10 Words a Day

Day 1
apa : what Apa ini? ini : this, these Ini apa? itu : that, those Siapa itu? siapa : who Itu siapa? : What's this? / What are these? : What's this? / What are these?

: Who's that?

: Who's that?

ke : to Brian ke mana? : Where did Brian go? (Note it's common to drop the word 'pergi' (go)) di : in, at, on - Brian di mana? : - Where's Brian? - Brian di sana. : - He's over there. (And it's common to just say "Brian mana?" for either expression.) dari : from Brian dari mana? mana : where Mana itu? sini : here Brian, (ke) sini. sana : there Siapa itu di sana?

: He's from Canada.

: Where's that?

: Brian, come here.

: Who's that over there?

It's very important to recognize where there a mismatches or 'false friends' in a language. For example in French, there are many words that look like a word in English but the meaning is completely different. Similarly, languages will use equivalent words differently. The words "to, in, at, on' are usually completely mixed up between languages and often have direct matches less than half the time. That's why it's very important to quickly begin using words based on your idea and not translating between languages in your head. For example: 'welcome to Indonesia' is NOT 'selamat datang ke Indonesia', it's 'selamat datang di Indonesia' [welcome in Indonesia]. If you want to argue about which makes more sense, the Indonesian logic is actually better. You're already here; you've already arrived, so why would I say 'welcome to'? In Bahasa, 'ke' (to) always includes the idea of action (going), and is often used without even using the word 'pergi' (to go). 'Mau ke mana?' (Where are you going? / Where do you want to go?) (Mau pergi ke mana?) It's an easy mistake to make and can very quickly become a bad habit. I should know because I did it because nobody ever pointed it out to me. Just the other day I came across a very interesting example:

Belajar ke Luar Negeri bersama EF. (Study abroad with EF.) Below the title was: Belajar bahasa di luar negeri adalah cara tercepat dan paling efektif untuk memperlancar bahasa Anda. Needless to say, even with 'fluent' Bahasa I had to ask one of our teachers for an explanation, in fact I thought they'd made a mistake. Nope, it's absolutely correct because you read the title as 'being here' and 'going' abroad to study. Then it's 'studying a language in a foreign country is the fastest and most effective way to improve your language ability. bintang bahasa return to: index of lessons How many words a day can you learn? I don't know, it's really entirely up to the individual. How long does it take to learn a new language? Again, it's really entirely up to the individual. A very simple target to set is 10 words a day. With even a little bit of effort and a good method, you can easily achieve that. So, how long does it take to learn a know language? Well, to be able to communicate basic ideas, and understand the reply!, you need about 300 words, 500 is better. What's the best way to learn new words and increase my vocabulary? Again, it depends on the individual to some degree, but we believe that the same 'best methods' apply to everyone. The best method is by reading and listening to dialogues or conversations which you can understand quickly (i.e. you know most of the words) and new words are introduced gradually and repeated several times within the dialogue with proper spacing. What do you mean by 'proper spacing'? We mean just enough space for you to 'almost forget' the word. The first time you see a word, it's best to see it again in the next few sentences. More than that and it's gone! Especially if 2 or more other new words were also subsequently introduced. Short term memory is a very, very small bucket with big holes in the bottom for everything to fall through. Are flaschcards useful? Somewhat, but not for learning (memorizing), more for 'activating' and increasing speed of recognition and ability to recognize words with no context as reference. Therefore, only use them as a supporting tool after following the other basic steps. Once you have an active vocabulary of 200-300 words, flashcards are quite honestly, a waste of time. If you have good reading and listening material that is set up to stay within your limited vocabulary and repeat the targetted new vocabulary, then simply reading, listening and trying to speak and express your ideas is by far the best way to learn quickly. So what exactly is the best way to learn new vocabulary? Glad you asked! First, simply read and listen to simple dialogues and scenarios at your vocabulary level. For new students, best place to start is simply "What's this? / What's that?" (Apa ini? / Apa itu?) For a humorous example, try Bob Saja (Just Bob). Or try a simple scenario of a 'teacher' and 'student' asking "Apa ini? / Apa itu?". In our story "Baru Tiba" (Just Arriving), we show the 'mismatch' between 'ini' (this) and 'sini' (here). ... tiba di bandara. [arrive at airport] Permisi, imigrasi di mana? (Excuse me, where's immigration?) Di sana. (Over there.) Terimah kasih. (Thank you.) ... di imigrasi (at immigration) Paspor. (Passport.) Ini. [This.] (Here. / Here you are.) Whenever you give something to someone, in Bahasa you say 'Ini.' whereas in English you'd say 'Here.' or 'Here you are.' or 'Here you go.' Try and explain the logic of the last expression based on the vocabulary!

