Java has become one of the most favorite tourist destinations in Indonesia. It is famous for Mount Bromo, Borobudur Temple, Prambanan Temple, and many other attractive sites.
One of the local languages in Java is called Javanese. Around 85 million Indonesians speak Javanese every day. This is the case because almost 50% of Indonesians are living on Java island where Javanese is widely spoken (particularly in East Java, Central Java, Jogkajarta).
For your information, Javanese has 2 delivery levels, Ngoko (informal), and Krama (formal). Locals use Ngoko when they talk to someone they know well, or the person who is younger or of similar age. While Krama is used when they talk to the older person or the person they have to respect. At certain expressions, Ngoko and Krama can have the same words.
If you have a plan to visit Indonesia and put Java island on your destination list, you can try to learn some common Javanese words or phrases and how to pronounce them. These phrases may come handy for your trip.
Useful Javanese Phrases for Tourists
1. Greetings and Addressing Someone
Javanese locals are friendly. If you want to make friends or just be nice to them, you can always start with greetings.
● Good morning : Sugeng enjing [sʊːgəng ɪnˈdʒing]
● Good afternoon : Sugeng siang [sʊːgəng sijʌng]
● Good evening : Sugeng dalu [sʊːgəng dʌlu]
● Welcome : Sugeng rawuh [sʊːgəng rɑwəʊ]
● Sir : Bapak [ˈbʌpɑk]
● Ma’am : Ibu [ɪˈbuː]
● Brother : Mas [mʌs]
● Miss : Mbak [(m)bɑk]
2. Common Questions and Response
These are the usual questions delivered by tourists. The first option is in Ngoko Javanese, and the second option is in Krama Javanese.
● What is your name? : Sapa jenengmu? [sɒpɒ ˈdʒənəngmʊ] / Sinten asmanipun? [sɪntɜn ɑːsˈmʌnipuːn]
● I’m (Your Name) : Aku [ˈɑːkʊ] (Your Name) / Kula [kʊlɒ] (Your Name)
● How are you? : Piye kabare? [piːje ˈkʌˈbʌːre] / Pripun kabaripun? [prɪˈpuːn ˈkʌˈbʌːrɪˈpuːn]
● I’m fine : Apik-apik bae [ˈɑːpɪkˈɑːpɪk bɑːˈe] / Sae-sae mawon [sɑ(e)sɑ(e) mʌːwɒn]
● Do you speak English? : Isa basa Inggris? [ɪːsɒ bɒsɒ ɪŋːgriːs] / Saged basa Inggris? [sɑːgəd bɒsɒ ɪŋːgriːs]
● Yes : Iyo [ˈɪːjɒ] / Inggih [ˈɪnˈdʒih]
● No : Ora [ɒrʌ] / Mboten [(m)bɒːtən]
● I need your help : Aku njaluk tulung [ˈɑːkʊ (n)dʒaːlʊk tʊlʊng] / Kula nyuwun tulung [kʊlɒ njuˈwʊːn tʊlʊng]
● I’m lost : Aku kesasar [ˈɑːkʊ kəsʌsʌr] / Kula kesasar [kʊlɒ kəsʌsʌr]
● Where is this? : Iki neng endi? [ˈɪːki neng ˈənˌdɪ] / Niki wonten pundi? [niːki wɒntən ˈpuːnˌdɪ]
