Languages · Bahasa Indonesia
Video Chat with Indonesian Speakers
Indonesian is one of the friendliest languages to start speaking: no tones, no verb conjugations and an alphabet you can already read. The catch is that everyday speech sounds quite different from the textbook, which is why it pays to practice Indonesian with native speakers early. Omlet puts you face to face with random people for free, in your browser, without an account.
Omlet doesn't match by language and its interface is in English. Use the country filter to meet people from Indonesia (your first day is free, then it's $3 one time for that device and browser), or ask whoever you meet: Bisa bahasa Indonesia? The free day starts with a card, and the $3 is charged once when it ends unless you cancel in Settings. (Can you speak Indonesian?) Below you'll find phrases that work on camera, how Indonesians address each other, the gap between formal and spoken Indonesian, and a simple shadowing routine.
Where people speak Indonesian
Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia) is an official language in 1 country or territory. To meet people from one of them, pick it with the country filter.
Useful Indonesian phrases for video chat
Short, natural phrases you can use in your first minute on camera. The pronunciation is a simple English-style guide; stressed syllables are in capitals.
| English | Indonesian | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| How are you? | Apa kabar? | AH-pah KAH-bar |
| I'm fine. | Kabar baik. | KAH-bar BAH-ik |
| Can you speak Indonesian? | Bisa bahasa Indonesia? | BEE-sah bah-HAH-sah in-doh-NEH-see-ah |
| What's your name? | Siapa nama kamu? | see-AH-pah NAH-mah KAH-moo |
| My name is … | Nama saya … | NAH-mah SAH-yah |
| Where are you from? | Kamu dari mana? | KAH-moo DAH-ree MAH-nah |
| Nice to meet you. | Senang bertemu denganmu. | seh-NAHNG ber-teh-MOO deh-ngahn-MOO |
| I'm learning Indonesian. | Saya sedang belajar bahasa Indonesia. | SAH-yah seh-DAHNG beh-LAH-jar bah-HAH-sah in-doh-NEH-see-ah |
| Can you speak a bit more slowly? | Bisa bicara lebih pelan? | BEE-sah bee-CHAH-rah leh-BEE peh-LAHN |
| Can you repeat that? | Bisa diulang? | BEE-sah dee-OO-lahng |
| What's … in Indonesian? | Bahasa Indonesianya … apa? | bah-HAH-sah in-doh-neh-see-AH-nyah … AH-pah |
| What do you do for work? | Kamu kerja apa? | KAH-moo KER-jah AH-pah |
| Sorry, I don't quite understand. | Maaf, saya kurang mengerti. | MAH-ahf, SAH-yah KOO-rahng meng-ER-tee |
| Thank you, see you! | Terima kasih, sampai jumpa! | teh-REE-mah KAH-see, SAHM-pai JOOM-pah |
Tips for practicing Indonesian on video chat
- Indonesia spans three time zones: WIB (UTC+7) in Java and Sumatra, WITA (UTC+8) in Bali and Sulawesi, and WIT (UTC+9) in Maluku and Papua. Ask Jam berapa di sana? (What time is it there?) rather than guessing.
- Greet by the clock: selamat pagi (morning), selamat siang (around midday), selamat sore (late afternoon) and selamat malam (evening).
- Text chat shorthand is everywhere: yg (yang), gak or gk (not), bgt (banget, very) and wkwk (laughter). Asking what an abbreviation means is a fun way into casual Indonesian.
- Food is a reliable opener, since nearly every region has its own specialties. Try Makanan khas daerah kamu apa? (What's the typical food where you're from?)
- Many Indonesians grow up speaking a regional language, such as Javanese or Sundanese, alongside Indonesian. Asking about it shows real interest and often leads to great stories.
Kamu, Anda or a title?
Indonesian has a formal you, Anda, but in conversation it can sound stiff, a bit like an advertisement. Among adults of a similar age, kamu is normal, often paired with aku for I. Saya (I) is polite and always safe.
Many people skip you altogether and use a title instead. Kak (from kakak, older sibling) is a friendly, polite way to address someone around your age or a little older. Mas and Mbak are common in Java for young men and women, and Pak and Bu (sir, ma'am) are for older adults.
When in doubt, use Kak plus their name. It's warm, polite and works for anyone.
Textbook Indonesian vs everyday speech
Indonesians move between a formal standard, used in the news and in writing, and a much more relaxed spoken style. On a video chat you'll mostly hear the relaxed one.
| Textbook | What you'll hear | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| tidak | nggak / gak | no, not |
| sudah | udah | already |
| saja | aja | just, only |
| bagaimana | gimana | how |
| saya / kamu | gue / lo (Jakarta slang) | I / you |
Small particles such as sih, dong, kok and deh change the tone of a sentence rather than its meaning. Don't force them; notice when people use them and copy one at a time. Our guide to learning slang in a foreign language has more ways to pick this up.
Pronunciation in five rules
- c is always ch: cari (look for) sounds like CHAH-ree.
- ng and ny are single sounds, as in singer and canyon.
- r is tapped or rolled.
- A final k is often a soft catch in the throat, so tidak ends almost abruptly.
- e can be a short uh, as in besar (big), or a clear eh, as in sore (late afternoon); you learn which one word by word.
A shadowing routine for video chat
Shadowing means repeating what you hear right after you hear it. It suits video chat because you can watch the speaker's mouth.
- Before you press Start, read the phrases above out loud twice.
- Ask one simple question and listen to the whole answer without interrupting.
- Repeat a short phrase from their answer back to them as a question. It checks you heard it right and keeps them talking.
- Say Bisa diulang? whenever you lose the thread.
- After the chat, say three of their phrases aloud from memory and write them down.
Indonesian is closely related to Malay, so if you meet people from Malaysia, much of what you know will carry over; see the Malay page. To turn chats into a two-way exchange, the language exchange page explains how it works on Omlet.
Practice Indonesian with the country filter
Omlet's interface is in English only, and it doesn't match people by language or translate anything. There are two easy ways to find Indonesian speakers:
- Use the country filter. Press Country, pick a country where Indonesian is spoken (for example Indonesia), then press Start.
- Ask whoever you meet. On Worldwide matching, a quick "Do you speak Indonesian?" costs nothing to try.
The country filter's first day is free (you add a card to start, and can cancel in Settings before the charge). After that it's $3 one time for that device and browser, with no subscription. It can make matching slower when fewer people from that country are online; if a match takes a while, try another country or switch back to Worldwide.
Say you're practicing Indonesian in your first sentence and ask your partner to slow down or correct you. It's a normal request.