INDONESIAN LANGUAGE : Mini Lesson 1 - Greetings
The national language of Indonesia is BAHASA INDONESIA
(literally, 'the language of Indonesia').
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In Bahasa Indonesia :
morning pagi ('g' as in geese, 'i' as in Toni)
afternoon siang ('i' as in Toni)
late afternoon (dusk) sore ('e' as in André)
evening malam
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SELAMAT literally means 'safe, secure.' Like the English 'good,' it is followed by the time of day to form most common greetings :
good morning selamat pagi (12 midnight - 12 noon)
good afternoon selamat siang (12 noon - 4pm)
good late afternoon selamat sore (4pm - 6pm)
good evening selamat malam (6pm - 12 midnight
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You can bless almost any action by using selamat. Use it often and you'll make Indonesians very happy :
welcome (to person arriving) selamat datang (literally, 'good coming')
goodbye (to person leaving) selamat jalan (literally, 'safe journey')
goodbye (to person staying) selamat tinggal (literally, 'safe stay')
good night selamat tidur (literally, 'good sleep')
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Now, add to these the proper forms of address and you'll be good to go :
Sir/Mr (to an older respected man or your father) Bapak or Pak
Madam/Mrs (to an older respected woman or your mother Ibu or Bu
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USE OF THE ABOVE VOCABULARY IN VARIOUS CONTEXTS :
Selamat pagi good morning (to someone of a similar or younger age
to you)
Selamat siang, Bapak good afternoon (to a man older than you, or any man of
middle or older age)
Selamat sore good late afternoon (to someone of a similar or younger age
to you)
Selamat malam, Ibu good evening (to a woman older than you, or any woman of
middle or older age)
Selamat datang welcome (to someone of a similar or younger age to you)
Selamat jalan, Ibu goodbye (to your mother when she is leaving)
Selamat tinggal, Bapak goodbye (to your father when you are leaving)
Selamat tidur good night (to someone of a similar or younger age to you,
when going to bed)
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That's all for today. Look for more mini-lessons in the weeks ahead.
Selamat belajar! (Good studying, study well.)
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