10 Words a day: Day 1 apa ini itu siapa ke di dari mana sini sana 1. from 2. in, at, on 3. where 4. to 5. there 6. this, these 7. here 8. what 9. that, those 10. who

Score = Correct answers:

go to next 10

Day 2
How many words do you need to know before you're able to talk to anyone? In order to communicate a handful of basic ideas, you really need to know at least a hundred words. Combine that with lots of sign language, understanding out of context, and mixing in English words, and you can probably survive a lot of situations.

Words from Day 1 what this, these that, those who to in, at, on from where

Score = Correct answers:

here there go to next 10

Here are your next ten words in Bahasa: saya : I, me, my Saya Brian.

: I'm Brian.

kamu : you Ini Steve, ya? : Are you Steve? [This Steve, yeah?] (Note the expression!) dia : he, she Nama dia siapa? Ini dia. selamat pagi - Selamat pagi! - Siapa itu? selamat siang Selamat siang, Brian ke mana? selamat sore Selamat sore! Iwan di mana? selamat malam Selamat malam, nama saya Brian. nama : name Nama dia Iwan? Itu Iwan? iya : yes Iya, nama dia Iwan. Iya, itu Iwan. bukan : not Bukan, nama dia Benny. Bukan, itu Benny. - Brian dari Australia? - Bukan, dia dari Kanada.

: What's his name? : Here it is. : good morning : - Good morning! : - Who's that? : good afternoon (11:00-15:00) : Hi, where did Brian go? : good afternoon (15:00-18:00) : Hi, where's Iwan? : good evening/night : Hi, my name's Brian.

: Is his name Iwan? : Is that Iwan?

: Yes, his name is Iwan. : Yes,that's Iwan.

: No, his name's Benny. : No, that's Benny. : - Is Brian from Australia? : - No, he's from Canada.

The difference between 'bukan' (not) and 'tidak' (no) is often confusing for students. Basically, 'bukan' negates a noun, and, in most cases, matches the word 'not' in English. Itu bukan majalah, itu koran. That's not a magazine, it's a newspaper. Words from Day 1 and 2 what Score =

this, these that, those who to in, at, on from where here there I, me, my you he, she good morning Correct answers:

good afternoon (11am-3pm)

good afternoon (3-6pm)

good evening/night

go to next 10

name yes not

Day 3
Here are your next ten words in Bahasa: hai : hi Hai, Steve. mau : want Mau minum? minum : drink Mau minum apa? makan : eat Mau makan? sedang : -ing Kamu sedang apa? baca : read Iwan baca apa? dengar : listen, hear Kamu dengar itu? bahasa : language - Itu bahasa apa? Itu bahasa Indonesia? - Iya, itu bahasa Indonesia. bisa : can Kamu bisa bicara bahasa Indonesia? : Hi, Steve.

: Do you want something to drink?

: What would you like to drink?

: Do you want something to eat?

: What are you doing?

: What are you reading?

: Did you hear that?

: - What language is that? : Is it Indonesian? : - Yes, it's Indonesian.

: Can you speak Indonesian?

bicara : speak Iya, saya bisa bicara bahasa Indonesia. : Yes, I can speak Indonesian.

