Learning how to say Hello in Indonesian is a good first step in learning the language itself. It is also handy when you find yourself visiting Indonesia, knowing how to greet in their language will make your interactions with locals much more fun and meaningful! After learning how to greet, perhaps put some time aside to also learn how to say thank you in Indonesian . Maybe broaden your greeting spectrum entirely by figuring out how to say hello in 100 languages!
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How to Say Hello in Indonesian
Greeting in Indonesian is rather simple! To say hello in Indonesian doesn’t have a formal or an informal way really, nor are there titles of respect when speaking to different people. The greeting is the same for everyone, regardless of who they are, their age, gender, etc. It must be noted that you should greet elders first without maintaining strong eye contact and that there are certain greetings that can only be used during a certain time in the day (more on that below).
Hello – Selamat/Halo
All Indonesian greetings begin with Selamat, which roughly means happy, good, and peaceful, and is coupled with other words to create new greetings. You can also say Halo, a rather casual way to say hi. Halo is an informal way to say hello in Indonesian, like hello in English.
Selamat can be left out in very informal situations, which is with close friends or family. For example, instead of saying Selamat Pagi, which means “good morning”, you would just say Pagi which is just “Morning”.
Selamat Pagi – Good morning
Selamat is coupled with pagi in this greeting, which directly translates to “morning”. Together it means “Good morning” or “Peaceful/Happy morning”. This greeting is used to greet people in the mornings up until roughly 11 am or 12 pm.
Selamat siang – Good day
The word siang translates to “day” and when coupled with *Selamat, *****it means “good day”. This greeting is used to greet people after 11 am or 12 pm until about 4 pm.
Selamat sore – Good afternoon
The word sore directly translates to “afternoon”, so Selamat sore means “good afternoon”. This greeting is used from about 4 pm until 6 pm or 7 pm, it depends on the daylight.
Selamat Malam – Good evening
Malam is translated to “night” or “evening” in English, so Selamat Malam means “good night” or simply “good evening”. This greeting is used after sunset or around 6 or 7 pm.
The phrase Selamat petang (suh-lah-mat puh-tong) can be used to say “good evening” in formal situations. This greeting is more common in Bahasa Malaysia, though. Also, selamat tidur (suh-lah-mat tee-dure) can be used to say **“good evening” strictly when someone or you are going to bed/sleep.
Other Useful Ways to Say Hello in Indonesian
Just saying hello isn’t the only way we can greet someone! Below we have listed more ways you can greet someone in Indonesian.
If you struggle to study these greetings, consider taking a step back and do some research on the best way to learn a language
Apa kabar? – How are you?
Funnily enough, the direct translation of apa kabar is actually “what news” or “what’s the news”, but this phrase is used to ask how someone is as a form of greeting. A response to that could either be baik which means “Well” or “good”, which can sometimes be said twice, or tidak bagus/tidak baik which means someone isn’t doing well!
Example:
Apa kabar? (How’s going?)
Tidak bagus. (Not good.)
Bagaimana harimu? – How is your day?
Asking how someone’s day is going is also an apt form of greeting. Bagaimana means “how” and harimu means “your day”, combining it forms the greeting “How is your day?”. The responses to this phrase could be similar to “how are you”.
Example:
Bagaimana harimu? (How’s your day?)
Baik, baik. (All good.)
Senang bertemu denganmu! – Nice to meet you!
This phrase can be used when greeting people, mostly used with people you are meeting for the first time. If you want to sound more formal when you want to greet your new colleague for the first time, you can say senang bertemu dengan Anda (Seh-nan burt-eh-moo deh-gang ahn-dah) instead.
Senang bisa bertemu dengan Anda lagi – It’s nice to see you again.
Unlike the previous greeting, this phrase can be used when you are greeting someone that you have met before.
Saying Goodbye in Indonesian
Selamat tinggal (suh-lah-ma teen-gal) – Goodbye (when leaving)
Tinggal means “to stay”. When you are the one leaving, you use this phrase to say goodbye to the other person.
Selamat jalan (suh-lah-ma jal-lan) – Goodbye (when staying)
Jalan means “to go”, the opposite of Tinggal. Someone would use this to say “goodbye” when they are leaving you and you are staying.
Example: A friend of yours is visiting you at your home. It is now time for them to leave and go to their home.
Friends: Selamat tinggal.
You: Selamat jalan!
Sampai jumpa! (sahm-pai joom-pah) – See you later!
A friendlier way to say goodbye when you are hoping to see someone again. You can use this regardless if you are the one leaving or staying.
Jumpa lagi (joom-pah log-ee) – Meet you later
Another way to say goodbye with the hope that you would see someone again, you also can use this regardless if you are the one leaving or staying.
Dos and Dont When Saying Hello in Indonesian
What are some DONTs when greeting an Indonesian?
Handshakes are a bit different in Indonesia. Giving someone a firm handshake with strong eye contact is actually seen as aggression. So when going in for a handshake, instead of gripping, just lightly touch the person’s hand.
Do not pronounce the I in siang from selamat siang as “ai” and not “ee” because it sounds very close to sayang, which means “Baby” or “sweetheart”. It’s an awkward disaster waiting to happen!
What are some DOs when greeting an Indonesian?
After (correctly) shaking hands with someone, it’s customary to very gently place a hand on your heart or bow slightly to show your respect and appreciation to the person. If you are invited to someone’s home, it is recommended to bring a small gift. Indonesians are extremely generous and will expect the same from you. When you are invited to sit down, don’t show the soles of your feet; keep your feet flat on the floor while you keep a straight posture. Your feet should also point to the person who is sitting opposite of you.
FAQs When Saying Hello in Indonesian
Halo is the most common way to say hello in Indonesian, a very informal and casual greeting for friends. You can also say “Selamat.”
It means Good Morning in Indonesian. Selamat is coupled with pagi in this greeting, which directly translates to “morning”. Together it means “Good morning” or “Peaceful/Happy morning”.
Don’t Just Stop at Learning Hello in Indonesian
With this guide, you will definitely succeed in greeting others in Indonesian like a local!
If you are struggling with this topic or want to learn the entirety of the Indonesian language, getting a tutor is probably one of the most beneficial actions you can take to learn. At AmazingTalker, we have a large number of Indonesian tutors to choose from; you will definitely find the perfect tutor that can help you reach your fluency goals! Not just Indonesian tutors, but a wide variety of languages as well. All of this and more, at AmazingTalker!
