Speak enough Indonesian to get by
Almost everyone in tourist Bali speaks some English — but the moment you try a few words of Bahasa Indonesia, prices soften, faces open and problems get solved faster. Here are the 70+ words worth memorising (numbers 1–20 and time words included) and 50+ real sentences, including how to tell the time, arrange a driver ('can you come at 3pm?') and politely say 'this isn't what I ordered'.
Search the phrasebook
Type what you're trying to say in English — 'not what I ordered', 'too expensive', 'doctor', 'wifi' — and the matching lines appear.
How Indonesian works (the two-minute version)
It is genuinely one of the easiest languages to start speaking. No tones, no verb conjugation, no genders, no plurals to learn.
- Say it as it's spelled: 'a' as in father, 'e' usually a soft uh, 'i' as in machine, 'u' as in flute, 'c' as ch in chair. 'Terima kasih' really is te-ree-ma ka-see.
- No verb tenses. 'Saya makan' = I eat / I ate / I'll eat. Add 'sudah' (already) or 'besok' (tomorrow) if the timing matters.
- Plurals are made by repeating: 'jalan' road, 'jalan-jalan' to wander. You'll hear the doubling everywhere.
- Politeness lives in 'tolong', 'maaf', 'permisi' and calling people Pak or Bu — much more than in grammar.
- Indonesian and Balinese are different languages. Everyone speaks Indonesian; Balinese is the home language in Bali and a couple of words of it goes a very long way.
- Volume and confrontation are the mistake, not bad grammar. A calm voice and a smile fix things here; raising your voice ends the conversation.
The words to memorise first
Learn these and you can handle a warung, a market and a taxi with gestures filling the gaps.
Politeness — learn these five first
Indonesian politeness is carried by a handful of words. Using them turns almost every interaction friendly, even if the rest of your sentence is English.
Please (asking for something)
Tolong
TOH-long
Please (offering / go ahead)
Silakan
see-LAH-kan
Thank you
Terima kasih
t'REE-ma KA-see
Locals often shorten it to 'makasih'.
You're welcome
Sama-sama
SAH-ma SAH-ma
Sorry / excuse me
Maaf
ma-AHF
Excuse me (to get past or get attention)
Permisi
per-MEE-see
Greetings & people
Greetings change with the time of day. 'Pak' (older man) and 'Bu' (older woman) are the respectful way to address almost anyone serving you — use them constantly.
Good morning (until ~11am)
Selamat pagi
s'LA-mat PA-gee
Good day (~11am–3pm)
Selamat siang
s'LA-mat SEE-ang
Good afternoon (~3–6pm)
Selamat sore
s'LA-mat SOR-ay
Good evening
Selamat malam
s'LA-mat MA-lam
Sir / older man
Pak (Bapak)
pahk
Ma'am / older woman
Bu (Ibu)
boo
Younger man / brother
Mas / Bli
mahs / blee
'Bli' is the Balinese version and lands well in Bali.
Younger woman / sister
Mbak / Mbok
'mbahk
Friend
Teman
t'MAHN
Yes, no and the essentials
Indonesians rarely say a flat 'no'. 'Belum' (not yet) and a smile often mean no — don't keep pushing when you hear it.
Yes
Ya
yah
No / not (with verbs & adjectives)
Tidak / nggak
TEE-dah' / 'ngah
No (with nouns)
Bukan
BOO-kahn
Not yet
Belum
b'LOOM
The polite soft 'no'.
Already / done
Sudah
SOO-dah
Can / may
Bisa
BEE-sa
Want
Mau
mow
There is / have
Ada
AH-da
There isn't / all out
Tidak ada / habis
TEE-dah' AH-da / HA-bees
Numbers 1–20
Indonesian numbers are regular, logical and used constantly — prices, directions, quantities, room numbers. Learn 1–10 and the teens fall into place.
