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Introduction

Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia) is a relatively new spoken and written dialect of the Malay language, developed by Dutch scholars at the beginning of the 20th century as the standard or “correct” dialect to be taught in the colonial schools. It is an Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian) tongue of amazing complexity, rich in vocabulary borrowed from Sanskrit, Arabic, Portuguese, Dutch, English, Chinese, Javanese, and many other languages.

A colloquial pasar or market form of the language has been in use as the lingua franca throughout the archipelago for several centuries, and is quite simple to learn. This book is intended for visitors who wish to gain a working knowledge of colloquial Indonesian. Most visitors will find that a little study of a few words and phrases goes a very long way, and that most Indonesians are very happy to help you learn the language.

The lessons are prioritized, with more important words and phrases being given first, so that you may profit no matter how deeply into the book you go. By studying the first section only, you acquire a basic “survival” Indonesian, and by mastering the first three sections you should be able to get around quite well on your own. In order to present each lesson clearly as a unit, we have found it necessary in some cases to repeat vocabulary.

I do not apologize for preferring colloquial to “standard” or “book” Indonesian here, as this is the common spoken form of the language, and therefore the most readily understood. Care has been taken to include only vocabulary that has immediate practical application for visitors. By learning vocabulary items and practising the phrases, you will quickly gain a grasp of the language’s basic elements. Rather than include long and tedious lists of words and phrases in the lessons themselves, we have appended at the back of the book a miniature bilingual dictionary that should be adequate for the needs of most tourists.

At the end of the book you will also find additional information on the use of verb and noun affixes, and suggestions for further study. Do not be deceived by the myth that “Indonesian has no grammar.” As one studies the language in greater depth, one realizes how complex it actually is. After several months or years, you may realize that while you are able to get by when speaking the language, it is as difficult as any other language to truly master. In fact the grammar, morphology, and syntax of the standard Indonesian taught in schools is as complex as any other language! While it is relatively easy to communicate at a very basic level in Indonesian, top-level proficiency requires dedication and effort.

Thomas G. Oey, Ph.D.