Dialogue - Indonesian



nama name
saya I, me
Anda you (formal)
orang person
bukan “not” (only for negating nouns)

Lesson Notes



The Focus of This Lesson is Talking about Nationality
Orang Indonesia?
"Are you Indonesian?"

The response to Siapa nama Anda ("What's your name?") is Nama saya ______ ("My name is ______"). The possessor always comes after the possessed thing, unlike in English.

The word orang, which means "person," is extremely useful for expressing one's nationality. We use this in conjunction with the names of countries in Indonesian. Some of the more common ones are Amerika ("America" or "the US,") Indonesia ("Indonesia"), Jepang ("Japan"), and Cina ("China").

Cultural Insights

Indonesian Greetings

Indonesians value someone who is aware of cultural protocols, especially upon introducing oneself. After someone is introduced, s/he traditionally shakes hands—with a rather soft touch—with the other people in the party. If a man meets a Muslim woman, it is considered gauche for him to grab her hand for a handshake. Instead, she should initiate. If she does not, the man can acknowledge her by bowing his head slightly. The woman should respond in kind. The other pervasive convention with handshaking happens immediately after the handshake: many people put their right hand over the heart to fully accept your good wishes.

Lesson Transcript

Fira: We also provide you with cultural insights...
Jason: Okay. Let's listen to the conversation.
Jason: Okay, on to the vocab.
Jason: And anyone can say this?
Jason: OK. How about “Are you Indonesian?”
Fira: Orang Indonesia?
Jason: How about “I’m Indonesian?
Fira: Saya orang Indonesia. //


Jason: Okay, that’s it for this lesson.
Fira: See you next time!