● Where is the toilet? : Jeding neng endi? [dʒədɪŋ neng ˈənˌdɪ] / Jeding-ipun wonten pundi? [dʒədɪŋˈɪˈpʊn wɒntən ˈpuːnˌdɪ]
● Where is the gas station? : Pom bensin neng endi? [pɒm bænsɪn neng ˈənˌdɪ] / Pom bensin wonten pundi? [pɒm bænsɪn wɒntən ˈpuːnˌdɪ]
● How do I get to the supermarket? : Piye ancer-ancer menyang swalayan? [piːje ʌnʃərːʌnʃər mɜːnjɑng swʌˈlɑːjɑn] / Pripun ancer-ancer dateng swalayan? [prɪˈpuːn ʌnʃərːʌnʃər dʌtəng swʌˈlɑːjɑn]
● You can go by the public transportation : Sampeyan isa numpak angkot [sʌmːpæːjɑn ɪːsɒ nuːmˈpʌːk ʌŋkɒt] / Panjengan saged nitih angkot [pʌndʒənəngˈʌn sɑːgəd nɪːtɪː ʌŋkɒt]
● Go straight ahead : Lurus bae [ˈluːruːs bɑːˈe] / Lurus mawon [ˈluːruːs mʌːwɒn]
● Turn right : Menggok nengen [ˈmæŋɡɒːk nəŋːən]
● Turn left : Menggok ngiwa [ˈmæŋɡɒːk ŋɪwɒ]
● Is it far? : Adoh? [ˈɑːdɒː] / Tebih? [təbˈeː]
● Is it near? : Cedek? [tʃəːdək] / Celak? [tʃəːlʌk]
● It is about 15 minutes : Kira-kira lima-las menit [kɪrɒːkɪrɒ lɪmɒlɑːs mənɪt] / Kinten-kinten gangsal welas menit [kɪntənːkɪntən gʌŋsʌl wəlɑs mənɪt]
● Can you repeat? : Tulung dibaleni [tʊlʊng dɪbɑleːnɪ] / Nyuwun tulung dipun wangsuli [njuˈwʊːn tʊlʊng dɪˈpuːnˌwʌngsʊlɪ]
● Be careful : Ati-ati [ˈɑːtɪːˈɑːtɪː] / Atos-atos [ˈɑːtɒːsˈɑːtɒːs]
● What time is it? : Jam pira saiki? [dʒʌm pɪrɒ sɑkːɪːki] / Jam pinten sakmenika? [dʒʌm pɪntən sɑkːmənɪkɒ]
● It’s 9.30 : Saiki jam setengah sepuluh [sɑkːɪːki dʒʌm sətəŋːɑh səpɔlɔː] / Sakmenika jam setengah sedasa [sɑkːmənɪkɒ dʒʌm sətəŋːɑh sədɒːsɒ]
● I don’t understand / I don’t know : Aku ora ngerti [ˈɑːkʊ ɒrʌ ŋərːtɪ] / Kula mboten ngertos [kʊlɔː (m)bɒtən ŋərːtɒs]
3. Politeness
Politeness is a very valuable trait in Java. Being polite shows that we appreciate and respect others. You can show your politeness with your gestures like smiling or nodding to the person you’re speaking to, it will make others feel your sincerity.
● Excuse me : Amit [ˈʌːmit] / Nuwun sewu [nʊwʊːn seːwʊ]
● Please : Tulung [tʊlʊng]
● Thank you : Suwun [sʊːwʊn] / Matur nuwun [mɑtʊr nʊːwʊn]
● You’re welcome : Podo-podo [pɒdɒːpɒdɒː] / Sami-sami [sʌːmiːsʌːmi]
● I’m sorry : Sepurane [səpʊrʌneː] / Nyuwun pangapunten [njuˈwʊːn pʌngˈɑːpʊnːtɜn]
4. Other Useful Words
When you come to the local’s food stall or souvenir shop to buy something, you don’t have to know what all of that stuff is called in Javanese. You can just point out the thing / object you’re referring to, ask the seller about the price and tell them how many items you want to buy. Just for the sake of simplicity. Some of these phrases may come handy at times for you:
