Learning a new language is always an exciting journey, and when it comes to Indonesian, the experience is no different. Indonesian, also known as Bahasa Indonesia, is the official language of Indonesia and is spoken by millions of people across the archipelago. For beginners, especially those at the A1 level, mastering some essential words can significantly boost your confidence and ease your interactions with native speakers. This article will guide you through some crucial Indonesian words that every A1 level learner should know.

Greetings and Basic Phrases

One of the first things you’ll need to learn in any language is how to greet people. In Indonesian, greetings are straightforward and quite similar to English in some respects.

1. **Hello** – Halo: This is the most common way to say hello in Indonesian. It’s simple and easy to remember.
2. **Good Morning** – Selamat pagi: Use this greeting until about 10 AM.
3. **Good Afternoon** – Selamat siang: This greeting is used from 10 AM until about 3 PM.
4. **Good Evening** – Selamat sore: Use this greeting from 3 PM until sunset.
5. **Good Night** – Selamat malam: This greeting is used after sunset and also when saying goodbye before going to bed.
6. **Goodbye** – Selamat tinggal: Use this when you’re leaving and the person you are speaking to is staying.
7. **Thank You** – Terima kasih: A very important phrase to express gratitude.
8. **You’re Welcome** – Sama-sama: This is the standard response to thank you.
9. **Yes** – Ya: Simple and easy to remember, just like in English.
10. **No** – Tidak: The basic way to say no in Indonesian.

Numbers and Counting

Numbers are essential for a variety of everyday situations, such as shopping, telling time, and understanding prices. Here are the basic numbers in Indonesian:

1. **One** – Satu
2. **Two** – Dua
3. **Three** – Tiga
4. **Four** – Empat
5. **Five** – Lima
6. **Six** – Enam
7. **Seven** – Tujuh
8. **Eight** – Delapan
9. **Nine** – Sembilan
10. **Ten** – Sepuluh

For numbers beyond ten, you can combine these basic numbers. For example, eleven is sebelas (ten plus one), twenty is dua puluh (two tens), and so on.

Common Nouns

Nouns are the building blocks of any language. Here are some common nouns that you’ll encounter frequently:

1. **House** – Rumah
2. **Car** – Mobil
3. **Book** – Buku
4. **Table** – Meja
5. **Chair** – Kursi
6. **Water** – Air
7. **Food** – Makanan
8. **Friend** – Teman
9. **Family** – Keluarga
10. **School** – Sekolah

Common Verbs

Verbs are action words, and knowing some basic verbs can help you form simple sentences. Here are some essential verbs in Indonesian:

1. **To be** – Adalah: This verb is often omitted in casual conversation but is essential in formal speech.
2. **To have** – Punya
3. **To go** – Pergi
4. **To eat** – Makan
5. **To drink** – Minum
6. **To see** – Melihat
7. **To read** – Membaca
8. **To write** – Menulis
9. **To speak** – Berbicara
10. **To come** – Datang

Forming Simple Sentences

Now that you have a list of common nouns and verbs, you can start forming simple sentences. Here are a few examples:

1. **I have a car** – Saya punya mobil
2. **She goes to school** – Dia pergi ke sekolah
3. **They are eating food** – Mereka sedang makan makanan
4. **We drink water** – Kami minum air
5. **He reads a book** – Dia membaca buku

Pronouns

Pronouns are essential for referring to people without repeating their names. Here are the basic pronouns in Indonesian:

1. **I** – Saya
2. **You (singular, informal)** – Kamu
3. **You (singular, formal)** – Anda
4. **He/She** – Dia
5. **We (inclusive)** – Kita
6. **We (exclusive)** – Kami
7. **They** – Mereka

Adjectives

Adjectives help describe nouns, making your sentences more detailed and interesting. Here are some common adjectives in Indonesian:

1. **Big** – Besar
2. **Small** – Kecil
3. **Good** – Baik
4. **Bad** – Buruk
5. **Happy** – Senang
6. **Sad** – Sedih
7. **Beautiful** – Indah
8. **Ugly** – Jelek
9. **Hot** – Panas
10. **Cold** – Dingin

Using Adjectives in Sentences

Adjectives in Indonesian usually come after the noun they describe. Here are a few examples:

1. **A big house** – Rumah besar
2. **A small car** – Mobil kecil
3. **Good food** – Makanan baik
4. **A beautiful view** – Pemandangan indah
5. **Cold water** – Air dingin

Question Words

Knowing how to ask questions is crucial for effective communication. Here are the basic question words in Indonesian:

1. **What** – Apa
2. **Who** – Siapa
3. **Where** – Di mana
4. **When** – Kapan
5. **Why** – Mengapa
6. **How** – Bagaimana

Forming Questions

Here are some examples of how to use these question words in sentences:

1. **What is this?** – Apa ini?
2. **Who are you?** – Siapa kamu?
3. **Where is the school?** – Di mana sekolah?
4. **When is the meeting?** – Kapan pertemuan?
5. **Why are you sad?** – Mengapa kamu sedih?
6. **How are you?** – Bagaimana kabarmu?

Days of the Week

Knowing the days of the week is essential for making plans and understanding schedules. Here are the days of the week in Indonesian:

1. **Monday** – Senin
2. **Tuesday** – Selasa
3. **Wednesday** – Rabu
4. **Thursday** – Kamis
5. **Friday** – Jumat
6. **Saturday** – Sabtu
7. **Sunday** – Minggu

Months of the Year

Similarly, knowing the months of the year will help you understand dates and make plans. Here are the months of the year in Indonesian:

1. **January** – Januari
2. **February** – Februari
3. **March** – Maret
4. **April** – April
5. **May** – Mei
6. **June** – Juni
7. **July** – Juli
8. **August** – Agustus
9. **September** – September
10. **October** – Oktober
11. **November** – November
12. **December** – Desember

Useful Everyday Phrases

Here are some additional phrases that can be very useful in everyday situations:

1. **How much is this?** – Berapa harganya?
2. **I don’t understand** – Saya tidak mengerti
3. **Can you help me?** – Bisa bantu saya?
4. **Where is the restroom?** – Di mana kamar mandi?
5. **Excuse me** – Permisi
6. **I’m sorry** – Maaf
7. **What is your name?** – Siapa namamu?
8. **My name is…** – Nama saya…
9. **I am from…** – Saya dari…
10. **I like…** – Saya suka…

Conclusion

Mastering these basic Indonesian words and phrases will provide you with a solid foundation for your language learning journey. As you become more comfortable with these words, you’ll find it easier to understand and engage in simple conversations. Remember, practice makes perfect, so don’t be afraid to use these words in your daily interactions. Selamat belajar (happy learning)!