedes, an alternate usage that comes from Javanese influence.

3- Describing Personality

Now let’s look at some ways to describe different people, outside of what they may look like. When you learn Indonesian adjectives, knowing how to talk about personality is of great importance, as in any language.

21. baik hati – warmhearted

Pak Rektor adalah orang baik hati.
“The university president is a warmhearted person.”

22. rendah hati – humble

• Lebih baik rendah hati hari ini.
  “It’s better to be humble today.”

23. sombong – arrogant

• Mengapa dia sangat sombong?
  “Why is he so arrogant?”

24. pintar – clever

• Orang muda masa kini sangat pintar.
  “Young people today are very clever.”

25. jelek – rotten; no-good

• Kain baju ini kualitasnya jelek. Baru dua hari sudah robek.
  “The cloth quality of this shirt is bad. It’s only been two days, and it’s ripped already.”

26. nakal – naughty; badly behaved

• Anak-anak di sekolah tidak nakal.
  “Children at school are not naughty.”

27. egois – selfish; egotistical

• Dia tidak suka menyumbang uang karena dia egois.
  “She doesn’t like donating money because she’s selfish.”

28. malas – lazy

• Jangan malas! Ayo pergi!
  “Don’t be lazy! Let’s go!”

29. mager – lazy (slang word meaning “too lazy to move.” )

• A: Kok tidak ke KTV?
  B: Mager sih.
• A: “How come you’re not going to karaoke?”
  B: “Too lazy to move, y’know?”

30. sopan – polite

• Kamu harus sopan waktu kamu berbicara.
  “You have to be polite when you speak.”

4- Describing Feelings

When anybody asks “How are you?” you can either give a neutral response such as baik, meaning “good,” or be a little more exact. Be honest about your feelings in Indonesian!

31. capek – exhausted; tired (note the possible alternate spelling cape)

• Saya bekerja, terus capek.
  “I work, and then I get tired.”

32. sedih – sad

• Ini novel sedih.
  “This is a sad book.”

33. senang – happy

• Saya senang sekali bisa bertemu denganmu.
  “I’m very happy to meet with you.”

34. bersemangat – excited; energetic

• Apakah kamu bersemangat hari ini?
  “Are you excited today?”

35. cemas – nervous

• Jangan cemas, hanya interview saja.
  “Don’t be nervous, it’s just an interview.”

36. santai – relaxed; calm

• Sulit santai kalau dikejar tenggat.
  “It is hard to be relaxed/calm when you’re being chased by a deadline.”

37. tenang – patient; calm

• Mengapa dia masih tenang?
  “How come he’s still calm?”

38. marah – angry; furious

• Saya akan menjadi marah.
  “I’m going to get angry.”

39. mabuk – queasy

• Apakah kamu merasa mabuk?
  “Do you feel queasy?”

40. sakit – sick; in pain

• Mata saya sakit.
  “My eyes hurt.”

41. nyaman – comfortable

• Helm saya terlalu kecil, jadi tidak nyaman.
  “My helmet is too small, so it’s not comfortable.”

5- Describing Appearance (People)

Let’s not be rude here, but you’ve always got to be able to talk about what people are like in addition to how they act.

42. kaya – rich

• Tidak ada banyak orang kaya di kota tua.
  “There aren’t a lot of rich people in the old city.”

43. tinggi – tall

• Adik saya semakin tinggi setiap hari.
  “My little brother is taller every day.”

44. pendek – short

• Orang pendek biasanya tidak suka main bola basket.
  “Short people usually don’t like basketball.”

45. rajin – studious; focused

• Saya tidak pernah melihat mahasiswa rajin seperti kamu.
  “I’ve never seen a student so focused like you are.”

46. miskin – poor

• Ada banyak orang miskin di negara ini.
  “There are a lot of poor people in this country.”

47. muda – young

• Semangat waktu muda habis waktu tua.
  “Energy when one is young is gone when one is old.”

48. tua – old

• Wanita berumur suka minum teh manis.
  “Old women like to drink sweet tea.”

49. gemuk – fat

• Kok, kamu sudah gemuk!
  “Whoa, you’re already fat!”

50. langsing – slim

• Di mana semua cowok-cowok langsing?
  “Where are all the slim guys?”

51. cantik – beautiful; pretty

• Tetapi kamu masih cantik.
  “But you’re still beautiful.”

Note that this word can also describe Indonesia!

52. berotot – muscular

• Bapakmu berotot atau langsing?
  “Is your dad muscular or slim?”

53. lemah – weak

• Jantung saya lemah, jadi saya tidak bisa pergi ke gym.
  “My heart is weak, so I can’t go to the gym.”

6- Describing Time

Indonesian doesn’t distinguish between adjectives and adverbs, so some of these fall into the “adverb” category in English. That means when it comes to describing time, these will do double duty.

54. cepat – fast

• Hari ini cepat selesai.
  “Today was over fast.”

55. lambat – slow

• Dia bicara terlalu lambat.
  “He speaks too slowly.”

56. awal – early

• Kami mulai awal minggu depan.
  “We’re starting early next week.”

57. tepat waktu – on time

• Mengapa hari ini Anda tidak tepat waktu?
  “Why weren’t you on time this morning?”

58. terlambat – late

• Jangan terlambat besok.
  “Don’t be late tomorrow.”

59. ketinggalan jaman – outdated; outmoded

• Mobil orang tuaku ketinggalan jaman.
  “The car my parents have is outdated.”

60. modern – modern (note that there’s a hidden e in between the r and the n in Indonesian: it’s pronounced moderen)

• Apakah kamu suka lukisan modern?
  “Do you like modern paintings?”

61. kuno – ancient

• Lihatlah jalan-jalan kuno di kota.
  “Look at the ancient streets in the town.”

62. kontemporer – contemporary

• Mereka sangat suka bermain musik kontemporer.
  “They really like playing contemporary music.”

7- Describing Appearance (Things)

Naturally, there are different words in Indonesian used to describe objects as opposed to people.

