Last updated on February 16, 2024
Numbers with decimal point and thousand separator
|n numerous English-speaking nations, including former British and American colonies, a full-stop (period) is used to denote the decimal place, and a comma for separating thousands.
In Australia, for instance you would say “a loaf of bread weighs 0.75 kg (zero point seven five kilogram).
In Europa, and most other non-English speaking nations, it is the opposite. In fact, there are more than twice as many countries that use the decimal comma instead of the decimal point.
Indonesia adheres to the European system, as exemplified by:
- satu koma tiga kilogram (1,3 kg)
- one point three kilograms (1.3 kg)
Indonesia uses a period to seperate thousands:
- enam ratus ribu Rupiah (Rp. 600.000)
- six hundred thousand Rupiah (Rp. 600,000)
Instead of the comma, fractions are commonly used as well:
- seperempat liter susu (a quarter litre of milk)
- satu setengah kilometer (one and a half kilometres)
Other commonly used fractions are sepertiga and seperdelapan:
- Seperdelapan luas terumbu karang dunia ada di Indonesia
- one eighth of the world’s coral reefs are located in Indonesia
Measures
While most countries use the metric system, the United States employs its own system based on the old British Imperial System. Indonesia, however, fully embraces the metric system since its adoption in 1923.
Just like in many European countries, remnants of the old system are still recognisable in Indonesia’s metric system. In colloquial speech, Indonesians using the ons (ounce).
However, this is a metricised ounce weighing 100 grams whereas the American ounce weighs 28 grams. Therefore, you have to be careful as sharing measurements in ounces may lead to confusion.
Similar to the ounce, Indonesia has metricised the tonne. One ton equals 1000 kilograms whereas the United States ton weighs 907 kilograms and the British tonne 1016 kg,
If you mention your height in Indonesia using feet and inches, or your weight in pounds, you might not be understood; therefore, using centimetres and kilograms is not only recommended but a necessity. While some Indonesians may roughly know how long one-inch foot or mile is, other measures commonly used in the USA or England are rarely understood in Indonesia. This includes Fahrenheit, Yards, Stones, Pints, Quarts, Cups, and Gallons. And even the best educated Indonesians will most likely not know what a British Thermal Unite (BTU) is.
Indonesians use watts and kilowatts instead.
While the Indonesian system is metric, there is, besides the above-mentioned ons, one more unit, which is not frequently used in many European countries, the are. One are is the equivalent of one hundreds of a hektar (hectare), or 100 square metres.
Time
The contemporary 24-hour clock, commencing at midnight and divided into 24 hours, is the standard timekeeping convention followed by most countries. While many English-speaking nations maintain a 12-hour clock with a.m. and p.m., Indonesia predominantly uses the 24-hour clock in official announcements.
Colloquially, however, the 12-hour clock may still be used without the addition of a.m. or p.m. To provide clarity, one can add terms like pagi (morning), siang (noon), sore (afternoon), or malam (night) when needed.
Following the European convention, hours are separated from minutes by a full-stop (dot) instead of a colon:
- Pertunjukan itu mulai pukul 14.30.
- The show starts at 2:30 p.m.
In spoken language, alternatives such as “Pertunjukannya mulai jam dua lewat tiga puluh menit siang” or the more common “Pertunjukannya mulai jam setengah tiga” are also acceptable.