When Chris and I went to Bali we had no idea what words will be most helpful to know during our trip. Of course there are classics like “Thank you”, “Hello” and “Where is xy” but there’s so much more that provides to be quiet useful. This is why I thought it would be great to add a short article to our travel section about the most useful words and phrases for your trip to Bali, Indonesia. After all even as a tourist it’s nice to adapt to the country and at least try to speak the language. It not only shows respect for the Indonesian culture but it is also very nice. Most locals do like it when tourists use Indonesian.
What languages do they speak in Bali? Most people in the big cities like Seminyak or Ubud will speak English. Not fluent but still good enough to communicate with tourists but if you are outside of those bigger cities it will provide quiet helpful to know a couple of words in Balinese. You can basically speak it as it’s written. It will not be the perfect pronunciation but still good enough to be understood. Balinese and Indonesian are the two most common languages on the island with bahasa Indonesia is the national language.
I wrote down some of the most useful Indonesian words and phrases that helped us to navigate around the Island. They are quite simple and easy but will do the job. Let me know in the comments if you’re missing something or if you used any of those words while visiting Bali. Also please correct me if I made grammatically mistakes as it’s not my mother tongue. But I’m trying my best to provide you the correct helpful words and phrases.
The polite way of saying thank you in Balinese is “Terima Kasih”. You should also know these words:
“Om Suastiastu” is how you say hello in Balinese. Also good to know are the following greetings:
If you have a guide/driver or you meet a local you can use the following phrases to start a conversation:
Talking about drivers. If you are in a taxi or if you have a private driver you might find these phrases helpful:
Most importantly: Thinking about shopping? Of course you do! Just think of all the beautiful fabrics, the great glass work and jewelry. Bali has great craftsmanship in various areas. And don’t forget to haggle. It’s a big part of buying things at the markets. To go prepared to the markets or a store you want to know the following words:
For price negotiations you will find these questions and sentences helpful:
Now we reached the last part of useful words and phrases in Bali. When you visit a restaurant you should consider knowing the following:
We hope you find this guide with words and phrases for your trip to Bali helpful.