Colloquial vs formal

By Speak Indo, from the Speak Indo Indonesian course.

Everyday Indonesian uses shorter forms, but the right choice depends on relationship, region, and setting.

How it works

There is no single informal Indonesian used identically everywhere. Some conversational forms are broadly understood: • tidak → nggak or gak • sudah → udah • saja → aja • sangat → banget after an adjective • bagaimana → gimana • tidak apa-apa → nggak apa-apa; spellings such as gapapa are common in messages • membaca → baca in many conversational sentence patterns • mengerti → ngerti Pronouns are a separate register choice. Aku/kamu are common with familiar people. Gue/lo are strongly associated with Jakarta and some urban peer groups, so they are not a universal replacement for saya/kamu. With an elder or stranger, natural speech can still be short and conversational while keeping saya and using Pak, Bu, Kak, Mas, or Mbak for the other person.

Examples

• Aku udah makan. (casual, familiar)
  I've already eaten.
• Saya sudah makan. (neutral, careful)
  I have already eaten.
• Gapapa, santai aja.
  No problem, just relax.