12 Ways to Say Thank You in Indonesian Like a Native

It is always good to know how to say Thank you in Indonesian when you find yourself in the busy streets of Jarkarta! Learning how to say hello and show gratitude is a staple when learning a new language.

Where you should go about learning ways to say thank you in Indonesian can be quite the search— luckily, this article will be  your guide in teaching you how to express your gratitude in the Indonesian language!

Terima Kasih Banget Adit Gurnawijaya GIF - Terima Kasih Banget Adit Gurnawijaya Terima Kasih GIFs

Formal Ways to Say Thank You in Indonesian

Terima kasih – Thank you

One of the most common ways of thanking someone in Indonesian.

You would use this phrase when someone holds the door open for you, or when your brother shares his Beef Rendang with you. In any situation, really. Very useful for when you can’t remember the other phrases.

Terima kasih banyak – Thank you very much

Banyak means “very”, so by adding it to Terima kasih you create the phrase “thank you very much”. This increases the amount of gratitude that you are showing to someone.

You would use this when someone goes out of their way to help you. When your boss complimented your work, or when your banker spent the entire day looking for your documents.

Thanks Thank You GIF by Indonesian Idol

Terima kasih atas waktu anda – Thank you for your time

Atas waktu anda means “for your time”, you are basically thanking someone for taking time out of their day to do something for you. A good phrase to use in a formal meeting or when hosting an event.

You would use this when thanking people for reading your article or showcasing your business proposal to someone.

Terima kasih atas perhatiannya – Thanks for your attention

Atas perhatiannya means “for your attention”, you are thanking someone or a group of people for listening to what you had to say.

You would use this when making an announcement at an event, or when concluding your presentation.

Informal Ways to Say Thank You in Indonesian

Makasih – Thanks

A shorter/combined version of Terima kasih, a slang word. It is usually used among locals as a quicker way to say “thank you”. This phrase is usually used among friends or informal situations.

You would use this when a friend hands you your cup of coffee or when thanking the taxi driver.

Bunga Citra Lestari Thank You GIF by Indonesian Idol

Makasih ya – Thanks

A shorter informal form of “thank you”. Ya is used in this phrase to mark the speaker’s gratitude towards someone. This phrase is used towards people that are known very well, such as friends or family.

You would use this phrase when your sister waited for you at the train station (you were running late, again) or when your spouse heated up your food.

Thanks ya – Thank you

It is considered as slang and has the same meaning as Makasih ya, just a lot more casual.

Makasih banyak – Thanks a lot

Banyak means “a lot” or “very much” in Indonesian. Couple this with the slang word Makasih, you have an informal phrase that means “thanks a lot”. It is similar to that of Makasih, but with more enthusiasm!

You can use this when your mother brings home your favorite snack, or when your friend buys you a movie ticket.

Thank you in Indonesian When Texting

source: Porapak Apichodilok, pexels.

These phrases are all very casual and comprise mostly of slang. This should only be used to show gratitude towards close friends and family. You can use these when your friend sends you the location of an event, or when a friend answered a question you asked them.

Trims – Thanks

Another shortened or slang version of terima kasih which means thanks. Think of it as the Indonesian version of “Tnx”. This form of thank you is mostly used among the younger generations and should only be used with close friends or family.

Kamsia (by Chinese Indonesian) – Thanks

Kamsia isn’t Indonesian, but actually Hokkien or Southern Min Chinese. This form of thank you is used among the Chinese residents of Indonesia. It is a very casual phrase and should be used with close friends or family. Other than the local Chinese, this phrase isn’t used among Indonesians.

Maaci – Thank you

A slang or a “cuter” version of makasih, which bears the same meaning. It is just considered to be more way informal or casual, not recommended to be used with your boss, or anyone you don’t know well!

Tenkyu – Thanks a lot

Another form of slang that means “thanks a lot” or similar to Makasih banyak.

Elaiza Tenkyu GIF - Elaiza Tenkyu Thank GIFs

How to say You’re Welcome in Indonesian

source: Sora Shimazaki, pexels.

Sama sama – You’re welcome (formal/informal)

The word sama means “same”, so sama-sama means “the same”. This is used to express that you are equally as grateful as the person who thanked you. This phrase is both formal and informal, so it can be used in any situation.

You can use this phrase after your father thanked you for helping him out in the garden, or after a sweet old lady thanked you for carrying her grocery bags.

Terima kasih kembali – You’re welcome (formal)

Terima kasih means “thank you” and kembali means “return”, essentially meaning “you’re welcome”. This phrase is basically the formal version of Sama-Sama and should be used in formal situations such as at the office.

You can use this phrase after your boss thanked you for delivering documents to his office, or after the host thanked you for attending a formal event.

Nggak pa-pa – No problem (informal)

It also means It’s okay or It’s fine. The informal or casual version of sama-sama, but has the same meaning behind it. It should only be used by close friends or family.

You can use this phrase after your friend thanked you for helping them sort out their cabinet or after your sibling thanked you for making them coffee.

Cultural Insights When Saying Thank you in Indonesian

source: Aron Visuals, pexels.

A few tips that you should know when showing gratitude in Indonesia:

There are a lot of formal phrases to use, but when conducting relaxed business ventures, informal ways of saying thank you can be used instead of formal ones. Formal ways of showing gratitude should be kept for formal situations such as weddings when showing gratitude towards an elder or someone of a higher social status.

Slang such as trims is mostly used among younger people around Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. You should only use this with close friends (those around the same age as you) and family or in very casual or relaxed situations.

Lastly, as you have seen, most ways of saying thank you involve the phrase Terima kasih. Terima means to “accept” followed by kasih which means “love”, so together it means to “accept with love”. It carries such a nice meaning when you say thank you. Amazing, right?

FAQs

How do you say Thank you in Indonesian?

Terima kasih is the most common way to say Thank you in Indonesian. You can also say Makasih to mean Thank you, but this is more of a casual way to expressy our gratitude.

How do you say Thank you very much in Bahasa Indonesia?

Terima kasih banyak is the Thank you very much in Indonesian. Banyak means very much.

What does Terima kasih mean?

Terima means to receive or accept. Kasih means love. To accept with love is how Indonesian say Thank you.

After Learning Thank you in Indonesian…

Knowing how to say thank you and your welcome in Indonesian will truly improve your experience when going to Indonesia or speaking to a native and with this guide in hand, you’ll have no problem getting the hang of it. But, don’t stop here! Keep learning the language! You are off to a good start now.

Fried Rice Cooking GIF by Nigel Ng (Uncle Roger)

Learning a new and exciting language can be a hassle if you do it on your own. Getting a tutor is your one-way ticket to a hassle-free learning experience— and at AmazingTalker, you will find just that! From Indonesian tutors that can help you show your gratitude in Indonesian, to a wide range of professional tutors that can teach you to say hello in different languages, you will definitely find a tutor that can help you with your language learning needs! All of this and more, at AmazingTalker!

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