Your First Mini-Conversation: Greetings + Thank You + Sorry

Hook: Forget Grammar, Just Speak

You have spent the last two units collecting “bricks.”

• You have the bricks of politeness: Terima kasih, Maaf, Tolong.
• You have the bricks of response: Ya, Tidak, Belum.
• You have the bricks of intent: Mau, Bisa.

But a pile of bricks is not a house. To build a house, you need to stick them together.

Most language courses make you wait too long for this moment. They want you to memorize pronouns and verb stems before you are allowed to say “Hello.” We disagree.

Today, you are going to speak.

In the next 15 minutes, we will simulate three specific scenarios you will face in Indonesia:

1. The Morning Walk: Greeting neighbors and being polite.
2. The Transaction: Buying something at a Warung.
3. The Incident: Bumping into someone and fixing it.

We are not going to analyze the grammar of every sentence. We are going to treat these like scripts. Actors don’t ask why the line is written that way; they just say it with conviction. Today, you are an actor.

1. The Greetings Toolkit: Following the Sun

In English, we say “Hello” or “Hi” 90% of the time. “Good morning” feels a bit formal. In Indonesian, time-based greetings are the standard. They are warm, they show you are paying attention to the world, and they are mandatory for good manners.

The system is simple. It follows the sun.

All formal greetings start with Selamat (Safe / Blessed).

• Selamat Pagi: Good Morning.
• Selamat Siang: Good Day / Noon.
• Selamat Sore: Good Afternoon.
• Selamat Malam: Good Night.

The Casual Shortcut

In real life, Indonesians drop the “Selamat” constantly. They just say the time. It is faster, punchier, and sounds more local.

The Universal Greeting: Apa Kabar?

Once you have said the time, you ask: “Apa kabar?” (How are you? / What’s the news?)

The answer is almost famously simple. You don’t need to tell your life story. Answer: “Baik.” (Good).

That’s it. A: “Pagi! Apa kabar?” B: “Pagi. Baik.”

You have just completed your first Indonesian exchange.

2. The Secret Sauce: Social Titles (Pak, Bu, Mas, Mbak)

Before we start the scripts, you need one missing ingredient.

In strict English, you can say “Thank you” to anyone. In Indonesian, Terima kasih by itself is already polite. But in many service or stranger interactions, adding a title feels warmer and more socially tuned.

To sound more naturally polite, adding a title is a strong default.

The Rule of Thumb:

• Is he older than you or in a uniform? Call him Pak.
• Is she older than you or in a uniform? Call her Bu.
• Is he young (waiter, driver, student)? Call him Mas.
• Is she young (waitress, clerk, student)? Call her Mbak.

Example:

• “Terima kasih.” (Okay).
• “Terima kasih, Pak.” (Excellent).
• “Maaf, Mbak.” (Excellent).

We will use these titles in every script below.

3. Conversation 1: The Warung (The Transaction)

Let’s step into a Warung (a small street stall or shop). This is the heartbeat of Indonesian life. You want to buy a bottle of water.

The Script:

Analysis: Why This Works

1. “Siang, Bu!”: You establish time (Siang) and respect (Bu). You acknowledged her existence before you demanded a product. This is critical.
2. “Cari apa?”: Literal: “Look for what?” This is the standard “Can I help you?”
3. “Ada…?”: The most useful travel phrase. “Is there X?” / “Do you have X?”.
4. “Tidak… saja”: “Saja” means “Just” or “Only.” Yang kecil saja = Just the small one.
5. “Sama-sama”: This is the safest and most common learner-friendly reply to Terima kasih. You may also hear Terima kasih kembali in service contexts.

4. Conversation 2: Meeting Someone New

You are sitting in a cafe or a park. Someone friendly sits nearby and smiles. Indonesians are extremely chatty with strangers.

The Script:

Analysis: The “Interview”

1. “Dari mana?”: Literal: “From where?” This is the #1 question you will hear.
2. “Saya dari…”: “I am from…”. Fill in your country:
   • Amerika (USA)
   • Inggris (UK)
   • Australia (Australia)
   • Belanda (Netherlands)
   • Singapura (Singapore)
3. “Sendiri?”: “Alone?” Westerners often find this intrusive. “Why do you want to know if I’m alone?” In Indonesia, it is just concern. They are worried you might be lonely or unsafe.
4. “Belum”: Look at Unit 0.2! You don’t use “Tidak” for time questions. “Sudah lama?” -> “Belum.” (Not long yet).
5. “Selamat menikmati”: A polite “Enjoy your time.”

5. The Phantom Greeting: “Mau Ke Mana?”

There is one question you will hear constantly on the street, often from people you don’t know (like neighbors or security guards).

“Mau ke mana?” (Where are you going?)

Your Western brain will panic. “Why does this stranger need to know my destination? Are they a spy?”

Relax. They don’t actually care where you are going. In Indonesia, Mau ke mana? is often a social greeting from neighbors, guards, and familiar locals. In other contexts (for example ride-hailing or logistics), it can be literal.

How to Answer (The Non-Answer)

You do not need to give your GPS coordinates. You can give a vague, polite answer.

• Scenario: You are walking down the street.
• Neighbor: “Mau ke mana, Mister?”
• You: “Jalan-jalan saja.” (Just walking around.)
• You: “Ke depan.” (To the front / Just up there.)
• You: “Cari makan.” (Looking for food.)