63. mahal – expensive

• Yang ini terlalu mahal.
  “This one is too expensive.”

64. tebal – thick

• Dia pakai jilbab tebal.
  “She wore a thick jilbab.”

65. indah – beautiful

• Laut dan pantai di Indonesia indah sekali.
  “The sea and beaches in Indonesia are very beautiful.”

66. tipis – thin

• Cuci yang tipis dulu.
  “Wash the thin ones first.”

67. besar – big

• Ada piring lebih besar?
  “Are there bigger plates?”

68. kecil – small

• Sepatuku terlalu kecil.
  “My shoes are too small.”

69. panjang – long

• Saya mau tempat tidur lebih panjang.
  “I want a longer bed.”

70. lebar – wide

• Rumah mereka tidak mahal, tapi lebar.
  “Their house isn’t expensive, but it’s wide.”

71. luas – wide; broad (used for landscapes & open spaces)

• Dari atas bisa melihat lingkungan luas.
  “From the top, you can see the wide surroundings.”

72. berat – heavy

• Kotak-kotak ini berat.
  “These boxes are heavy.”

73. baru – new

• Dia punya motor baru.
  “He has a new motorcycle.”

74. lama – old

• Jangan pakai pakaian lama.
  “Don’t wear old clothes.”

8- Describing Weather

Weather in Indonesia is usually one thing, and it’s not “cold.” If these words aren’t enough for you, we actually have a whole separate resource just for weather words and phrases!

75. panas – hot

• Cuaca panas hari ini.
  “The weather’s hot today.”

76. dingin – cold

• Di atas gunung cuaca lebih dingin.
  “The weather is colder on top of a mountain.”

77. berawan – cloudy

• Selalu berawan di musim hujan.
  “It’s always cloudy during the rainy season.”

78. berkabut – foggy

• Dekat pantai cuaca berkabut.
  “The weather is foggy near the beach.”

79. cerah – sunny

• Waduh, hari ini cerah dan indah!
  “Wow, today is sunny and beautiful!”

80. berangin – windy

• Kota Jakarta bukan kota berangin.
  “Jakarta is not a windy city.”

81. hangat – warm

• Masih hangat di sore hari.
  “It’s still warm in the evening.”

This has just been a taster. If you’re looking for more ways to talk about the weather in Indonesia, head on over to our dedicated blog post.

9- Describing Texture and Touch

This section is slightly different than describing what objects look like. Sure, they overlap, but texture is separate from appearance. And yet both are important categories to understand.

82. basah – wet

• Pakaiannya masih basah.
  “The clothes are still wet.”

83. kering – dry

• Semennya sudah kering belum?
  “Is the cement dry or not?”

84. keras – hard

• Kelapanya terlalu keras; tidak bisa dibuka.
  “The coconut is too hard; it can’t be opened.”

85. halus – smooth

• Bahasa Jawa di Yogyakarta lebih halus.
  “The Javanese spoken in Yogyakarta is smoother.”

86. kenyal – bouncy; springy

• Ranjang di Asia tidak kenyal.
  “Beds in Asia are not bouncy.”

87. berbulu – furry; hairy; feathered

• Burung kecil halus dan berbulu.
  “The little bird is soft and feathery.”

88. rapuh – brittle; fragile; flimsy

• Jangan meletakkan barang rapuh dekat tangga.
  “Don’t put fragile things near the stairs.”

89. licin – slippery

• Awas, lantai licin.
  “Be careful, the floor is slippery.”

90. pecah – broken; cracked

• HPku pecah!
  “My phone is cracked!”

91. lengket – sticky

• Ada sesuatu lengket di rambutku!
  “There’s something sticky in my hair!”

10- Describing Concepts

This section is a goldmine for when you’ve got to talk about a tough problem or question you’re dealing with, or when you need to explain something to somebody else. Obviously, our list of top Indonesian adjectives wouldn’t be complete without words to describe concepts.

92. sederhana – simple

• Itu adalah cinta sederhana.
  “It was a simple love.”

93. mudah – easy

• Belajar bahasa Indonesia lebih fasih daripada belajar bahasa Jawa
  “Studying Indonesian is easier than Javanese.”

94. sulit – difficult

• Ujian akhir semester sulit.
  “The end-of-semester test is difficult.”

95. susah – complicated; difficult

• Tata bahasa bahasa Inggris susah.
  “English grammar is complicated.”

96. penting – important

• Surat di atas meja penting.
  “The letter on the table is important.”

97. salah – wrong; incorrect

• Semua yang kamu katakan salah.
  “Everything you say is wrong.”

98. benar – true

• Tidak semua di televisi benar.
  “Not everything on TV is true.”

99. palsu – false

• Itu segala-galanya palsu.
  “That’s completely false.”

100. resmi – formal; official

• Anda harus mengisi formulir pengaduan resmi.
  “You have to fill in a formal complaint form.”

3. Modifying Adjectives

So already up to this point, we’ve learned how to say the top 100 Indonesian adjectives. Let’s go ahead and expand that number—with only a couple more words.

To intensify adjectives in Indonesian, you can add banget or sekali after that adjective. Both mean “very” or “really,” though banget should only be used in informal situations.

• Aiii, mie goreng ini pedas banget!
  “Ahh! These fried noodles are super spicy!”

In much the same way, we can add sangat in front of the adjective. This is a little bit weaker than sekali, and it can be used in formal or informal situations.

One more set of useful modifiers is kurang, meaning “too little; lacking,” and terlalu, meaning “too much.” These also go in front of the adjective in question.

• Saya tidak mau yang ini, terlalu mahal.
  “I don’t want this one, it’s too expensive.”

4. Conclusion

Did you learn something new? Are there any words we missed on our Indonesian adjectives list you still want to know? Let us know in the comments.

I bet if you read this same article tomorrow, and maybe even the next day, these words will stick in your memory for a surprisingly long time. That’s what the science says, at least. In other words, to learn Indonesian adjectives and really learn them, don’t stop after the first read or the first lesson. Keep going!

