All of the islands in Indonesia have their own dialect, although, Bahasa Indonesian is spoken by pretty much everyone in Indonesia; after all it is their second language. So if you are a visitor in Bali or plan to be one soon it certainly won’t hurt to learn a few essential Bahasa words. A lot of the young people in Bali now know English, however, a lot of the older population still don’t speak English and you are going to have to learn a few basic Bahasa words eventually.
History behind Bahasa Indonesian
Bahasa became the official national language in 1928 after it was declared such by the Congress of Young People to foster unity and unity. Despite of the numerous local dialects, almost all of the Balinese people are fluent in both, Bahasa and their local language. Drawing heavy influences from Latin and Roman scripts, Bahasa is very easy to learn and speak because of its simple pronunciations and the fact that it does not use complex tenses and genders.
Advantages of learning Bahasa Indonesian
Knowing a little bit of Bahasa will go a long way and will surely, believe us, make your stay interesting and memorable. If you know Bahasa – no matter how poor your sentence formation is – you are in for a lot of surprises. Shopkeepers will be happy to see you speak their language and will give generous discounts on the goods. The Balinese are known to be polite, helpful and caring and they love it when visitors speak their language. Apart from all the help that you may need in Bali as a tourist, they will also help you improve your Bahasa! Let’s be honest, who doesn’t like to learn a new language?
Where to learn Bahasa Indonesian?
Learning Bahasa in Bali can be easy as there are a lot of schools and institutes in Seminyak, Kuta, Sanur, Ubud and Canggu. You can also search on the internet to find some good teachers that are nearer to where you are staying. Some of the most renowned institutes are Seminyak Language School, Cinta Bahasa, Pondok Pekak Library & Learning Center and IALF. With excellent curriculum and flexible schedules these institutes are the preferred choices by most of the enthusiasts eager to learn the language of Bali. If you have managed to make a few local friends in Bali, you always have the option to learn from them directly and can be the easiest way to learn.
Some of the 15 most commonly used phrases
1. Good morning – Selamat pagi
2. Good day – Selamat siang
3. Good night – Selamat sore
4. How are you? – Apa Kabar?
5. I’m great – baik baik
6. Where? – Kemana?
7. Why? – Kenapa?
8. How much is this? – Berapa ini?
9. How far? – Berapa jauh?
10. Please help me – Tolong
11. Thank you – Terima Kasih
12. You’re Welcome – Sama Sama
13. I’m Sorry – Saya minta ma’af
14. Yes – Ya
15. No – Tidak
