Marcelle
Some Indonesian conversation fillers and colloquial terms

Alah!/ Halah!
Use this to dismiss a clause. The closest equivalence I could think of is 'bulshi*t'. The literal meaning is not as rude but the gesture is.
- Katanya dia bakal dateng / Halah! Ngomong doang! (He said he's going to come / Halah! All talk!)
- Kamu cantik, deh / Alah! (You're beautiful / Alah!)

 

Amit-amit
It's phrase used to 'deny' bad luck. Pretty much the equivalent of God forbid
- Amit-amit kalo sampai dapat suami seperti dia! (God forbid I'd ever have a man like him as a husband)

 

Asik!
This is an exclamation that indicates excitement
- Asik! Kita mau ke pantai! (Yay! We're going the beach!)

 

Astaga!
It's an exclamation that is used to show amazement.
- Astaga! Bagus sekali! (Wow! So beautiful!)
- Astaga?! Kenapa banyak sekali orang? (Oh, dear! Why so many people?)

 

Bodo
Literally means stupid. It's shows dismissal or no interrest.
- Kok gitu sih? / Bodo! (Why are you like that? / Whatever!)
- Kuambil ya. Bodo amat kalo dia marah (I'll take it, okay. The hell if he's angry)

 

Deh
You use it to stress a point and put it at the end of a sentence
- Hari ini hujan. Ga jadi pergi, deh (It's raining. Thus we don't go)


Kan
This is to ask for reassurance. Or to stress a point.
- Bagus, kan? (Beautiful, right?)
- Kok beli yang biru? Anaknya kan perempuan! (Why did you buy the blue one? It's a girl!)


Ngomong - ngomong
This is the equivalence of by the way.
- Oh, kamu udah balik? Ngomong-ngomong, kamu bawain pesananku gak? (Oh, you're back already? By the way, did you bring me what I order?)

 

Nih
Short from ini (this / here).
- Nih, bukumu (Here, your book)
- Serius, nih? (This is serious?)

 

Oh ya/ Oh iya
You use it when you remember or realize something.
- Tasnya ketinggalan! / Oh iya! (You're forgetting your bag / Oh right!)

Or when you ask or verify if something is true
- Mereka kan pacaran / Oh ya? (They're dating / Really?)

 

Tuh
Short of 'itu' (that), the opposite of 'nih'
- Mana tuh anak? / Tuh!

 

Yuk!
This is an imperative term to ask people to do something together, the equivalent of "let's"
- Ke pantai, yuk! / Yuk, ke pantai! (Let's go to the beach!)

 

Aug 29, 2014 12:01 PM
Comments · 4
3

Hi, Tvi Envy. 

 

As far as I could remember, "ngomong-ngomong" is the closest thing Indonesians have to "btw". And you use it right, btw ;)

"Ya kan" and "kan" are pretty much the same. "Ya, kan?" is like saying "Yes, right?!"

 

August 31, 2014
1

Thank you for posting this information.  It is just the sort of thing I was hoping to see and learn.  Thanks again. 

September 1, 2014
1

thank you so much for this info this is really useful, haha really this will help me to improve ^^, ngomong-ngomong I have 2 questions.

 

~ is it "ngomong-ngomong" the only way to say "BTW" ? (is a litle long to write haha)

 

~Time ago a friend of mine toldme that to stress a point I could say "Ya kan", my question: Is it very different "Ya Kan" to "Kan" as you suggest in this post?? 

 

Terima Kasih in advance !!

August 31, 2014

Menarik deh!

August 31, 2014