7 Greetings in The Indonesian Language That Aren’t “Apa Kabar”
Knowing how to say hello in the Indonesian language is going to come in very handy while traveling or even staying for a long time in Indonesia.
While you may be able to pronounce apa kabar with passable success, you shouldn’t rely on this greeting for every situation. Apa kabar means “How are you” and is most often used from morning to dusk when you meet people and say a greeting to them. Instead, you’ll want to choose a greeting that fits the context of the situation depending on the time of day or the company you’re keeping.
But, don't worry, there's no need to start memorizing an Indonesian language dictionary. Unlike many other Asian languages, the Indonesian language isn't tonal. That eliminates a lot of frustration while speaking. The rules of pronunciation are fairly predictable, and there's another bonus, the Indonesian language uses the 26-letter English alphabet familiar to native English speakers. You may accidentally learn a few new words just by reading signs. Yippee!
So.. let’s brush up on these seven Indonesian language words or phrases that’ll help you connect with local a bit more.
Selamat pagi
Selamat pagi means “good morning” and is typically used all morning until 11 am or noon.
Selamat siang
Selamat siang means “good day” and is typically used early day until around 4 pm.
Selamat sore
If it’s not day, it’s night and that means you should switch from Selamat siang to selamat sore. Selamat sore means “good afternoon” and is typically used after 4 p.m. or dusk.
Selamat malam
Selamat malam means “good night”. Sometimes, selamat malam is something you’d say before you go to bed to signal to others you are retiring. But also you can use “good evening” to say selamat malam.
Halo!
The Indonesian language version of hello is infrequently used and only in very specific circumstances. You’ll most often hear the word when you pick up the phone or hear others talking on their cellphones. Halo is something the Indonesian will say to determine if someone is on the other end, but not a greeting they’d toss out in a face-to-face conversation.
Selamat datang
Selamat datang means welcome, and it implies that you are the host welcoming someone into your home or space. It might be something a concierge (French word commonly used in English) says to welcome you to a hotel.
Hei!
This is another casual greeting that translates loosely into the equivalent of “hey there!”. An informal greeting and because it’s considered so casual, hei! should only be used as a greeting between close friends.
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