By the way, to take your learning to the next level, check out the Indonesian content here on IndonesianPod101.com, with tons of additional wordlists and vocabulary resources waiting for you!

Read a couple of pop culture articles in English, and you’ll notice right away that Netflix is a pretty indelible part of Western entertainment these days.

It’s almost like if you take a break from catching up on shows and movies, everybody will be speaking a totally different language when you come back.

When you study a language, you’re going to be hard-pressed to avoid the pop culture that goes along with it. And on Netflix, Indonesia has tons of movies and TV series for you to enjoy already.

But one of the biggest obstacles to people teaching themselves languages is convenience. Try to sign up for an Indonesian streaming service using an American bank card (and with shaky knowledge of Indonesian, at that) and you might want to just throw up your hands in despair.

Fortunately for you, and for millions of people around the world, Netflix is already well on its way to capturing the streaming market worldwide. And of course, that includes Indonesia.

Table of Contents

1. Does Netflix Work in Indonesia? Is it Worth the Netflix Indonesia Price?
2. Netflix Indonesia Film List: The Best Indonesian Stuff on Netflix
3. Experience Your Favorite Show Through Indonesian Eyes
4. Using Audio Descriptions to Get More Indonesian Per Show
5. Conclusion

1. Does Netflix Work in Indonesia? Is it Worth the Netflix Indonesia Price?

So, does Netflix work in Indonesia? If you happen to be in Indonesia at this very moment, you may have noticed an uncomfortable fact: some Indonesian ISPs straight-up block Netflix.

They’re within their rights to do so under Indonesian law, but it’s a total pain for people who are used to the particular selection that Netflix has to offer.

In that case, it may be worth it to shell out for a VPN, or do some research on which ISPs or mobile providers in your area don’t have this block.

Otherwise, whether in-country or out, you may also notice that there isn’t a whole lot of diversity when it comes to Netflix Indonesia content available. That’s because the Indonesian market is one that Netflix is currently expanding into—meaning that the selection is certain to grow with time. So, the answer to “Does Netflix work in Indonesia?” is “Sometimes, and hopefully more in the future.”

2. Netflix Indonesia Film List: The Best Indonesian Stuff on Netflix

1- Kuntilanak

Do you like horror movies? I sure hope so, because Indonesians definitely do. Kuntilanak is the name of a ghost in traditional Indonesian and Malay folklore, and this is one of the best Indonesian horror movies on Netflix at the moment.

A young woman named Samantha moves to a creepy old boarding house in Jakarta. Even though the landlady specifically tells her the ghost stories related to the house, and that nobody is allowed to go to the second floor, Samantha doesn’t mind.

As the supernatural events unfold, you’ll get a great rundown of Indonesian spiritual folklore, specifically Javanese folklore related to ghosts.

2- Merantau

Remember that iconic moment in The Matrix when Morpheus fought Neo to test his skills? Everyone, on and off the screen, gets such a thrill from seeing a teacher prove their excellence. In Merantau, a martial arts teacher does just that—at least at first.

Soon after arriving in the big city, he’s thrown into a criminal underworld where he must use his wits and his fists to fight for justice, and to save his own skin. Here, you’ll learn a ton of fast-paced street slang in Indonesian—just don’t try it out in the classroom unless you’re as good at fighting as he is! If you’re looking for an excellent Indonesian action movie, Netflix has you covered with this one.

3- Surga Yang Tak Dirindukan

This is one of the best Indonesian dramas on Netflix in the past few years, both critically and in terms of audience reception. That may be due to the way it treats love and marriage—with a challenging and unique viewpoint for a country that largely maintains conservative social values.

Arini and her husband Pras have a healthy, trusting, and happy marriage. But one day, Pras unexpectedly encounters a woman trying to end her own life after finding out about her fiance’s infidelity. What can Pras do when this woman starts making advances toward him, at the same time that he learns about the infidelity issues in Arini’s family?

4- Soekarno

Indonesia, in case you weren’t aware, was a colony of the Netherlands for more than a century. Thanks largely to a spirit of nationalist unity in the early twentieth century, the Dutch ended up recognizing Indonesia as an independent country in 1949.

That process, many argue, would not have been possible without the leader Soekarno (spelled Sukarno after orthographic reform). This Netflix Indonesian film tells his story. Since it’s an Indonesian film and Soekarno is still very widely revered in the country, you can imagine that it’s a very positive portrait.

Interestingly enough, the film was briefly banned from showing in Indonesia due to criticisms about creative liberties taken with historical accuracy. Open Netflix in Indonesia, watch the film to practice your Indonesian, but check out a textbook if you want to really learn what happened!

5- 3 Srikandi

It’s 1988 and the world of sports is gearing up for the 24th Olympics in Seoul. Do you remember who won silver in women’s team archery? Take a wild guess based on what language you’re reading about.

It was, in fact, Indonesia’s first-ever Olympic medal, obtained by a truly outstanding effort on the part of the contestants and their coach. This Indonesian Netflix movie tells the story of a coach brought out of retirement to turn these women into world-class athletes, despite the pressures they face from their communities and the world stage. Not a whole lot of sports films come out of Indonesia, but this is one of the best, so open Netflix in Indonesia and start watching!

6- Cahaya Dari Timur: Beta Maluku

Another one of the best Indonesian movies on Netflix and very highly-regarded, this drama and sports film stands out by being centered far from the urban nexus of Jakarta.

Ambon is a relatively small island in Maluku Province, in the eastern part of the Indonesian archipelago. There, religious conflicts are liable to erupt between the Christian and Muslim populations, as well as ethnic conflicts between different migrant groups. It is there that one youth soccer coach had the idea to bring young people together through sports. Is that idea destined for success, or doomed for failure?

7- Laskar Pelangi

Though this might count as an “older” film by modern streaming standards, this 2008 film still holds up extremely well. Every Indonesian knows it, and it even sparked an explosion in tourism to the shooting locations.

