Incense

Indonesian is a fairly phonetic language. One way to learn Indonesian pronunciation is to listen to local people when they speak. After listening carefully, imitate their pronunciation as accurately as possible and practice speaking out loud. Most Indonesians are happy to help you learn.

Travelers also can learn a great deal by watching local news and programs on Indonesian television. Watching movies also can help you learn words because they often are in English with Indonesian subtitles. It makes for an interesting language lesson when you compare the words that your hear with the words that you can read.

Consonants

Most consonants are pronounced the same in Indonesian and English. The most distinct exceptions are:

c is pronounced like the “ch” in champion

Example: cinta (CHEEN-tah) love

g is always hard, as in girl

Example: gigi (GEE-gee) tooth/teeth

h is very soft like in the word hush

Example: habis (HAH-bees) finished

k and kh are always hard like the k in in keep

Example: khabar/kabar (KAH-bahr) news

r is always stressed and rolled, as in Italian and Spanish

Example: baru (BAHR-roo) new

y is one of the tricky letters in the Indonesian alphabet. Technically, it always is pronounced like the y in yellow. However, personal and regional interpretations sometimes pronounce it like a j. In some cases, such as Yogyakarta (JOHG-jah-KAHR-tah) Indonesians pronounce the y like a j. The proper and traditional pronunciation is YOHG-yah-KAHR-tah.

Vowels

Indonesian has five vowels and two diphthongs:

a is pronounced “ah” as in the word father

Example: babi (BAH-bee) pig

e is usually hard “eh” as in the name Ed

Example: empat (EHM-paht) four

However, when placed at the end of a word, the e usually sounds

like “ay” in today.

Example: sate (SAH-tay) sate

i is pronounced “ee” as in the word bee

Example: tiga (TEE-gah) three

o is pronounced “oh” as in show

Example: bodoh (BOH-doh) stupid

u is pronounced “oo” as in boot

Example: Juni (JOO-nee) June

au is sometimes pronounced with two syllables, like the final two syllables of the Hawaiian island Oahu.

Example: mau (MAH-oo) want

au can also be pronounced with only one syllable “ah,” which sounds more like the vowel in now.

Example: pulau (POO-low) island

ai is smooth and long like the y in the word apply

Example: pantai (PAHN-tye) beach

As mentioned earlier, there are several regional variations to pronunciation and spelling. In addition to regional variations, some words are spelled differently today than they were prior to 1972 (when Indonesia eliminated some of the Dutch influence from the language). For instance, Jakarta and many other words that start with the letter J were once spelled with Dj at the beginning. Therefore, be prepared to see some variations when reading words that are printed or posted.

Verbs and Verb Forms

The verb is the key element in Indonesian sentence structure. While verbs are not conjugated for people and numbers as they are in many languages, there are a number of verbal prefixes and suffixes that alter or reinforce the meaning. The most common

is the prefix me, which makes a verb active in the present tense. However, since most verbs are assumed present tense, this prefix usually is omitted. For instance:

I want to see Borobudur. Saya mau melihat Borobudur.

I want to see Borobudur. Saya mau lihat Borobudur.

As mentioned earlier, the prefix di makes a verb more passive. The passive form often implies an imperative or necessity. For instance:

This rice must be cooked. Nasi ini dimasak.

These shoes may be tried on. Sepatu ini boleh dicoba.

Essential Words and Phrases

Greetings

Hello. Halo. (HAH-loh)

How are you? Apa kabar? (AH-pah KAH-bahr)

(I’m) fine/good. Baik/bagus. (BYE-eek, BAH-goos)

Good morning. Selamat pagi. (SEH-lah-MAHT PAH-gee)

Good day. (Use this from 11 am until 3 pm) Selamat siang. (SEH-lah-MAHT SEE-ahng)

Good afternoon. (Use from 3 pm until dark.) Selamat sore. (SEH-lah-MAHT SOHR-reh)

Good evening. (after dark) Selamat malam. (SEH-lah-MAHT MAH-lahm)

Good night. (Use when going to bed.) Selamat tidur. (SEH-lah-MAHT TEE-door)

Good-bye/good trip. Selamat jalan. (SEH-lah-maht JAH-lahn)

Enjoy your meal. Selamat makan. (SEH-lah-MAHT MAH-kahn)

Enjoy your drink. Selamat minum. (SEH-lah-MAHT MEE-noom)

What is your name? Siapa nama anda? (SEE-ah-PAH NAH-mah AHN-dah)

My name is _____. Nama saya _____. (NAH-mah SYE-ah _____)

Where are you from? Dari mana? (DAHR-ree MAH-nah)

(I’m) from _____. Dari _____. (DAHR-ree _____)

Where (are you) going? Ke mana? (keh MAH-nah)

(I’m going) to _____. Ke _____. (keh _____)

Technorati Tags: Indonesian language, Indonesian grammar, words and phrases, traveling to Bali, traveling to Indonesia

Togean Islands - Sulawesi, Indonesia

Sulawesi (SOO-lah-WEH-see), or Celebes, is one of the most beautiful destinations in all of Indonesia. It is the world’s eleventh largest island. With its beauty and natural riches, Sulawesi could become one of the major nature-based tourism centers in Southeast Asia.

The island has a distinctive shape that has often been compared to a spider. It lies just east of Kalimantan and north of Bali and is divided into two regions, north and south. Makassar and Manado are the island’s major cities.

North Sulawesi is mountainous, with fifty-four peaks, some of which are active volcanoes. The coast features long stretches of white sandy beaches lined with thousands of coconut trees. The waters host magnificent corals and a wealth of colorful marine life. However, world-class muck diving also exists in the area. North Sulawesi’s Bunaken Marine Park is one of Indonesia’s pinnacles for underwater enthusiasts. Situated off the northeastern peninsula of the island, Bunaken is one of many smaller islands that form a dotted line between Sulawesi and the Philippines. Scientists consider the triangle between the Philippines, Bali, and Papua the cradle of maximum marine diversity. Northern

Sulawesi is located in the heart of this triangle. This relatively small region hosts more than three thousand species of fish, five hundred species of coral, and thirty species of whales and dolphins.

Technorati Tags: Sulawesi, beaches, sandy beaches, Celebes, Togean Islands, traveling to Indonesia