(14) Daily Expressions and Greetings (1)

Now it is time for you to learn daily expressions and greetings. These are very useful especially when you come to or need to interact with those in Indonesian communities in your country or in Indonesia. I will present here the simple ones first. Do not be greedy; just eat as your stomach can hold. Do not worry; I am sure you will later be smarter and capable of speaking, writing, and listening of Indonesian language. Here they are:

Selamat pagi! Good morning!
Selamat siang! Good day!
Selamat sore! Good afternoon!
Selamat malam! Good evening!
Selamat tidur! Good night, sleep well!

Selamat datang! Welcome!
Selamat tinggal! Good bye! (What you say to one staying behind)
Selamat jalan! Good bye! (What you say to one leaving)
Selamat libur! Have a nice weekend!

Selamat Natal! Merry Christmas!
Selamat Ulang tahun! Happy Birthday!
Selamat berhasil! Congratulations!

(Literary, selamat means safe, but you see in the above expressions it can mean congratulations, wish for good luck, happiness, or prosperity.)

Apa kabar? How are you?
Baik-baik saja. (I am just) fine.

Sampai jumpa lagi! See you later!

Terima kasih! Thank you!
Kembali! (or Sama-sama!) You’re welcome!

(If you interrupt a conversation, or a meeting, or pass a crowd of people):
Permisi! Excuse me!
Permisi, saya mau tanya tentang … Excuse me, I would like to ask about ….

Read, learn and practice those expressions, and look how you surprise them with these expressions. If you still find it difficult to pronounce Indonesian words then you should go back to the previous lessons! It is of no use to just read the present lesson, without you being able 
to speak/pronounce the words properly.

Regards,

Ika