Culture · 5 min read

Basic Bahasa Indonesia for Bali Travellers

Twenty phrases that make a difference in how you are received.

Greetings

Selamat pagi (good morning, until ~11), selamat siang (midday, until ~3), selamat sore (afternoon, until ~6), selamat malam (night). Apa kabar? (how are you) — answered with baik (well).

Please, thank you, sorry

Tolong (please, for requests). Terima kasih (thank you). Sama-sama (you are welcome). Maaf (sorry/excuse me). Permisi (excuse me, to pass by).

Yes, no, OK

Ya (yes). Tidak (no). Boleh (may/can — a very versatile word). Bisa (able to). Tidak bisa (not able to, used to decline politely).

Numbers

Satu, dua, tiga, empat, lima (1–5). Sepuluh (10), seratus (100), seribu (1,000), sejuta (1 million). Useful for prices and bargaining.

Food essentials

Enak (delicious). Pedas (spicy). Tidak pedas (not spicy). Halal (yes, plenty of halal food in Bali). Vegetarian (understood; sayur saja = vegetables only is safer).

Directions and transport

Di mana (where is). Kiri (left), kanan (right), lurus (straight). Berapa? (how much?). Pelan-pelan (slowly — useful for drivers).

Bonus — the politeness boost

Ibu (ma'am, for older women), Bapak (sir, for older men). Using these when greeting a shop owner or driver is respectful and warmly received.