1
Satu
SAH-too
2
Dua
DOO-a
3
Tiga
TEE-ga
4
Empat
em-PAHT
5
Lima
LEE-ma
6
Enam
AY-nahm
7
Tujuh
TOO-jooh
8
Delapan
d'LAH-pahn
9
Sembilan
sem-BEE-lahn
10
Sepuluh
s'POO-looh
11
Sebelas
s'BAY-lahs
12
Dua belas
DOO-a BAY-lahs
13
Tiga belas
TEE-ga BAY-lahs
14
Empat belas
em-PAHT BAY-lahs
15
Lima belas
LEE-ma BAY-lahs
16
Enam belas
AY-nahm BAY-lahs
17
Tujuh belas
TOO-jooh BAY-lahs
18
Delapan belas
d'LAH-pahn BAY-lahs
19
Sembilan belas
sem-BEE-lahn BAY-lahs
20
Dua puluh
DOO-a POO-looh
Time & days
Time is asked and told with 'jam' (hour/o'clock) and a few time-of-day words. Indonesians often use the 12-hour clock with pagi, siang, sore or malam to make it clear.
Time
Waktu
WAHK-too
Hour / o'clock
Jam
jahm
Minute
Menit
m'NEET
Morning
Pagi
PA-gee
Midday (~11am–3pm)
Siang
SEE-ang
Afternoon (~3–6pm)
Sore
SOR-ay
Evening / night
Malam
MA-lam
Today
Hari ini
HA-ree EE-nee
Tomorrow
Besok
B'SOK
Yesterday
Kemarin
k'MAH-reen
Now
Sekarang
s'KAH-rang
Later
Nanti
NAN-tee
Soon
Segera
s'GEH-ra
Before
Sebelum
s'BAY-loom
After
Sesudah
s'SOO-dah
Half
Setengah
s'TENG-ah
A moment / a minute
Sebentar
s'BEN-tar
Day
Hari
HA-ree
Week
Minggu
MING-goo
Month
Bulan
BOO-lahn
Money, food & getting around
These nine words cover most warung, market and transport moments.
How much?
Berapa?
b'RA-pa
Money
Uang
OO-ang
Expensive
Mahal
ma-HAHL
Cheap
Murah
MOO-rah
Water
Air
AH-yeer
Rice
Nasi
NA-see
Delicious
Enak
AY-nah'
Spicy
Pedas
p'DAHS
Not spicy
Tidak pedas
TEE-dah' p'DAHS
Where?
Di mana?
dee MA-na
Toilet
Kamar kecil / WC
KA-mar k'CHEEL / way-say
'WC' is pronounced 'way-say' and everyone understands it.
Stop here
Berhenti di sini
ber-HEN-tee dee SEE-nee
Phrases for real situations
Full sentences you can read straight off the screen. Show the Indonesian line to the person if your pronunciation isn't landing — it always works.
Ordering & eating
Warung and restaurant lines, including how to send something back without causing anyone to lose face.
I'd like this one, please.
Saya mau ini, tolong.
SA-ya mow EE-nee, TOH-long
Two of these, please.
Dua ini, tolong.
DOO-a EE-nee, TOH-long
Not spicy, please.
Tidak pedas, ya.
TEE-dah' p'DAHS, yah
Is there anything without meat?
Ada yang tanpa daging?
AH-da yang TAN-pa DA-ging
I'm allergic to peanuts.
Saya alergi kacang.
SA-ya a-LER-gee KA-chang
Peanut turns up in sauces constantly — say this every time.
Sorry, this isn't what I ordered.
Maaf, ini bukan yang saya pesan.
ma-AHF, EE-nee BOO-kan yang SA-ya p'SAHN
Say it smiling. 'Bukan' (not the right thing) is the key word.
I ordered the chicken, not the fish.
Saya pesan ayam, bukan ikan.
SA-ya p'SAHN AH-yam, BOO-kan EE-kan
Sorry, this is cold — can you reheat it?
Maaf, ini dingin — bisa dipanaskan?
ma-AHF, EE-nee DING-in — BEE-sa dee-pa-NAS-kan
The bill, please.
Minta bill, ya.
