Indonesian Phrases You'll Actually Use in Bali (Beyond Terima Kasih)

Bahasa Indonesia is one of the easiest languages in the world to start speaking. No tones. No genders. No complicated plurals. You just add more words if you need them. A relatively small set of phrases — around fifty — can get you through most everyday Bali interactions: ordering nasi goreng, asking for gas, negotiating at night markets, chatting with your scooter mechanic.

You don’t need to be fluent for this to matter. The gap between “English speaker pointing at things” and “person who bothers to learn a few dozen phrases” is significant. Locals tend to soften, prices can drop, and conversations stop feeling purely transactional.

This guide is organized by real situations, not textbook grammar — practical phrases you’ll actually need, plus the pronunciation rules that make them stick.

How Indonesian Actually Sounds

Five sound rules. That’s it.

The ‘c’ is always ‘ch’. Candi (temple) sounds like “CHAN-dee,” not “can-dee.” Warung café is “kah-FAY,” not “cafe” the English way.

The ‘j’ is always ‘j’. Jalan (street) is “JAH-lahn.” Maju (forward) is “MAH-joo.” Consistent every time.

The ‘ng’ is a single sound, like the end of “singing.” Terima kasih becomes “tuh-REE-mah KAH-see,” but kering (dry) is “KUH-ring” with that nasal ‘ng’ you hear in English already.

Vowels are pure, like Spanish. A = “ah,” e = “eh,” i = “ee,” o = “oh,” u = “oo.” Bali is “BAH-lee.” Makan (eat) is “mah-KAHN,” not “MAKE-un.”

Stress the first syllable unless the word is short. Warung is “WAH-roong.” Terima is “tuh-REE-mah.” Kabar is “KAH-bar.” Once that’s locked in, everything else slides into place.

Greetings & Politeness (The Foundation)

Smiling matters more than perfect grammar here. Even imperfect Indonesian, delivered with a smile and genuine effort, tends to get a warm response.

Selamat pagi = Good morning (before 11 AM) “Suh-LAH-mat PAH-gee.”

Selamat siang = Good afternoon (11 AM–3 PM) “Suh-LAH-mat see-AHng.” One of the most commonly used greetings.

Selamat sore = Good evening (3–6 PM) “Suh-LAH-mat SOH-ray.” Sunset hours.

Selamat malam = Good night (after 6 PM) “Suh-LAH-mat MAH-lahm.” Also used for goodbye at night.

Apa kabar? = How are you? “AH-pah KAH-bar?” The automatic response is baik (good) or baik-baik saja (I’m fine).

Terima kasih = Thank you. “Tuh-REE-mah KAH-see.” Everyone knows this one, but the real gem is terima kasih banyak (“thank you very much,” “tuh-REE-mah KAH-see BAHN-yahk”), which tends to get noticed and appreciated.

Sama-sama = You’re welcome (literally “same-same”). “SAH-mah SAH-mah.” Also used to mean “you’re good, it’s nothing.”

Permisi = Excuse me / pardon me. “Pair-MEE-see.” Use this to get past someone in a warung or ask a question politely.

Maaf = Sorry / apologies. “mah-AHF.” Short, sincere, works everywhere.

Practical tip: rehearsing a simple greeting like “selamat siang” before walking into a shop can feel awkward at first, but a smile paired with a genuine attempt tends to open conversations up quickly.

Food & Warung (Where the Real Learning Happens)

Enak = Delicious. “eh-NAKH.” Say this to anyone serving you food — it’s usually well received.

Pedas = Spicy. “puh-DAHS.” Indonesian food often assumes you want heat.

Tidak pedas = Not spicy. “tee-DAHK puh-DAHS.” Worth learning if you’re sensitive to spice.

Nasi goreng = Fried rice. “NAH-see goh-RANG.” The staple. Mie goreng (“mee-ay goh-RANG”) is fried noodles—same idea.

Satu, dua, tiga = One, two, three. “SAH-too, DOO-ah, TEE-gah.” You’ll need 1–10: satu, dua, tiga, empat (EHM-paht), lima (LEE-mah), enam (EH-nahm), tujuh (TOO-jooh), delapan (duh-LAH-pahn), sembilan (SEHM-bee-lahn), sepuluh (suh-POO-looh).

Berapa? = How much? “buh-RAH-pah?” The question that saves money.

Bungkus = To-go / take-away. “BOONG-koos.” If you want it wrapped up: “Bungkus, ya?” (“Wrap it for me?”)

Quick tip: learning “enak” and “tidak pedas” early covers a lot of ground at warungs. If a vendor doesn’t speak English, ordering by pointing and saying “enak” once you taste it usually goes a long way.

Numbers & Bargaining (Money Talks)

Indonesian has a straightforward structure for large numbers. 100,000 rupiah is literally “seratus ribu” (one hundred thousand). A million is “satu juta” (one million). But for bargaining, you only need a few phrases.

Mahal = Expensive. “mah-HAHL.”

Murah = Cheap / inexpensive. “MOO-rah.”