How are you making out? In order to develop a 'feel' and 'rhythm' for the expressions, the words and the pronunciation, you really need to be listening to the simple dialogues and trying to 'echo' them, repeat out loud just after hearing it, or at the same time. Listen again to Bob Saja (Just Bob) and Apa ini? / Apa itu?" and try the exercise pages for each of them. Looking for the meaning of an Indonesian word? Try looking it up in our 'kamus' (dictionary).

How are you making out? If you've been doing some of the dialogues each day, then you have probably mastered many of these words already. You may have also begun to notice that Indonesian is simply 'words thrown together'. It's true! The order of words is very flexible, there are no tenses, and short expressions are common. The exact meaning is often taken out of context and it's important to not get 'locked into' certain meanings or ways of saying things. Stay flexible. Continue with the dialogue exercises and we suggest you type your answers quickly and don't worry about how many you miss. There's no benefit in wasting time thinking too long. Keep the whole process of learning progressing quickly and steadily. Go to next 10 words.

Day 4
Here are your next ten words in Bahasa: Here are your next ten words in Bahasa and there sample sentences

sudah : already
Iwan sudah makan? Sudah baca ini? Sudah. / Belum. Sudah dengar? Sudah bisa bicara bahasa Indonesia? Sudah. / Belum. / Sedikit. : Have you eaten? / Did you eat already? : Have you read this? : Yes, I have. / No, not yet. : Have you heard? / Did you hear? : Can you speak Indonesian yet/now? : Yes. / Not yet. / A little.

belum : not yet

Saya belum dengar itu. Hey, saya belum baca itu! Sudah ke sana? Nanti saya ke sana. : I hadn't heard that. : Hey, I haven't read that yet! : Did you go there already? : I'll go there later.

nanti : later
- Nanti saya mau bicara. - Mau bicara apa? - Ya, nanti (saja). saja, aja = : - I'd like to speak with you later. : - What do you want to talk (with me) about? : - We'll talk about it later. : just, only

tadi : earlier
Tadi saya ke sana. Tadi sudah makan. Tadi mau ke mana? - Tadi sudah bicara? - Iya, sudah. : I was there earlier. / I (already) went there earlier. : I already ate earlier. : Where were you going earlier? : - Did you talk to him earlier? : - Yes, I did.

sekarang : now Sekarang mau ke mana? Sekarang (mau) ke mana? hari ini : today Hari ini Brian mau ke sini. Hari ini, hari apa? (Mau) Ke mana hari ini? - Iwan ke sini hari ini, bukan? - Bukan. Besok dia ke sini. besok : tomorrow Besok saya ke sana. Besok saya bisa ke sana. kemarin : yesterday Saya dengar itu kemarin. kerja : work Steve kerja di mana? Saya belum kerja. : Where do you work, Steve? : I'm not working yet. : I heard about it yesterday. : I'm going there tomorrow. : I can come tomorrow. : Brian's coming (here) today. : What day is it today? : Where are you going today? : - Iwan's coming (here) today, isn't he? : - No, he's coming (here) tomorrow. : Where do you want to go now? : Where are you going now?

belajar : study, learn Saya mau belajar bahasa Indonesia. : I want to study/learn Indonesian. Tadi saya belajar bahasa Indonesia. : I studied Indonesian earlier (today). tinggal : live, stay Dia tinggal di mana? - Kamu tinggal di mana sekarang? - Sekarang saya tinggal di Kemang. : Where does he live? : - Where are you living now? : - I'm living in Kemang now.

Day 5
ada : is, are
Iwan ada? / Iwan ada di sana? : Is Iwan there?

tidak : no
Saya tidak tahu itu siapa. Hari ini (saya) tidak bisa. : I don't know who that is. : I can't today.

bilang : say
Dia bilang apa tadi? : What did he say (earlier)?

tahu : know
Kamu tahu ini bahasa apa? Saya tidak tahu kamu bisa baca bahasa Rusia! : Do you know what language this is?

