Search results
Indonesian honorifics are honorific titles or prefixes used in Indonesia covering formal and informal social, commercial relationships. Family pronouns addressing siblings are used also in informal settings and are usually gender-neutral.
Indonesian Terms of Endearment 68. Sayangku – “my dear” A common term of endearment you’ll hear in Indonesian is sayangku. It translates as “my dear”. 69. Kasih - “love” The term kasih means “love” and is slightly outdated. You can still hear it today in songs. 70. Beb - “babe”
- Overview
- Common Greetings
- Handshakes and Body Language
- Addressing People
Whether you’ve already touched down in the adventure-rich islands of Indonesia or you’re still in the obsessive-itinerary-building stage of your travels, there is so much beauty waiting for you in this equatorial country in Southeast Asia. While many Indonesians can communicate in English, it’s respectful to greet them in their native tongue, Bahasa Indonesia. Learning even a few simple phrases and following proper etiquette for interacting with Indonesians can go a long way when connecting with locals and their communities—and it may just make your trip everything you’ve ever dreamed of!
Greet someone in Indonesia by saying
In more casual settings, you can say
which is the literal translation of “hello.”
Ask someone how they are doing by asking
(how are you). Respond to this question with
means “how are you?” If you greet a person using
their answer will most likely be
are used in casual situations among family and friends, so they aren’t appropriate greetings in formal settings or with strangers.
both mean “good afternoon.” Typically, you’d use
between 11 am and 3 pm and
between 3 pm and 6 pm.
when meeting for the first time.
Use a medium to soft handshake grip, as the firm handshake used in Western cultures may be seen as rude or aggressive.
Use your right hand to shake, as the left is considered unclean.
Smile! Indonesians are, as a whole, open and friendly people. Smiles will do magic to oil social interactions with them.
A slight nod or bow is also a common practice.
should not be equated with subservience but with extreme politeness. Westerners should not let it bother them.
Use the appropriate honorific before a person’s name.
The main honorifics in Bahasa Indonesia are
(“Sir” or “Mister”) to address an adult male and use
(“Madam” or “Mrs.”) to address an adult female.
When in doubt, you can safely address men by
which are the shortened versions of
Bapak/pak in English is 'Mr". Use for maTure and married man or above 30 years old. Ibu/bu in English is "Mrs". Use for mature and married woman or above 30 years old. Mas in English is "Brother/Bro". Use for common young man or family/community member older than us. Mbak in English is "Sister/sist".
Aug 27, 2023 · If you desire to express your affection formally, there are several polite and respectful ways to say “my love” in Indonesian: 1. “Cinta saya” This is the most common and straightforward way to express “my love” in Indonesian. It conveys a deep affection and is suitable for various contexts.
- Oscar Ivan
Indonesian honorifics are honorific titles or prefixes used in Indonesia covering formal and informal social, commercial relationships. Family pronouns addressing siblings are used also in informal settings and are usually gender-neutral.
Oct 3, 2020 · Gold-sellers and phone and computer sellers are stereotypically Chinese, so they are addressed as “Kokoh” or “Cici” (older man and woman in Indonesian-Chinese, respectively).