This too is an inspiring story about changing the lives of children in need. A small school in rural Belitung (eastern Sumatra) is about to close due to lack of enrollment. When one more student arrives, the ten students and their teacher become close friends and all earn each other’s respect over the course of the school year. Many people see this film as a love letter not only to rural Indonesia, but also to young people persevering in adverse circumstances.

8- Filosofi Kopi

Indonesia is a rapidly developing country, and no matter what city you go to, you’ll see little coffee shops and bakeries opening up all over the place.

This Indonesian film on Netflix captures that spirit while also putting an edge on the importance of friendship and money on it. It was well-received, too—just like how Laskar Pelangi fueled tourism to Belitung, if you go to Yogyakarta today and ask around for the places where they shot Filosofi Kopi, there’ll still be people taking selfies.

A businessman places a wager on a struggling coffee shop that could prove an amazing boon. But when two friends are running a business together, it’s not always a great idea to bring either crazy ideas or big winnings into the mix. Spoiler alert—things work out well enough for there to be a Filosofi Kopi 2.

9- Single

Young people all over the world can sometimes feel an enormous pressure on them to find a relationship. Once you reach a certain age, if it hasn’t happened yet, it can become all-consuming.

Ebi is a young man in Jakarta, relatively aimless in life and without any elements of support. When his successful younger brother announces his wedding day, Ebi realizes that to appear without a girlfriend at the wedding would be to invite ridicule from everyone he knows. What does it mean for him to start looking for love, and will he find it in time?

10- The Night Comes for Us

If you wanted a marker of how seriously Netflix takes the Indonesian market, look no further than this. Netflix acquired the distribution rights in Asia shortly after its premiere, and for good reason. This Netflix Indonesian action movie is yet another brilliantly done film set in Southeast Asia.

Action superstars Iko Uwais and Joe Taslim star as elite fighters for a notorious drug triad. After a moral dispute, things get heated and stay heated. It’s not a movie for the squeamish, but connoisseurs of Asian action cinema will go wild.

3. Experience Your Favorite Show Through Indonesian Eyes

So, you’ve looked into Netflix Indonesia prices, VPNs, and our list of great Netflix Indonesian movies. But how can you actually use this to learn Indonesian?

Some people like dubbed foreign films, and others go for subtitles every time. In general, Indonesians tend to only dub media for children. It’s tough to find imported DVDs with Indonesian audio tracks—pretty much the only way is to catch the broadcasts on the kids’ TV channels.

But you’re in luck—tons of international Indonesian Netflix series for kids have audio tracks.

If you’re familiar with these shows from having watched them in another language before, then you’ve just found one of the smoothest and easiest ways to get started with watching native-level content in Indonesian.

And it’s not necessarily because kids’ shows are “simpler.” Often, the wordplay and fast-paced banter can be just as complex as a show meant for adults.

Instead, dubbed shows are easier because they were probably written by people from a cultural background that you’re more familiar with. The overall plot and storyline is likely to resonate with you more than something from a purely Indonesian cultural background.

When it comes to optimizing Netflix for language learning, things definitely don’t stop with dubbing.

4. Using Audio Descriptions to Get More Indonesian Per Show

Ever tried turning on those audio descriptions in the audio/subtitles menu?

They’re originally meant for vision-impaired people. These audio tracks simply use the space between dialogue lines to let you know what’s going on in the scene through additional narration.

In case you run off and check right this instant, keep in mind that they only show up in whatever language you have your Netflix interface set to. Change that to Indonesian in your profile settings—in fact, you should probably do that anyway! Definitely a smart addition to your Indonesian Netflix series-watching!

So what difference does this extra audio track make for learning Indonesian?

You get to hear how Indonesians would describe scenes naturally, for other Indonesians. You might have a scene of two guys talking over coffee, and one of them takes a long drink.

Anybody knows how to say “he takes a long drink” in their own language, but that kind of specific wording isn’t something you’re likely to pick up from a textbook or from watching shows.

Right now, audio description in Indonesian is only available for a handful of movies, and, apart from The Night Comes for Us, they’re all Indonesian horror on Netflix. But the more you watch with it on, the more Netflix’s algorithms report that it’s in demand—and the more you’ll get in the future! So do be sure to start using this whenever you can while binging your favorite Indonesian Netflix series or movies!

5. Conclusion

Ready to watch Netflix in Indonesian? As a very last resort, you can still use subtitles in Indonesian to improve your language ability.

Switch the audio track to something you don’t understand (or turn it off completely) and try to follow the plot just from reading the Indonesian dialogue. It’s not as great a solution as the other stuff on this list, but it sure beats not learning Indonesian at all.

And that’s really the main point here. You don’t have to rearrange your life around studying Indonesian (though that would certainly be an interesting challenge), but as long as you’re doing something in Indonesian whenever you can, you’re going to be making progress.

The fastest way, in fact, would be to use this sort of immersive learning as a healthy supplement to a regular course of study. When you learn a new word or phrase through ordinary lessons and then run across it immediately in “real-life Indonesian,” it supercharges that memory. Plus it’s a great feeling!

Language just requires some getting used to. The more relaxed you make your journey, the more permanent your knowledge will be.

So, reader, which of these Netflix Indonesia movies do you want to watch first, and why? Are there any other Netflix Indonesian movies we missed? Let us know in the comments!

One of the most important holidays in Indonesia for those of Chinese ethnicity, the Lunar New Year in Indonesia consists of many unique, traditional celebrations. In this article, you’ll learn about Chinese New Year festivities in Indonesia, read about common beliefs and symbolism, and gain a new set of handy Indonesian vocabulary for this holiday.

At IndonesianPod101.com, it’s our aim to make every aspect of your language-learning journey both fun and informative—starting with this article! Let’s get started.

1. What is the Chinese New Year in Indonesia?

Every year around the beginning of February, ethnic Chinese in Indonesia celebrate Chinese New Year. Chinese New Year celebrations are full of traditions, especially that of praying for abundant good fortune in the coming year. The Chinese New Year celebration in Indonesia is fifteen days long and ends on day fifteen with Cap Go Meh.

