Bahasa means language, and Bahasa
Indonesia is the lingua franca of the archipelago. With
over 350 native languages currently in use throughout
the country, a good lingua franca is clearly necessary…
When pronounced or spoken, sentences in Bahasa Indonesia
(Bahasa) are usually not as lively as English, and like
Deutsche (German), words in Bahasa are pronounced pretty
much as they are written. In comparison to European
languages, the grammar is very simple.
It's good to speak a bit of the language of a country
you are visiting, or at least understand commonly used
expression or greetings - this will allow you to get
better involved with the people and culture. It also
helps to speak a bit of the language when bargaining
for souvenirs in the tourism areas, as a little knowledge
goes a long way to getting a better price!
Here are some common expressions you are bound
to hear / see / be able to use: |