: I didn't know you could read Russian!

mengerti : understand
Saya tidak mengerti ini. : I don't understand this. Saya tidak mengerti dia bicara apa. : I don't understand what he's talking about. Saya tidak mengerti dia bicara apa (tadi): I didn't understand what he said. / I didn't understand what he was talking about. Saya tidak dengar dia bilang apa. : I didn't hear what he said.

lupa : forget
Ah, lupa! : Ah, I forgot! / Ah, I forget!

ingat : remember
Kamu ingat ini hari apa? : Do you remember what day it is?

jalan-jalan : go for a walk

- Mau ke mana? - Jalan-jalan. : - Where are you going? - Just going for a walk.

lagi, sedang : -ing

Lagi ngapain? ( Kamu sedang apa? Lagi belajar. ( Lagi kerja. / Lagi makan. / : What are you doing? : What are you doing? ) : I'm studying. : I'm working/eating/ )

boleh : may
- Mau minum? - Boleh. Boleh saya tahu, ini dari mana? Boleh (saya) bicara? Oke, sekarang boleh makan. : - Want something to drink? - Sure, please. : Would you mind telling me where this is from? : May I say something? : Okay, now you can eat.

Day 6
Here are your next ten words in Bahasa:

bagus : good
Nama kamu bagus. : You have a nice name. Itu nama bagus. : That's a nice name. ( Namanya bagus ya! / Itu sebuah nama yang bagus. ) Kerja kamu bagus. : You did a good job. Kerja kamu bagus. (Kerjaan kamu bagus.) : You've done / You've been doing a good job. ( kerja = work ; (pe)kerjaan = job ) Hasil kerjaan kamu selama ini bagus. : You've been doing good work. ( hasil = result ) Pekerjaan kamu bagus. : You have a good job. Kamu kerja di mana? : Where do you work. (Kamu bekerja di mana?) Di BNI. : At BNI. Pekerjaan kamu bagus. : That's a nice job. (Itu tempat kerja yang bagus.) : (That's a nice place to work.) ( tempat = place ; yang = which ) Bagusnya ada ini. : It's better to have this. Bagusan (yang) mana ya? : Which one's better? (mana = where ; (yang) mana = which) Bagusan (yang) ini. : This one's better. Wah, ini bagus. : Hey, this is one's nice. Bagusnya ada dia. : I wish he was here. / Too bad he couldn't come.

baik : good, fine

Baik, saya mengerti sekarang. Baik, saya ke sana besok. Maaf, kerjaan ini kurang baik. Maaf, kerjaan ini kurang bagus. Baik, terima kasih. : Okay, I understand now. : Okay, I'll come over tomorrow. : Sorry, but this isn't very good. : Sorry, but this isn't good enough. : Okay, thanks.

lama : a long time

Kamu lama mengerti. Kamu mau lama di sini? Ya, saya mau lama. Dia sudah lama di sini? Lama nggak? (Lama tidak?) Sudah lama kerja di sana? Iya, sudah lama. : It's hard for you to understand. (You're a bit stupid.) : Are you here for a while? / Will you be staying long? : Yes I am. : Has he (already) been here a long time? : Will you be long? : Have you been working there a long time? : Yes, quite a while.

sebentar : just a moment

Sebentar ya Saya (di sini) sebentar (saja). (saja, aja = just, only) Bisa (saya) bicara sebentar? Boleh (saya) bicara? : Just a minute ya. : I'll only be (here for) a few minutes. : Can I talk to you for a minute? : Can/May I say something?

baru : new; just

Saya baru makan. Saya baru tinggal di sini. Baru semalam. (semalam : = last night; one night) Baru semalam. Ah, itu baru (saya) mengerti. Ah, baru tahu (itu). - Ini baru ya? - Iya, baru. Baru tadi (saya) bicara. Baru saya bilang. Nah, sekarang baru bisa. Nah, sekarang jalan. Yuk, kita jalan sekarang.

