Last updated on January 25, 2024
Contributed and posted by ‘The Indonesian Way’, a textbook for the Indonesian language by George Quinn and Uli Kozok.
The small ceremony of a formal introduction is quite important in Indonesia. It applies to both men and women. Whether you are introducing yourself or being introduced by a third person, you usually say your name and extend your hand, taking the other person’s hand in a light, bland clasp.
A strong grip and vigorous shaking of the hand are considered a bit crass. In some parts of the country, after releasing the other person’s hand, people often raise their hand and touch it to their chest as if they are placing their new acquaintance in their heart. In most parts of Indonesia it is normal for men and women to shake each others’ hands, but in a few more strict Islamic communities it is regarded as improper for a man and woman to touch each other, even in a handshake, unless they are husband and wife, mother and son etc.
Hand-shaking is also common not only at initial introductions, but also as a kind of greeting between people who already know one another. They will often greet each other with a handshake even if they haven’t been separated long.