MIN-ta bill, yah
I think the bill is wrong.
Sepertinya bill-nya salah.
s'per-TEE-nya BILL-nya SA-lah
We didn't order this.
Kami tidak pesan ini.
KA-mee TEE-dah' p'SAHN EE-nee
Can I take this away?
Bisa dibungkus?
BEE-sa dee-BOONG-koos
Literally 'can it be wrapped' — the standard takeaway line.
It's delicious, thank you.
Enak sekali, terima kasih.
AY-nah' s'KA-lee, t'REE-ma KA-see
Shopping & prices
Bargaining is normal in markets, not in shops with printed price tags. Stay light and smiling — walking away is the strongest move you have.
How much is this?
Ini berapa?
EE-nee b'RA-pa
That's too expensive.
Terlalu mahal.
ter-LA-loo ma-HAHL
Can you lower the price a bit?
Bisa kurang sedikit?
BEE-sa KOO-rang s'DEE-kit
What's your best price?
Harga terbaiknya berapa?
HAR-ga ter-BUY-ik-nya b'RA-pa
I'm just looking, thanks.
Lihat-lihat saja, terima kasih.
LEE-hat LEE-hat SA-ja
No thank you.
Tidak, terima kasih.
TEE-dah', t'REE-ma KA-see
Can I pay by card?
Bisa bayar pakai kartu?
BEE-sa BA-yar PA-kai KAR-too
Do you have change?
Ada kembalian?
AH-da k'm-ba-LEE-an
Drivers, scooters & directions
Useful with Grab and Gojek drivers, whose English is often limited.
Please take me to this address.
Tolong antar saya ke alamat ini.
TOH-long AN-tar SA-ya k' a-LA-mat EE-nee
How long does it take?
Berapa lama?
b'RA-pa LA-ma
Please slow down.
Tolong pelan-pelan.
TOH-long p'LAN p'LAN
Stop here, please.
Berhenti di sini, ya.
ber-HEN-tee dee SEE-nee
I'm waiting at the front.
Saya tunggu di depan.
SA-ya TOONG-goo dee d'PAHN
No extra stops, please — only the places on my list.
Tanpa mampir-mampir, ya — hanya tempat di daftar saya.
TAN-pa MAM-peer MAM-peer, yah
Where's the nearest petrol station?
Di mana SPBU terdekat?
dee MA-na es-pay-bay-oo ter-d'KAT
Trouble, health & help
Short, unambiguous sentences for the moments you hope never come. 'Tolong!' alone means 'help!' and will turn heads.
Help!
Tolong!
TOH-long
I need a doctor.
Saya perlu dokter.
SA-ya PER-loo DOK-ter
Please call an ambulance.
Tolong panggil ambulans.
TOH-long PANG-gil AM-boo-lans
Where is the nearest hospital?
Di mana rumah sakit terdekat?
dee MA-na ROO-mah SA-kit ter-d'KAT
I'm sick / I'm in pain.
Saya sakit.
SA-ya SA-kit
A dog / monkey bit me.
Saya digigit anjing / monyet.
SA-ya dee-GEE-git AN-jing / MON-yet
Any bite or scratch = rabies risk. Go straight to a clinic.
I've lost my passport.
Paspor saya hilang.
PAS-por SA-ya HEE-lang
I want to report a theft.
Saya mau lapor pencurian.
SA-ya mow LA-por p'n-choo-REE-an
I don't understand.
Saya tidak mengerti.
SA-ya TEE-dah' m'NGER-tee
Please speak slowly.
Tolong bicara pelan-pelan.
TOH-long bee-CHA-ra p'LAN p'LAN
Do you speak English?
Bisa bahasa Inggris?
BEE-sa ba-HA-sa ING-gris
Can you write it down?
Bisa tulis?
BEE-sa TOO-lis
Villa, hotel & everyday life
Lines you'll use with staff, security and neighbours if you're staying longer than a holiday.
The air conditioning isn't working.
AC-nya tidak berfungsi.