: I just ate. (I've just eaten.) : I just moved in. : Just last night. : Now I get it. (Now I understand.) : I never knew that. : - It this new? - Yes, it's new. : I just talked to him/her. : That's what I just said. / That's what I just told you. : Ah, now it's okay. : Ah, now it's working. : Come on, let's go.

suka : like
Kamu suka ini? ( Kamu suka? Ya (saya) suka. Nggak suka? Ya saya suka. Kamu suka jalan-jalan? Kamu sering jalan-jalan? ( sering : often ) Saya suka lupa. Saya suka kerja di sana. : Do you like this? : Do you like it? ) : Yes, I do. / Yes, I like it. : You don't like it? (Don't you like it?) : Yes, I do. / Yes, I like it. : Do you go out a lot? / Do you like shopping and stuff? : Do you go out a lot? : I often/always forget. ; I'm very forgetful. : I like working there.

lebih : more
Saya lebih suka belajar membaca. : I prefer learning to read. Oke, sekarang saya lebih mengerti. : Okay, I understand better now. Lebih baik, nanti aja. : Better to do it later. Si Iwan lebih tahu. : Iwan knows more (about it). ( Si = no meaning; used before a person's name ) Dia yang lebih tahu. : He knows more (about it). ( have to use 'yang' ) Mau lagi? / Mau nambah (lagi)? : Do you want some more?

kurang : less
Dia kurang makan. Dia kurang makan. / Dia makan sedikit. Dia kurang makan. (Dia kurang gizi.) ( gizi : nutrients ) Kurang lebih. : He's not eating enough. : He didn't eat (very) much. : He doesn't eat much. / He doesn't get enough to eat. / He's not getting enough to eat. : More or less.

enak : tasty, delicious; nice, easy, convenient

Makanan ini enak. Enak kerja di sini. Enak bisa bicara bahasa Indonesia. Lebih enak(an) sore. Di sini enak ya? Kemarin enak ya? Mana/Apa enaknya? : This food is delicious. : It's great working here. : It's great to be able to speak Indonesian. : Afternoon is better. (Afternoon would be better.) : It's nice here, eh? : That was a good time yesterday, eh? : What so great about it/that?

Wah, dia enak ya? Ah, mau seenaknya! Di sana enak.

: Wah, he's got it made, eh? : Ah, you just want everything your way! : How about over there? / Over there looks good.

terima kasih : thank you

Terima kasih ya. Terima kasih mau mengerti. Terima kasih minumnya. Terima kasih kemarin ya? : Thanks ya. : Thanks for your understanding. : Thanks for the drink. : Thanks for the other day ya?

maaf : sorry
Maaf, dia sedang kerja. Maafin saya ya Ya, saya maafin kamu. Bukan 'maf', 'maaf'. Maaf, siapa ni? (Maaf, siapa ini?) Maaf, hari ini saya tidak bisa. Maaf, tadi saya lupa. Maaf, tadi saya tidak dengar. Maaf, saya tidak suka itu. Maaf, namanya siapa? Maaf, saya tidak mengerti. Maaf, sebentar ya? Maaf, saya tidak tahu. Maaf/Permisi, ini jalan apa? Maaf, hari ini hari apa? : Sorry, he's working. : Please forgive me. : Yes, I forgive you. : Not 'maf', 'maaf'. : Sorry, who is this? (on the phone) : Sorry, I can't today. : Sorry, I forgot earlier. : Sorry, I didn't hear what you just said. : Sorry, I don't like that/those/them. : Sorry, what's your name (again)? : Sorry, I don't understand. : Sorry, just a minute ya? : Sorry, I didn't know. : Excuse me, what street is this? : Sorry/Excuse me, what day is it (today)?

permisi : excuse me
Permisi, Budinya ada? Permisi ya. : Excuse me, is Budi home/there? : Excuse me.