2. Dates for the Indonesian Lunar New Year

The Chinese New Year is based on the lunar calendar, meaning that its date on the Gregorian calendar changes from year to year. For your convenience, here’s a list of this holiday’s date for the next ten years.

• 2020: January 25
• 2021: February 12
• 2022: February 1
• 2023: January 22
• 2024: February 10
• 2025: January 29
• 2026: February 17
• 2027: February 6
• 2028: January 26
• 2029: February 13

Did you know that Indonesians also celebrate the Gregorian New Year and Islamic New Year?

3. Chinese New Year Celebrations & Traditions

There are many colorful and unique traditions for the Chinese New Year, most of which have to do with warding off bad luck and inviting good luck for the coming year. First and foremost, this involves perfectly cleaning one’s home; this is thought to “wash away” any bad luck from the previous year. Another common Chinese New Year tradition in Indonesia is to repaint one’s windows and doors before attaching a piece of paper with the Chinese character Fu on them, which symbolically “attaches” good luck to their home.

People will cut their hair and buy baju baru, or “new clothes,” to wear on this day. To further bring good luck for the Lunar New Year, Indonesians often wash any statues of gods or goddesses using water and seven kinds of flowers which counteract bad things.

The night before, people open their doors and windows so that good luck can enter, and the lights are kept on to symbolize a bright new year.

On the Chinese New Year, Indonesian keluarga, or “families,” will go to temples decorated with lanterns to pray for good luck. In the temple, there are also red pieces of paper containing prayers that are hung from the ceiling. In Semarang, Central Java, Sam Poo Kong Temple is very crowded during Chinese New Year celebrations. Tourists often join ethnic Chinese to witness the ceremonies. All types of food vendors come, offering Semarang specialty snacks, such as wedang ronde, tahu gimbal, and spring rolls.

Chinese New Year celebrations are full of symbolism and meaning. Barongsai, or “lion dance,” performances are synonymous with happiness and luck. The amount of food served during Chinese New Year is also symbolic of the twelve zodiacs, consisting of twelve main dishes and twelve types of cake. Some common foods are:

• Siu Noodles, which symbolize long life and prosperity
• Lapis legit, which symbolizes layers of fortune
• Fish, which symbolizes great fortune
• Jeruk mandarin, or “mandarin orange”
• Bakmi goreng, or” fried noodle”
• Buah naga, or “dragon fruit”

Eating porridge is prohibited because it symbolizes poverty.

Singkawang in West Kalimantan celebrates the fifteenth day of Chinese New Year by holding a Tatung parade—that is, one of spirit mediums. In this celebration, the Tatung, who is in a state of trance, will stab himself with a sharp object. Singkawang is the only place in the world that still practices this old Chinese tradition.

4. Good and Bad Colors

The color red is synonymous with Chinese New Year. However, in Indonesia, Lunar New Year tradition also prohibits two colors. Do you know what they are?

In addition to bringing feelings of joy and optimism, the color red is also believed to ward off evil spirits. However, black and white are avoided because black is the bearer of bad luck, while white is the color of death.

5. Vocabulary for the Chinese New Year Festival in Indonesia

Ready to review some of the Indonesian vocabulary words from this article? Here are the essential words you should know for the Chinese New Year in Indonesia!

• Merah — “Red”
• Keluarga — “Family”
• Vihara — “Vihara“
• Lampion merah — “Red lantern”
• Angpau — “Red envelope”
• Baju baru — “New clothes”
• Jeruk mandarin — “Mandarin orange”
• Barongsai — “Lion dance”
• Bakmi goreng — “Fried noodle”
• Kembang api — “Firework”
• Buah naga — “Dragon fruit”
• Kue keranjang — “Chinese New Year’s cake”
• Pecinan — “Chinatown”
• Perayaan — “Celebration”
• Tahun Baru Imlek — “Lunar New Year”

To hear each of these vocabulary words pronounced, and to read them alongside relevant images, be sure to check out our Indonesian Lunar New Year vocabulary list!

Final Thoughts

We hope you enjoyed learning about the Chinese New Year in Indonesia with us! How do you celebrate the New Year in your country? Let us know in the comments!

If you’re interested in learning even more about Indonesian culture and celebrations, you may find the following pages useful:

• All About Indonesian Culture and Society
• Tourist Attractions in Indonesia
• What’s Your Favorite Indonesian Food?
• Untranslatable Words in Indonesia: Think Like an Indonesian
• Celebrating Indonesian Independence Day

Learning Indonesian doesn’t have to be boring or overwhelming—with IndonesianPod101.com, it can even be fun! Whatever your reasons for wanting to learn the language or immerse yourself in the Indonesian culture, we have your back!

If you’re serious about mastering the Indonesian language, create your free lifetime account today and learn Indonesian like never before!

As many guidebooks will tell you, Indonesia is a happy country. The locals look on visitors with warmth and welcoming.

But what happens when you get on their wrong side?

To be honest, not much. It takes something really severe to bring Indonesians to confrontation. The worst thing that happens is that you get passed up for opportunities and friendships because people think you’re not that pleasant to be around. But that’s still awful!

So to avoid a scenario like that, it’s important that you become familiar with etiquette in Indonesia. To help you out, we’ve put this article together for you, outlining everything you need to know about table manners in Indonesia and more. You may be surprised to know how far knowing just a little etiquette in Indonesian culture can get you!

Table of Contents

1. How to Make Polite Suggestions
2. Saying “Let’s Not”
3. Proper Table Etiquette in Indonesia: Etiquette While Dining
4. Etiquette While Sightseeing
5. Etiquette for Greetings
6. Etiquette for Visiting Others
7. Getting Around with Transportation
8. Business Etiquette in Indonesia
9. Conclusion: How IndonesianPod101 Can Help You Master Indonesian

1. How to Make Polite Suggestions

Let’s start with one of the biggest cultural hurdles to overcome in Indonesia: Making suggestions to other people, or telling them that they’re wrong.