See? No interrogation. Just a social ping.

6. Conversation 3: The Accident (Social Repair)

Indonesian streets are crowded. You will bump into someone. You will step on a foot. Here is how to handle it with grace.

The Script:

Analysis: The “Gapapa” Culture

1. “Aduh!”: The universal Indonesian sound for pain or mistake. “Oops!” / “Ouch!”
2. “Tidak apa-apa”: The Holy Grail of phrases. Memorize this now.
   • Tidak = Not.
   • Apa = What.
   • Apa-apa = Anything.
   • Tidak apa-apa = “It isn’t anything.” (It’s nothing / No problem).
   • Slang version: “Gapapa” (Gak + apa-apa).
3. “Santai saja”: Santai means Relaxed/Chill. This phrase means “Don’t worry about it.” in a very cool way.
4. “Silakan”: “Please go ahead.” Used when granting permission or telling someone they can pass.

7. The “Tidak Apa-Apa” Deep Dive

We need to pause on Tidak apa-apa (or Gapapa) because it is more than just a phrase; it is a philosophy.

Indonesians value Rukun (Social Harmony). Making a big deal out of a small mistake causes “Malu” (embarrassment) for everyone—including the victim. If you act angry that I stepped on your foot, we both lose face.

The fastest way to restore balance is to declare the mistake “nothing.”

• If you apologize profusely (“Maaf! Maaf! Sorry! Sorry! Oh my god!”), you are actually making it awkward. You are forcing the other person to comfort you.
• The best apology is: “Maaf, Pak.” -> Wait for “Gapapa.” -> Smile -> Move on.

Pronunciation:

• Formal: tee-dahk ah-pah ah-pah
• Casual: gah-pah-pah

8. The Art of Leaving (Goodbye)

We have learned how to say hello (Pagi!) and how to chat (Apa kabar?). But how do you escape?

In English, we say “Goodbye.” In Indonesian, a literal “Goodbye” (Selamat tinggal) can sound dramatic in casual daily conversation. It is not wrong, but it is less common for everyday exits.

Here are the casual ways to end a conversation.

• Use Sampai jumpa as a safe, standard closer.
• Use Dadah with friends or casual peers.
• Use Duluan ya when leaving while others stay.
• Treat Selamat tinggal as rare/dramatic in daily casual settings.

1. Sampai Jumpa (See you later)

This is the standard, polite “See you.”

• Sampai = Until.
• Jumpa = Meet.
• “Until we meet (again).”

2. Dadah / Duluan (Bye / First)

• Dadah: Just “Bye.” Used with friends or casual acquaintances. Usually accompanied by a little wave.
• Duluan: Literal: “Earlier/First.” Short for “Saya pulang duluan” (I am going home first). This is what you say when leaving a group while they are still hanging out.
  • You: “Duluan ya!” (I’m leaving first, guys!)
  • Them: “Ya, hati-hati!” (Okay, be careful!)

3. Hati-hati (Be careful)

This is what the person staying says to the person leaving.

• Meaning: “Drive safe / Take care.”

The Exit Script: A: “Oke, saya harus pergi.” (Okay, I have to go.) B: “Oke, hati-hati di jalan.” (Okay, be careful on the road.) A: “Sampai jumpa!” (See you!) B: “Dadah!” (Bye!)

9. Putting It All Together: The Master Table

You have survived Phase 0. You have a toolkit of ~25 words that allow you to navigate the world.

Here they are, grouped by function.

The Openers (Greetings)

The Titles (Politeness)

The Responders (Yes/No)

The Social Glue (Manners)

10. The Confidence Check

This is your final exam for Phase 0.

Stand up. Yes, really stand up in your room or office. Read the following monologue aloud. Imagine you are walking into a hotel lobby. You see the receptionist (an older woman). You realize you dropped your wallet near a young man. You pick it up and then go to the desk.

The Monologue:

“Selamat pagi, Bu! Apa kabar? Baik? Bagus. Aduh! Maaf, Mas. Saya menjatuhkan ini. Oh, tidak apa-apa? Terima kasih, Mas. Permisi, Bu, saya mau check-in. Terima kasih!”

Did you feel it? That wasn’t English. That was you, speaking Indonesian, connecting distinct thoughts, navigating social hierarchy (Bu vs Mas), apologizing, and stating intent.

If you could say that paragraph without stuttering, you are ready for Phase A.

Rail Context: The Road Ahead

Phase 0 was about removing fear. We proved that:

1. The words are easy to pronounce (Unit 0.1).
2. The culture is optimistic (“Belum” - Unit 0.2).
3. You can speak in paragraphs on Day 1 (Unit 0.3).

So what is the catch? Why isn’t everyone fluent?

The catch is that while Indonesian words are easy, the logic of how they fit together is different from English.

• Why is “The big house” written “Rumah besar” (House Big)?
• Why is “I have eaten” just “Sudah makan” (Already Eat)?
• Why do words change prefixes (Makan vs. Memakan)?

In Phase A, we stop using scripts. We start building the engine. We will teach you the structural rules that let you build any sentence, not just the ones you memorized.

But first, we have one last stop in Phase 0. A sanity check. Is Indonesian actually phonetic? Can you really read anything? We’ll prove it in Unit 0.4.