In this lesson, you will learn how to introduce yourself in Indonesian. You will practice saying your name, asking another person's name politely and casually, and responding when someone introduces themselves. The phrases and dialogue use simple, everyday Indonesian that you can use when meeting someone for the first time.
Objectives
- Say your own name using 'Nama saya' followed by your name.
- Ask someone else's name politely with 'Siapa nama Anda?' and casually with 'Siapa nama kamu?'.
- Respond appropriately when someone introduces themselves, including saying 'Senang berkenalan dengan Anda'.
Phrases
My name is Ana.
Use 'Nama saya' followed by your name to introduce yourself.What is your name? (polite)
Uses the polite pronoun 'Anda'. Suitable for formal situations or people you have just met.My name is Budi.
Another example of introducing yourself with a different name.Nice to meet you.
Said when meeting someone for the first time. You can add 'juga' to reply 'Nice to meet you too.'What is your name? (familiar)
Uses the familiar pronoun 'kamu'. Use with friends, classmates, or people your age.Explanations
Saying your name with 'Nama saya'
To say 'My name is...' in Indonesian, use 'Nama saya' followed by your name. For example, 'Nama saya Ana' means 'My name is Ana.' Indonesian does not use a verb like 'to be' in this sentence, so you do not add a word for 'is'. The phrase 'Nama saya' is polite and works in most situations.
Asking someone's name politely and casually
To ask 'What is your name?' politely, say 'Siapa nama Anda?' The word 'siapa' means 'who', and 'Anda' is a polite pronoun for 'you'. With friends, classmates, or people your own age, you can use the familiar pronoun 'kamu' instead: 'Siapa nama kamu?' Both questions ask the same thing, but 'Anda' is more formal and 'kamu' is more casual.
Saying 'Nice to meet you'
When you meet someone for the first time, you can say 'Senang berkenalan dengan Anda', which means 'Nice to meet you.' The word 'senang' means 'glad' or 'happy', and 'berkenalan' means 'to get acquainted'. If someone says this to you, you can reply 'Senang berkenalan dengan Anda juga', adding 'juga' to mean 'also' or 'too'.
Dialogue
A: Hello, my name is Ana.
B: Hello, my name is Budi. Nice to meet you.
A: Nice to meet you too. What is your name?
B: My name is Budi.
Pronunciation
Listen carefully to the recording and repeat each phrase aloud. Copy the speaker's rhythm and intonation. In 'Nama saya', the word 'saya' is often pronounced quickly and smoothly after 'nama'. In 'Siapa nama Anda?', the question rises at the end. Practice saying the phrases at the same speed as the recording, then try them without the audio.
Common mistake
Adding 'adalah' to say 'My name is Ana', as in 'Nama saya adalah Ana'.
In everyday spoken Indonesian, say 'Nama saya Ana' without 'adalah'. 'Nama saya adalah Ana' is grammatically possible but sounds formal and is not the usual spoken form.
Practice
Listen and repeat the recording to practice saying 'My name is Ana.'
The recording says 'Nama saya Ana.' Listen and copy the speaker.
Show answer
Nama saya Ana.'Nama saya Ana' means 'My name is Ana.' Use 'Nama saya' followed by your name.
Listen and repeat the recording to practice asking 'What is your name?' politely.
The recording says 'Siapa nama Anda?' Listen and copy the speaker.
Show answer
Siapa nama Anda?'Siapa nama Anda?' means 'What is your name?' and uses the polite pronoun 'Anda'.
Listen and repeat the recording to practice saying 'Nice to meet you.'
The recording says 'Senang berkenalan dengan Anda.' Listen and copy the speaker.
Show answer
Senang berkenalan dengan Anda.'Senang berkenalan dengan Anda' means 'Nice to meet you.' It is appropriate when meeting someone for the first time.
You can now introduce yourself in Indonesian with 'Nama saya' plus your name, ask someone's name politely with 'Siapa nama Anda?' or casually with 'Siapa nama kamu?', and say 'Senang berkenalan dengan Anda' when meeting someone for the first time.
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