Put simply, the western approach will not treat you well. Telling someone directly that their idea is bad, or even that you’re offended by their behavior, will go over very poorly and may cause a very painful, awkward silence.

If you want to do this more in line with the etiquette and customs in Indonesia, we can add the particle ya at the end of a sentence to soften the blow of asking someone to do something.

• Ingat menulis pekerjaan rumahmu, ya.
  “Remember to do your homework, won’t you?”

And when the listener is to be included in whatever you’re suggesting, you can try using mari:

• Mari kita pergi sekarang.
  “Let’s leave now.”

This is more polite than the same structure with Ayo:

• Ayo, kita pergi sekarang.
  “C’mon, let’s go now.”

How about not doing things?

2. Saying “Let’s Not”

As you walk around Indonesia, you’ll see one word pretty heavily represented on signs around town. That word is jangan, and since it’s often seen with a big red X over a stick figure, it’s not hard to figure out that it means “don’t.”

And though it may sound a bit strange that it’s the same word, the polite way to make a negative suggestion is to simply say the equivalent of “Let’s don’t do this.”

• Jangan kita pergi sendirian.
  “Let’s not go alone.”

3. Proper Table Etiquette in Indonesia: Etiquette While Dining

Table manners and eating etiquette in Indonesia are an essential aspect of general good etiquette of Indonesia. For the most part, in Indonesia you’ll be provided with a fork and a spoon for your meal. Some nicer restaurants will give you a knife as well, but even in Chinese-style places, you’ll generally have to ask for chopsticks.

• Permisi, bisa minta sumpit?
  “Excuse me, can I have some chopsticks please?”

As for dining etiquette in Indonesia, know that Indonesians generally eat quietly without any chomping or munching sounds. Do your best to finish all your food, as it’s bad manners to waste it.

Once you finish eating, you’ve got a choice to make. Here’s where there’s a bit of a confluence between table etiquette in Indonesia and in Western cultures.

In smaller places, you simply get up from the table and go over to the register to pay when it’s time to leave. Larger places will have waiters ready to hand you the bill if you desire to pay from your seat.

It’s polite to address waiters as mas and waitresses as mbak, particularly on the island of Java (these are Javanese words, after all).

• Permisi Mas, minta bill.
  “Excuse me, waiter, I’d like the bill.”
• It sounds rude in English to address a waiter as “waiter,” so you can think of it more like “sir.”

• Permisi Mbak, mau bayar.
  “Excuse me, miss, I’d like to pay.”

But they’ll also be totally ready and willing to receive you at the register. Once they hand you the receipt, they’ll invariably ask you to look it over first.

• Mohon dicek dulu…
  “Please check it over first.”

All these instances of mohon or “requests” being thrown around is a signal that this is all very polite language. Feel free to use these sentence structures in other situations, too!

Though you may see a modest tip jar at the register, most people don’t tip for meals. Gratuities and city taxes are often automatically added anyway for big parties.

4. Etiquette While Sightseeing

Whether you hop on a tour bus or take your motorbike to a remote mountain, you should have a general idea of what kind of behavior is expected from tourists around Indonesia. Or, in other words, basic social etiquette in Indonesia.

Although Indonesia receives countless tourists from all over the world, it still maintains a reputation for being very warm and welcoming to each and every one. That doesn’t mean you should test it, though. Every local of a well-touristed city has anecdotes of some group of boorish visitors that drank too much and left the beach a mess.

So even though you might not get publicly reprimanded (for Indonesians are loath to call someone out in public), any reckless behavior you do indulge in has an effect. Better avoid it.

The number-one polite phrase for travelers is this one:

• Boleh saya ambil foto?
  “Can I take photos?”

You also can’t go wrong with the flattering phrase:

• Semuanya di sini cantik sekali!
  “Everything is so beautiful here!”

5. Etiquette for Greetings

Now, let’s go over the basic customs in Indonesia for greeting and introducing yourself.

The most polite way to introduce yourself is to literally say “introduction” or perkenalkan before you tell people your name. It might sound a bit odd if you’re not used to it, but after a little practice, it rolls right off the tongue.

• Perkenalkan, nama saya Veni…
  “Let me introduce myself, my name is Veni…”

There are two particular body gestures that immediately reveal that someone is Indonesian. The first is touching your hand to your heart after shaking hands.

A visitor should be aware that many conservative Muslims prefer not to have physical contact with members of the opposite sex. Although this belief isn’t held as strongly for many young Indonesians, be aware of this possibility and don’t be offended if someone simply places their hand to their heart directly instead of accepting a handshake.

• Senang bertemu dengan Anda.
  “Nice to meet you.”

With these phrases, you can’t go wrong, and you’ll be able to follow the cultural etiquette in Indonesia for greetings like it’s nothing.

6. Etiquette for Visiting Others

If you get the chance to be received as a guest in an Indonesian home, you’d better get ready to eat. First, your host will bring out food, usually sweet tea and small finger foods such as fried tofu.

It’s considered rude to refuse this offering, and you really don’t have to eat much to be polite. However, if you have a medical condition or allergy, you could say:

• Maaf, saya tidak bisa makan (jamur).
  “Sorry, I can’t eat (mushrooms).”

Once you do eat something, though, you’d better follow up with thanks or a compliment.

• Enak sekali!
  “Very tasty!”

7. Getting Around with Transportation

By far, the most common way for locals to get around is with one of the two ubiquitous ride-sharing apps, Grab and Go-Jek. These apps are almost entirely interchangeable, but everybody has both of them so they can compare prices and availability.

The typical transaction goes like this: You open the app and select the destination you want, then when the driver arrives, they send you a text or give you a call. Here are some useful polite phrases for that call:

• Maaf, tunggu sebentar.
  “Sorry, please wait a moment.”
• Saya sudah sampai.
  “I’m already here.”
• Mohon tunggu dua menit lagi.
  “Please wait another two minutes.”