● I want to buy this : Aku arep tuku iki [ˈɑːkʊ ˈɑːrəp tʊkʊ ɪːkiː] / Kula badhe tumbas menika [kʊlɒ bʌðe tuːmbʌs mənɪkɒ]
● Where can I buy this? : Iki tuku neng endi? [ɪːkiː tʊkʊ nɪŋˈənˌdɪ] / Niki tumbas dateng pundi? [niːkiː tuːmbʌs dʌtəng ˈpuːnˌdɪ]
● Which one? : Sing endi? [sɪŋˈənˌdɪ] / Ingkang pundi? [ɪŋkʌŋ ˈpuːnˌdɪ]
● This one : Iki [ɪːkiː] / Niki [niːkiː]
● That one : Iku [ɪːkuː] / Nika [niːkɒ]
● How much does it cost? : Iki pira regane? [ɪːkiː pɪrɒ rəɡʌneː] / Niki pinten reginipun? [niːkiː pɪntən rəgɪnɪˈpuːn]
● It’s only 10,000 : Mung sepuluh ewu [mʊng səpɔlɔː eːwʊ] / Namung sedasa ewu [nʌmʊng sədɒːsɒ eːwʊ]
● One : Siji [siːdʒiː] / Setunggal [sətʊŋɡʌl]
● Two : Loro [lɔːrɔ] / Kalih [kʌːleː]
● Three : Telu [təlʊ] / Tiga [tiːgɒ]
● Four : Papat [pɑːpɑt] / Sekawan [səkʌwʌn]
● Five : Lima [lɪmɒ] / Gangsal [gʌŋsʌl]
● Six : Enem [əːnəm]
● Seven : Pitu [pɪtʊ]
● Eight : Wolu [wɒlʊ]
● Nine : Sanga [sɒŋɒ]
● Ten : Se-puluh [səpɔlɔː] / Se-doso [sədɒːsɒ]
● Twelve : Ro-las [rɒlɑːs] / Kalih-welas [kʌːleːwəlɑs]
● Fifteen : Lima-las [lɪmɒlɑːs] / Gangsal-welas [gʌŋsʌl wəlɑs]
● Twenty : Rong-puluh [rɒng pɔlɔː] / Kalih-doso [kʌːleːdɒːsɒ]
● Twenty five : Selawe [səlʌːweː] / Selangkung [səlʌŋkʊng]
● Thirty : Telung-puluh [təlʊng pɔlɔː] / Tigang-doso [tɪgɑng dɒːsɒ]
● Thirty five : Telung-puluh limo [təlʊng pɔlɔː lɪmɒ] / Tigang-doso gangsal [tɪgɑng dɒːsɒ gʌŋsʌl]
● Forty : Patang-puluh [pɑːtɑng pɔlɔː] / Sekawan-doso [səkʌwʌn dɒːsɒ]
● Fifty : Seked [ˈseˈkəd]
● Sixty : Suwidak [sʊwɪdʌk]
● One hundred : Satus [sɑːtʊs] / Setunggal-atus [sətʊŋɡʌl ɑːtʊs]
● Five hundred : Limang-atus [lɪmɑng ɑːtʊs] / Gangsal-atus [gʌŋsʌl ɑːtʊs]
● One thousand : Sewu [seːwʊ] / Setunggal-ewu [sətʊŋɡʌl eːwʊ]
● Two thousand : Rong-ewu [rɒng eːwʊ] / Kalih-ewu [kʌːleː eːwʊ]
● Fifteen thousand : Lima-las ewu [lɪmɒlɑːs eːwʊ] / Gangsal-welas-ewu [gʌŋsʌl wəlɑs eːwʊ]
● Fifty thousand : Seked-ewu [ˈseˈkəd eːwʊ]
● One hundred thousand : Satus-ewu [sɑːtʊs eːwʊ] / Setunggal-atus-ewu [sətʊŋɡʌl ɑːtʊs eːwʊ]
Those are the common Javanese phrases that can be useful for tourists. If you only plan to visit international-standard or modern hotels, restaurants, and tourist attractions, you may not need to worry about learning these Javanese phrases. However, if you intend to immerse yourself into the local culture, learning some of these phrases is always a good idea! Regardless, we hope you enjoy your trip to Java, Indonesia!