Bisa kurang? = Can you reduce the price? “BEE-sah KOO-rahng?” The polite bargaining question. Kurang means “less.”

Terlalu mahal = Too expensive. “tur-LAH-loo mah-HAHL.” Use this when the first quoted price seems inflated for tourists.

Seratus ribu = 100,000 rupiah (roughly $6 USD). Lima ratus ribu = 500,000 rupiah (roughly $30 USD). Satu juta = 1 million rupiah (roughly $60 USD).

A reasonable approach: learn to count to 10, then use numbers in casual bargaining conversation — for example, “Tiga ratus?” (300k?) when a vendor quotes 500k. A smile helps. Most night market vendors expect some negotiation and tend to respect a genuine attempt.

Scooter & Transport (The Practical Stuff)

If you’re renting a scooter in Bali, these phrases are worth their weight in gas money.

Bensin = Gasoline / petrol. “bun-SEEN.” Penuh (“puh-NOO”) = full. So “Bensin penuh?” = “Full tank of gas?”

Rusak = Broken. “ROO-sahk.” “Motor rusak” = bike is broken.

Perbaiki = Fix / repair. “pair-BY-kee.” As a command: “Perbaiki, ya?” = “Fix it, will you?”

Pelan-pelan = Slowly / gently. “puh-LAHN puh-LAHN.” Say this to your ride-share driver or mechanic to mean “take it easy.”

Being able to name the problem — even just “rusak” plus pointing — tends to make scooter repairs faster and can help avoid confusion over pricing.

Hotel & Accommodation

Kamar = Room. “KAH-mar.” Kamar bersih (“clean room”) or kamar yang bagus (“a good room”).

Kunci = Key. “KOON-chee.” Use it matter-of-factly: “Kunci saya hilang” = “My key is lost.”

AC dingin = Cold AC / cold air conditioning. “AH-tsay DEE-ngin.” Many rooms advertise AC, but it can run weak. Specify: you want dingin (cold).

Wifi rusak = Wifi is broken. “WEE-fee ROO-sahk.” A useful phrase to have ready.

Handuk = Towel. “HAHN-dook.” Some guesthouses only bring one if you ask.

Air panas = Hot water. “AH-eer PAH-nahs.” Useful when your shower runs cold.

Polite Refusals & Boundaries

Tidak = No. “tee-DAHK.” Firm but polite.

Tidak terima kasih = No thank you. “tee-DAHK tuh-REE-mah KAH-see.” Use this at tourist spots or when a driver won’t let go of a sales pitch.

Tidak bisa = I can’t / it’s not possible. “tee-DAHK BEE-sah.” Say this when someone offers something you genuinely can’t do.

A polite but firm “Tidak terima kasih, maaf” (No thank you, sorry), said with a warm smile, tends to work better than a vague “Terima kasih” when you actually mean no — persistent vendors often keep pushing if the “no” isn’t clear.

Compliments (The Respect-Builder)

Kamu cantik = You’re beautiful (to a woman). “KAH-moo CHAHN-teek.” Used fairly casually in everyday conversation. Coming from a foreigner attempting Indonesian, it’s often well received.

Terima kasih banyak = Thank you very much. “tuh-REE-mah KAH-see BAHN-yahk.” A bit much for a coffee order, but fitting for someone who helped you solve a real problem.

Bagus = Good / nice. “BAH-goos.” Works for food, scenery, someone’s work. “Bagus sekali” = “Very good.”

What NOT to Say (Or Do)

Don’t yell in English. Raising your voice at someone who doesn’t speak your language rarely helps and tends to be met with a polite non-response. Respect goes both ways.

Never touch someone’s head. It’s considered sacred in Hindu-Balinese culture. Even children’s heads are treated as sensitive.

Don’t point with your feet. Use your right hand or your chin. Feet are considered unclean.

Don’t show anger in public. Yelling, cursing, or raising your voice in a restaurant or shop is considered deeply disrespectful. Step outside, take a breath, come back calm.

Apps & Language Exchange

Duolingo is free and good for building basic vocabulary through repetition. It doesn’t cover many of the situational phrases above, so it’s best paired with practical practice.

Language tutoring platforms like iTalki let you book sessions with Indonesian or Balinese-specific tutors if you’re staying long-term and want structured practice.

Language exchange meetups exist in various Bali hubs (Canggu, Ubud) from time to time — check local expat Facebook groups or Instagram community pages for current listings, since venues and schedules change often.

The Bottom Line

Fluency isn’t the goal here. A working set of thirty or so phrases — used consistently — can transform routine interactions like taxi rides and warung lunches from purely transactional into something more personal.

What tends to matter most isn’t perfection, it’s showing up and trying. Locals generally respect effort far more than flawless grammar. A imperfect “Selamat siang, apa kabar?” often gets you treated more like a regular than a passing tourist.

Start with greetings. Add food words next. Then numbers. Let those sink in before chasing the next hundred phrases. You don’t need to be fluent in Bali — just present and willing to try.

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What phrase do you want to learn first? Drop it in the comments — or better yet, try it on a local and see how it goes.