Then you get in the car or on the motorbike and zip off. When you arrive, it’s considered polite to give a small tip. This is easy when paying in cash, as you simply say:

• Tidak usah kembalian.
  “I don’t need the change.”

Or more explicitly:

• Ini tips untuk Anda
  “This is a tip for you.”

Yes, the word for “tip” in Indonesian is just tips!

By the way, the best Indonesian conversations you can have are those with taxi drivers. You’re paying for their time, and they’re happy to chat with a visitor!

8. Business Etiquette in Indonesia

Here’s an interesting thing about formal address in Indonesian. It’s important to use the proper pronouns when necessary, but you’ll also find that people tend to address others by a title plus their first name.

• Mr. Andy sudah makan?
  “Have you eaten yet, Mr. Andy?”

This business meeting etiquette in Indonesia makes plenty of sense in a society where a significant proportion of people only have one name to begin with.

Furthermore, one of the more subtle differences between Indonesian and Western culture is that, in Indonesia, you don’t always tell someone when you don’t understand. This can lead to some problems in the boardroom, as you can probably imagine.

• Apakah Anda punya pertanyaan apapun?
  “Do you have any questions?”

This is a good way to avoid the potential embarrassment of having someone admit they don’t understand.

You can also be a little bit more direct. Review what you’ve gone over and say:

• Apakah Anda mengerti apa yang saya sedang bilang?
  “Do you understand what I’m saying to you?”

Lastly, you should always keep in mind the concept of jam karet, literally “rubber time.” Things simply may not happen when you want them to, or even when you agreed on them being done.

There’s nothing in Indonesian culture to drive them to stick to deadlines when there’s life to live. One of the most dreaded signs for an expat to see at a government office is ISTIRAHAT, otherwise known as “break time!”

9. Conclusion: How IndonesianPod101 Can Help You Master Indonesian

By now, you should be equipped to use the Indonesian language not only correctly, but politely as well.

If, for some reason, you make mistakes, don’t sweat it. Many Indonesians shrug off some pretty rude behavior from foreigners, simply reasoning that they’re ignorant (and not malicious).

Now you have the chance to be neither!

Using etiquette correctly is something that has very subtle benefits. It’s like raising your charisma score in a video game. People treat you better and things go easier for you—and it’s all because you had the presence of mind to consider the culture of wherever you went.

Are any of the etiquette and customs in Indonesia we went over similar to those in your own country? Or very different? Let us know in the comments!

Author: Yassir Sahnoun is a HubSpot certified content strategist, copywriter and polyglot who works with language learning companies. He helps companies attract sales using content strategy, copywriting, blogging, email marketing & more.

It’s 9 AM.

You drive your motor scooter up to your favorite noodle soup place for breakfast, but with a cry of despair you find that it’s tutup—”closed.”

Scrawled on the sign is a phrase that you manage to make out as being “closed for national holiday.” A national holiday? How were you supposed to know?

This kind of situation is pretty common in Indonesia for foreigners. And one major cause can be traced to simple ignorance—not knowing how to talk about dates in Indonesian.

It’s an easy skill to overlook when you’re juggling a bunch of Indonesian resources to get a handle on the different vocabulary words that seem to fill the air wherever you go. But it’s no less important for day-to-day life, and as it turns out, just a little bit of studying can get you everything you need.

So without further ado, let’s look at a crash course for mastering dates in Indonesian. By the end of this article, you’ll be a step closer to giving the date in Indonesian like it’s nothing.

Table of Contents

1. Dates on Paper
2. Reading Years
3. The 13 Most Important Months in Indonesian
4. Days of the Week in Indonesian
5. Saying Dates in Their Entirety
6. Special Days
7. How to Use Dates in Conversation
8. Conclusion: How IndonesianPod101 Can Help You Master Indonesian

1. Dates on Paper

Before we concern ourselves with actually reading the dates aloud, let’s make sure that we know how to recognize dates when we see them, and how to write dates in Indonesian.

Indonesia is host to an enormous variety of local languages, many of them with elaborate traditional scripts like Javanese, Balinese, and Sundanese. You’ll see these scripts around town, but you can rest easy knowing that most Indonesians are significantly more comfortable with the Latin-based Indonesian alphabet, and by extension, its Arabic numerals.

So unless you’re a specialist, you don’t have to worry about learning dates in several alphabets. (Though you should, because they’re beautiful!)

Instead, dates are written day-month-year in Indonesian, like so:

• 10-10-1910
  October 10, 1910
• 3-12-2014
  December 3, 2014

Just knowing these basic formats will significantly help you with dates in Bahasa, Indonesia and elsewhere!

2. Reading Years

Any year is read out as if it’s a large number. This may be one of the most challenging things about reading dates out loud—they’re long words!

The way you end up differentiating between numbers and dates is pretty simple. It’s mandatory to say the word tahun, or “year,” to let your listener know you’re talking about dates.

So the dates below end up being pronounced as follows:

• 1970
  tahun seribu sembilan ratus tujuh puluh
• 2015
  tahun dua ribu lima belas

Also, you may notice that tahun, or “year,” is a noun and not a preposition. Indonesians rarely add prepositions before mentioning years, like English speakers would. But when they do, they would use pada which roughly translated to “on”:

• Saya lahir tahun 1992.
  “I was born in 1992.”
• Saya lahir pada tahun 1992.
  “I was born in 1992.”
• Tahun itu Olimpiade diadakan di Barcelona.
  “In that year, the Olympic games were held in Barcelona.”
• Pada tahun itu, Olimpiade diadakan di Barcelona.
  “In that year, the Olympic games were held in Barcelona.”

To talk about certain decades, Indonesians simply add -an (a suffix that turns words into nouns) to the year.

• Saya anak 90-an (sembilan puluhan).
  “I’m a child of the 1990s.”

And what about talking about ancient history? Well, you’ll find that a lot of Indonesian texts use the acronyms CE/AD and BCE/BC. Those are read out just like normal letters—see our page on the Indonesian alphabet for that.