AH-say-nya TEE-dah' ber-FOONG-see
There's no hot water.
Tidak ada air panas.
TEE-dah' AH-da AH-yeer PA-nas
The wifi is down.
Wifi-nya mati.
WAI-fai-nya MA-tee
Can someone fix it today?
Bisa diperbaiki hari ini?
BEE-sa dee-per-BUY-kee HA-ree EE-nee
What time do you open / close?
Jam berapa buka / tutup?
jahm b'RA-pa BOO-ka / TOO-toop
Nice to meet you.
Senang bertemu.
s'NANG ber-T'MOO
Time & appointments
How to ask and tell the time, arrange a driver or villa visit, and avoid the 3am/3pm confusion.
What time is it?
Jam berapa?
jahm b'RA-pa
Can you come at 3pm?
Bisa datang jam tiga sore?
BEE-sa DA-tang jahm TEE-ga SOR-ay
Can you come in 3 hours?
Bisa datang tiga jam lagi?
BEE-sa DA-tang TEE-ga jahm LA-gee
I'll come at 10am.
Saya datang jam sepuluh pagi.
SA-ya DA-tang jahm s'POO-looh PA-gee
See you tomorrow.
Sampai jumpa besok.
SAHM-pai JOOM-pa b'SOK
See you later.
Sampai jumpa nanti.
SAHM-pai JOOM-pa NAN-tee
Wait a moment, please.
Tunggu sebentar, ya.
TOONG-goo s'BEN-tar, yah
I'm late.
Saya terlambat.
SA-ya ter-LAHM-baht
It's already time to go.
Sudah waktunya pergi.
SOO-dah WAHK-too-nya PER-gee
Half past two.
Jam setengah tiga.
jahm s'TENG-ah TEE-ga
Indonesian 'half to' the next hour: setengah tiga = 2:30.
A quarter past one.
Jam satu lewat seperempat.
jahm SA-too l'WAHT s'p'REM-paht
What time do you open / close?
Jam berapa buka / tutup?
jahm b'RA-pa BOO-ka / TOO-toop
How long will it take?
Berapa lama?
b'RA-pa LA-ma
Complaining without causing offence
This is the part most visitors get wrong. Bali runs on not embarrassing anyone in public — a complaint delivered calmly gets fixed; a loud one gets you a frozen smile and nothing else.
Lead with 'maaf'
Say sorry firstOpening with “Maaf…” softens everything that follows, even though you're the one with the problem. It signals you're not attacking anyone.
Point at the thing, not the person
Blame the object“Ini bukan yang saya pesan” (this isn't what I ordered) blames the plate. “You got it wrong” blames the server — and that closes the door.
Smile the whole time
Non-negotiableA smile here is not agreement, it's social lubricant. Deliver even a serious complaint with one and you'll get help.
Ask, don't demand
'Bisa…?'Start requests with “Bisa…?” (can you…?): “Bisa diganti?” = can it be swapped? “Bisa dipanaskan?” = can it be reheated?
A few words of Balinese
Optional, and disproportionately powerful. Balinese is the local language of the island — using it marks you as someone who's paying attention.
Hello / greetings (formal Balinese)
Om swastiastu
ohm swas-tee-AH-stoo
Said with palms together at the chest. The standard opening at ceremonies and formal welcomes.
Goodbye / closing blessing
Om shanti shanti shanti om
ohm SHAN-tee...
Closes a speech or blessing.
Thank you (Balinese)
Suksma
SOOK-sma
You're welcome (Balinese)
Suksma mewali
SOOK-sma m'WA-lee
Where are you going? (the classic street greeting)
Lakar kija?
LA-kar KEE-ja
Not nosy — it's small talk. 'Just walking' is a fine answer.
Ask the assistant instead
You don't have to find the phrase yourself.
Ask How2Bali “how do I say this is not what I ordered?” or “how do I tell a driver to slow down?” and it'll give you the Indonesian, how to pronounce it and when to use it — you can even ask by voice.
Ask the assistant