In this lesson, you will learn common Indonesian greetings and farewells, including how to greet someone in the morning, around midday, and in the evening, ask how they are, and say goodbye. You will also practice using these phrases in a short conversation.
Objectives
- Greet someone appropriately in Indonesian at different times of day.
- Ask how someone is and respond to the question.
- Say goodbye in Indonesian in a friendly, everyday way.
Phrases
Good morning
Used in the morning. Suitable in both casual and polite contexts.Good midday / Good day
Used around midday to early afternoon. Suitable in both casual and polite contexts.Good evening / Good night
Used in the evening or night. Suitable in both casual and polite contexts.How are you?
Common question after a greeting. Informal but widely used.Goodbye / See you later
Friendly farewell used in both casual and polite situations.Explanations
Greetings by time of day
Indonesian uses different greetings depending on the time of day. 'Selamat pagi' is used in the morning, 'Selamat siang' around midday to early afternoon, and 'Selamat malam' in the evening or night. These greetings are suitable in both casual and polite situations; the choice depends mainly on the time of day.
Asking how someone is
'Apa kabar?' means 'How are you?' and is commonly used after a greeting. A typical response is 'Baik, terima kasih,' meaning 'Fine, thank you.' Note that 'kabar' is spelled with a 'k', not 'kh'.
Saying goodbye
'Sampai jumpa' means 'Goodbye' or 'See you later.' It is a friendly farewell used in both casual and polite situations. A more formal alternative is 'Selamat tinggal,' but 'Sampai jumpa' is more common in everyday conversation.
Dialogue
Good morning.
Good morning. How are you?
Fine, thank you.
Goodbye.
Pronunciation
Listen carefully to the recording and repeat each phrase, copying the speaker's rhythm and intonation. Practice saying the phrases aloud until you can produce them naturally.
Common mistake
Using 'Selamat malam' in the morning or 'Selamat pagi' at night.
Match the greeting to the time of day: 'Selamat pagi' in the morning, 'Selamat siang' around midday, and 'Selamat malam' in the evening or night.
Practice
Listen to the recording and repeat the phrase for a morning greeting.
The phrase is 'Selamat pagi'.
Show answer
Selamat pagi'Selamat pagi' is the standard morning greeting in Indonesian.
You meet a friend at 10 a.m. Greet them appropriately using the phrase from the recording.
Use the morning greeting from the recording.
Show answer
Selamat pagiAt 10 a.m., the appropriate greeting is 'Selamat pagi'.
Role-play: You are greeting an elder in the morning. Say the polite greeting from the recording.
Use the same morning greeting you learned.
Show answer
Selamat pagi'Selamat pagi' is suitable for both casual and polite contexts, including greeting an elder in the morning.
Use 'Selamat pagi', 'Selamat siang', or 'Selamat malam' depending on the time of day, ask 'Apa kabar?' to check in, and say 'Sampai jumpa' to say goodbye.
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