However, there are also common phrases for these eras, called Masehi for “AD/CE” and Sebelum Masehi for “BC/BCE.” The word Masehi is related to the word “messiah” in English, so it’s just another way of expressing the same concept.

• 250 BC
  tahun dua ratus lima puluh sebelum Masehi

3. The 13 Most Important Months in Indonesian

Thirteen? Yes, actually. It’s not on the calendar, but there’s one month here that’s very important in Indonesian culture. I bet you’ll be able to recognize it right away.

Here are the months in Indonesian.

The holy month of Ramadan occurs at slightly different times each year because it’s based on the Islamic lunar calendar. But no matter your religion, in Indonesia you’ll know when it’s Ramadan, thanks to the prominent advertisements, banners, and TV specials. Not to mention the fact that so many places close down!

By the way, don’t let the similarity of these months lure you into thinking you don’t need to learn them. If you say “August” instead of Agustus, no matter how loudly and slowly, it’s probably going to take the other person a little while to understand you, since the sounds and rhythms of the two words are different. Don’t ignore accent here!

In English and many European languages, we have to specify an ordinal number when we’re saying a day of the month. Not so in Indonesian—simply say the day and then the month, and you’re good to go. However, just like with the year, you’ll want to say tanggal, which means “date,” to specify you’re not just talking about a number.

• Saya pergi pada tanggal enam Agustus.
  “I’m leaving on the sixth of August.”

4. Days of the Week in Indonesian

Days of the week are next in our guide to dates in Indonesian. The Indonesian names for the days of the week are based on the Arabic names, so if you’ve ever studied Arabic in the past, these will be a breeze.

Naturally, the names of the days have short forms for ease of writing—better have a look at those too.

The word minggu also means “week” itself. The days are always capitalized, so you know that it’s just the ordinary noun if it appears in lowercase.

There are two commonly used words for “the weekend.” First we’ve got akhir minggu, which makes a lot of sense because it’s literally “the end of the week.” But people also use akhir pekan, for a reason you might not find in your Indonesian dictionary.

Pekan is interchangeable with minggu nowadays, but it originally came into use because in traditional Javanese and Balinese culture, a minggu wasn’t always fixed at seven days. With pekan, you always knew how many days you were dealing with.

5. Saying Dates in Their Entirety

Let’s briefly review by putting what we’ve learned all together in one phrase.

We’ll start with the day, and we’ll add the word hari meaning “day” for the sake of clarity. The word pada is the equivalent of the English word “on” when referring to dates.

• Pada hari Sabtu…
  “On Saturday…”

Then the date, the month, and then finally the whole year.

• Pada hari Sabtu, lima belas Februari, tahun dua ribu enam belas.
  “On Saturday, the fifteenth of February, in the year 2016.”

All that gets written out numerically as 15-2-2016.

6. Special Days

As we’ve seen, the word for “day” is hari. Whenever there’s a special date on the Indonesian calendar, it’s likely to be called hari something-or-other. Here are a handful of examples:

• Hari libur
  “Vacation day/day off”
• Hari raya
  “Day of celebration/holiday”
• Hari kemerdekaan
  “Independence Day”
• Hari Kartini
  “Kartini’s Day” (a famous fighter for women’s rights in Indonesia)

Whether you’re in school, on vacation, or at work in Indonesia, these days will affect you in some way. Businesses are often closed, for example, and it’s tough to know exactly when that’ll happen unless you’ve got an idea of when the libur days are on the calendar.

You can use these phrases to figure things out more precisely:

• Apa ada hari libur bulan ini?
  “Are there days off this month?”
• Apa toko ini buka pada hari kemerdekaan?
  “Is this shop open on Independence Day?”

During Ramadan, many shops have reduced hours, so you’d better find out:

• Jam berapa tutup di bulan Ramadan?
  “What time do you close during Ramadan?”

7. How to Use Dates in Conversation

So how do people end up talking about dates in real life? What are the situations and phrases you’ll need?

• Hari ini hari apa?
  “What day is it today?”

Note with the above example that you might want to use the word mana meaning “which,” but instead, it’s correct to say apa meaning “what?”

• Hari kelahiran saya tanggal satu April.
  “My birthday is April 1.”
• Idul Fitri hari apa tahun ini?
  “What day is Eid al-Fitr this year?”

Lastly, let’s briefly discuss talking about “this,” “next,” and “previous” days and weeks. It’s a total piece of cake.

Essentially, the words besok meaning “tomorrow,” and kemarin meaning “yesterday,” also function as markers for days in the future and past, respectively. So by saying “Thursday tomorrow,” depending on the context, you could also mean “next Thursday.”

• Boleh kita bertemu pada hari Jum’at besok?
  “Can we meet next Friday?”

For months and weeks in general, we’ll use the words depan meaning “future” and lalu meaning “already past.”

• Saya lihat dia di sekolah minggu lalu.
  “I saw her at school last week.”

The word besok has a particular meaning in Indonesian culture. Much like if a child wants something and the parent says “we’ll see,” saying that an activity can happen besok is kind of shorthand for “who knows when it’ll happen.”

• A: Boleh kita pergi ke Bali?
  B: Mungkin besok.

  A: “Can we go to Bali?”
  B: “We’ll see.”

8. Conclusion: How IndonesianPod101 Can Help You Master Indonesian

There’s simply no better way to learn something tough than to practice it. Frequently making yourself actually sound out the dates that you see written on paper is the number one thing that will rocket your learning to the next level.

One little tip for when you can work date-study into your everyday life: when you’re handling money. Glance at the date on the bill or the coin and think “What year is this in Indonesian?” You’ll be an expert in no time.

What’s the most valuable thing you learned in this lesson? Let us know, and how you plan to use it! And to practice, write today’s date in Indonesian. 😉

And as always, check out our Indonesian Blog for more resources coming out regularly! Also keep in mind that by upgrading to Premium Plus, you can take advantage of our MyTeacher program and learn Indonesian with your own personal teacher!