Q&A for How to Greet People in Indonesia

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How do I address a young girl?

Community Answer

In formal Indonesian: "Nona" (it means "Miss"), but most people use the area's respective traditional language - usually the word that means "older sister." For example, in Central Java & East Java, we say "Mbak" and sometimes "Ning," in West Java, we say "Teh" or "Teteh," in Jakarta we say "Neng."

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Question

How do I address a woman (business contact) informally to say, "How are you?"

Lord Elrond

Community Answer

You can say it as, "Apa kabar anda?" for a formal meeting. For an informal greeting, just say, "Hai! Oke oke aja kan?"

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How can I say "My greetings and wishes to your family"?

Community Answer

You could say "Salam saya ke keluarga Anda" which literally means "My greetings to your family." Wishes isn't included in the sentence because "salam" is already considered "greetings and wishes" in Indonesian.

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Can I expect Indonesians to show love to tourists?

Community Answer

Indonesians are usually very polite and kind towards everyone, including strangers. If you treat them with kindness and respect, they will do the same with you.

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Question

How do I greet someone properly in the afternoon?

Community Answer

Between the hours of 12:00 and 15:00 you can say "selamat siang" or just the informal "siang." Between the hours of 15:00 and 18:00, most people use "selamat sore" or the informal "sore."

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How do I say "I want to stop" in Indonesia?

Community Answer

You can say "Saya mau berhenti". I want = saya mau, to stop = berhenti.

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How do I say "hat" in Indonesia?

Community Answer

To say "hat," you would say "topi."

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What do the abbreviations mba/mbak and tggu mean?

Community Answer

Mba/mbak means "miss." You can say mbak to young girls. Tggu is shortened from "tunggu", which means "wait." People use this abbreviation in chat.

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Do I use the person's first or second name after Mrs.?

Community Answer

We usually use the person's first name after their title. For example Mr. John Smith is Bapak John. Ms. Elizabeth Smith is Mba Elizabeth.

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What does ''Selamat datang'' mean?

Rainy

Top Answerer

''Selamat datang'' means welcome. It literally translates to "good come", and it can be used at any time of the day.

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How do I say grandmother?

Community Answer

The Indonesian word for "grandmother" is ''nenek''.

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