Day 7
Here are your next ten words in Bahasa:

bapak : mister, sir

Bapak di mana bu? Bapak dia namanya Abdul. Bapak dia yang mana? Bapak kamu kerja dimana? Bapak itu mau ke mana? Bapak sedang makan. Bapak kamu yang itu bukan? Bukan, bapak saya yang itu : Mom! Wheres dad? : His fathers name is Abdul. : Which one his/her dad? : Where is your dad working? : Where is he going? (Where does he want to go) : Dad is eating. : That's your father, isn't? : No, my dad is the other one

ibu : ma'am; mom, mother

Nama ibu kamu siapa? Ibu saya namanya Yanti. Ibu saya sedang makan. Saya mau les B. Inggris ke Bu Linda. Ibumu di ruang tengah Ini tas punya ibu saya. (tas = bag, handbag, briefcase) Ibu dia ke mana ya? Oh iya ibunya lagi kerja. Di mana ibunya kerja? Kurang tahu. : What is your moms name? : My moms name is Yanti. : My mom is eating. : I want to study English to Mis Linda. :Your mother is in the living room. :This briefcase is my mom's. : Where did his mom go? : O..hh. His mom is working. : Where does his mom work? : I don't know.

kita : we, us, our

Kita sekarang lagi belajar. Kita di mana sekarang? Dia tetangga kita juga. (masih = still) Kita harus bantu mereka. Kita akan pergi ke Bandung besok. (pergi = go) Kita mau ke mana sekarang? : We are studying now. : Where are we now? : He is our neighbor also. : We have to help them. : We're going to Bandung tomorrow. : Where are we going now?

Anda : you
Maaf, Anda siapa? : Excuse me, (Sorry) who are you? Anda dari mana? : Where are you from? Ini pesanan Anda. : Here it isit's your order. Anda sudah menikah? : Have you got marriage Ini punya Anda, Pak? : It's your's Mr? Ternyata Anda orangnya sangat menyenangkan. : You're a friendly man. (sangat = very) Maaf, Anda Bapak Rudi, bukan? : Excuse me, Are you Mr. Budi. Arent you? Bukan, nama saya Hasan. : No, my name is Hasan. Oh, maaf. : Oh, sorry.

mereka : they
Mereka lagi belajar. Mereka dari mana? Siapa mereka? Mereka sedang men(dengar)kan radio. : They are studying. : Where are they from? : Who are they? : They are listening to the radio.

Mereka mau ke mana? Jalan-jalan. Ah saya juga mau ikut sama mereka.

: Where are they going? : They are going for a walk. : Ah..I want to join with them also.

halo : hello
Halo! Selamat pagi. Halo! Mau ke mana? Halo! Apa kabar? Halo! Dengan siapa saya bicara. : Hello! Good morning. : Hello! Where are you going? : Hello! How are you? : Hello! Who am I speaking with?

kapan : when
Kapan kita jalan-jalan? : When are we going for a walk? Kapan kamu ke sini? : When are you coming here? Kapan kamu mau kerja? : When are you going to work? Kapan lagi kita bisa belajar (ber)sama-sama :When are we studying together again? Kapan kamu mau pergi? (pergi = go) Kapan-kapan kita bisa tinggal di sini. : When are you going? : We can live here sometime.

bagaimana : how
Bagaimana kerja kamu? : How is your work? Bagaimana kerjaan kamu? : How is your job? Bagaimana kamu ke sini? : How did you get here? Bagaimana belajarnya? : How is your study? Bagaimana kalau kita belajar sama-sama? : How if we study together?

lagi : more, again

Bu! Saya mau makan lagi. Mau (minum) lagi? Lagi kemana dia? Kamu coba sekali lagi ya Aku dan dia lagi jalan-jalan. : Mom! I want to eat again. : (Do) you want to drink more? : Where did he go? : You try one more ya. : He and I are going for a walk.

cukup : enough
Nggak, makasih. Ini cukup. Tidak, terima kasih. Ini cukup. Makanan ini cukup enak. Cukup nggak? Ya, cukup, makasih (terima kasih) Kerja kamu cukup bagus. : No, thanks. Its enough. : No, thank you. Its enough. : The taste of this food is not bad. : Enough? (Enough or yet?) : Yes, it's enough, thanks ya : You have a good job.