Blog

Learning a new language opens doors to new cultures, ideas, and opportunities, but mastering correct pronunciation is a crucial aspect that is often underestimated. Pronunciation directly affects how well we are understood and how confidently we engage with native speakers. For native English speakers, the challenge of learning correct pronunciation in languages like Indonesian is... Read More >...

Indonesian pronunciation is relatively straightforward, with just six vowels (compared to English’s 12) and 18 consonants. However, depending on your native language, certain aspects of Indonesian may be challenging. For example, Japanese speakers may find the /l/ sound difficult, Germans may struggle with the /j/, and native English speakers often have trouble rolling the /r/.... Read More >...

Gara-gara & Gara-gara apa? You all know the interrogative kenapa? (why?) and the conjunction karena (because). Now, I realise that the related pair gara-gara apa? (why?) and gara-gara (because) is for the first time mentioned in our intermediate textbook Baca Yuk! but not in The Indonesian Way. Gara-Gara as a Noun The interrogative gara-gara apa?... Read More >...

The prefix ter- forms passive verbs that are either a) stative, b) accidental, or c) abilitative. It is also used to form the superlative (terbaru – yang paling baru, the newest). Here we will not discuss the superlative, but focus on the verb forming prefix ter-. a) stative verbs These verbs refer to a state... Read More >...

The word bahasa is derived from Sanskrit bhāṣā and it has the same meaning as language, Sprache, taal, langue, la lengua etc. In most Indian languages the word bhāṣā still has the same meaning. In Hindi, हिन्दी भाषा (Hindi bhāṣā) means ‘Hindi language’, but in English we typically simply call it ‘Hindi’, just as we... Read More >...

Dodol is a sweet, toffee-like treat made from sticky rice flour (tepung ketan), coconut milk (santan), and palm sugar (gula merah) derived from the sap of the Arenga pinnata sugar palm known as aren or enau. Dodol is sometimes enhanced with durian flavor. This rich and sweet snack is highly popular in Indonesia, where it originated. Historically, dodol has been enjoyed for over a thousand... Read More >...

For a native speaker of English, learning Indonesian is harder than learning any Romance of Germanic language. This is because English is a Germanic language which has borrowed about half of its vocabulary from Romance languages, mainly French. But is Indonesian more difficult to learn than a Slavonic language such as Russian or Polish? I... Read More >...

The word syukur is a loan word from Arabic shukran (شكراً) ‘thank you’. So, how is it different from terima kasih, which is the standard Indonesian phrase for ‘thank you’? You never use syukur to say ‘thank you’. ‘Thank you’ is always terima kasih. But when you want to say ‘I am grateful’, then you... Read More >...