Tidak Harus?
There is no *tidak harus” in Indonesian (or rather, *tidak harus occurs rarely and only in special contexts). So how do you negate harus? A quick glance at English will help here. In English we have…
“You” Avoidance
The use of second person pronouns is one of the most difficult areas of Indonesian. Even the few tentative steps we are starting to take at this point present fairly formidable, prickly, subtle…
Bapak and Ibu
In English, basically we have just one second person pronoun: “you”. Except in a few exceptional circumstances, “you” can be used to address practically anyone at all. In some European languages there are…
Thank You … Yes or No?
‘Apakah’ is a yes/no question word. If a Yes/No question has bisa or mau in it usually we answer the question in the affirmative by repeating the bisa ormau. This can be followed by terima kasih if…
Be Polite About Other People’s Body
Many Indonesians are sensitive about references to their bodies. It is not exactly impolite to talk about another person’s body, but you need to be cautious because the body is not usually a…
Indonesia’s Culture of Bargaining
Negotiating a price is the norm in Indonesia’s many thousands of markets, but often even in shops where “fixed” prices are displayed, there may be room for negotiation. There is usually no harm…
Kopi for Coffee
Indonesia is famous for its tea and coffee. Picturesque tea plantations cover the hills in many parts of the country, particularly in West Java, and sipping glasses of tepid, very sweet tea is…
“Clever” In English And In Indonesian
Pandai often means “to be good at” but in certain contexts it can also be translated by the English terms “clever”, “bright”, “smart”, “intelligent” etc. even “knowledgeable”. If pandai is used in that…
A New Day Begins At Sundown
Interestingly, the phrase tadi malam, which is usually translated “last night” or “yesterday night”, actually refers to an earlier part of the current day, like tadi siang and tadi pagi. The reason for…
Indonesian Calendar
Even the humble calendar reveals something of Indonesia’s extraordinary diversity and its turbulent past. Look at this page from an ordinary calendar. You will notice that under the number representing each date in…
