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Linguae Learning

The ultimate Indonesian beginner course that will teach you Indonesian faster than you ever imagined. Perhaps you’ve dreamed of traveling to Indonesia and holding your own in real-life situations, being independent and able to communicate with the locals. Perhaps you want to experience the rich culture and sample the delicious local cuisine or do business with local companies. Whatever your reason, this Indonesian course for beginners is right for you.

Now, you might be thinking that learning Indonesian sounds challenging, but that's precisely why we've created this comprehensive guide to Beginner Indonesian.

Read more

The ultimate Indonesian beginner course that will teach you Indonesian faster than you ever imagined. Perhaps you’ve dreamed of traveling to Indonesia and holding your own in real-life situations, being independent and able to communicate with the locals. Perhaps you want to experience the rich culture and sample the delicious local cuisine or do business with local companies. Whatever your reason, this Indonesian course for beginners is right for you.

Now, you might be thinking that learning Indonesian sounds challenging, but that's precisely why we've created this comprehensive guide to Beginner Indonesian.

During our course, you will learn:

  • Lots and lots of vocabulary

  • Useful everyday phrases

  • Basic sentence structures

  • Basic grammar rules most beginner courses don’t teach

  • How to pronounce Indonesian correctly

After taking this course, you will be able to:

  • Greet people and introduce yourself both formally and casually

  • Learn how to count up to 1000

  • Order food and drinks

  • Give and receive directions

  • Describe yourself and other people in both personality and appearance

  • Tell the time

  • Structure proper sentences in Indonesian

  • Ask questions

  • Navigate multiple types of everyday situations, like shopping

  • Have real conversations in Indonesian

This course aims to help you master the basics of Indonesian and give you a strong base on which you will be able to build your skills as an Indonesian speaker.

Start your Indonesian journey with us today.

Enroll now

What's inside

Learning objectives

  • 300+ most useful vocabulary words
  • Top most useful phrases you can use in everyday situations
  • Proper indonesian pronunciation
  • How to put basic sentences together
  • Read and write in indonesian
  • The building blocks of indonesian grammar

Syllabus

Chapter 1

Learn the Indonesian alphabet.

Learn how to greet people in Indonesian.

Learn how to count in Indonesian.

Read more

Learn the colours in Indonesian.

Learn how to introduce yourself in different situations.

Practice what you’ve learned so far.

Learn the names of the family members in Indonesian.

Learn hobby-related vocabulary in Indonesian.

Learn the Indonesian terms for the body parts.

Learn how to describe someone’s appearance in Indonesian.

Learn useful words and sentences about jobs in Indonesian.

Learn various Indonesian vocabulary for religions.

Put together full dates and times in Indonesian.

Learn how to tell the time in Indonesian.

Learn how to give and receive directions in Indonesian.

Learn the cardinal points of the compass in Indonesian.

Learn how to describe the weather in Indonesian.

Learn transports-related vocabulary in Indonesian.

Learn various Indonesian vocabulary about parts of the house.

Learn various Indonesian vocabulary for items around the house.

Learn various Indonesian vocabulary for items of clothing.

Learn some Indonesian food vocabulary.

Learn useful vocabulary about love.

Learn animal vocabulary and some verbs.

Learn nature vocabulary.

Learn various Indonesian vocabulary for everyday places.

Learn the uses of This and That.

Learn about the pronouns in Indonesian.

Learn how to conjugate verbs in Indonesian.

Learn how to ask questions in Indonesian.

Learn useful vocabulary and phrases at the shop and market.

Learn useful vocabulary and phrases at the restaurant.

Practice what you’ve learned.

Learn how to read and use more vowel combinations and capital letters.

Learn more about numbers and math symbols in Indonesian.

Learn to form and use the present tense in Indonesian.

Practice what you have learned so far.

Learn how to make comparisons in Indonesian.

Learn useful abstract and concrete nouns.

Learn to form and use the past tense in Indonesian.

Learn how to talk about the weather in the past tense.

Learn to read and use singular nouns in Indonesian.

Learn to read and use plural nouns in Indonesian.

Learn useful vocabulary about Illness and Injuries.

Learn how to address someone in Indonesian.

Learn useful vocabulary and phrases about traveling.

Learn useful phrases and sentences about appointments in Indonesia.

Learn how to make superlative in Indonesian.

Learn to read and use prepositions in Indonesian.

Learn useful vocabulary about music.

Learn useful vocabulary about movies and tv.

Learn useful vocabulary about holidays.

Learn to read and use exclamative phrases.

Learn to read and use articles in Indonesian.

Learn useful vocabulary about school.

·Learn to read the names of the countries and continents in Indonesian.

Learn to read and use conjunction in Indonesian.

Learn useful vocabularies about sports.

Learn to read and use particle verbs in Indonesian.

Learn to read and use modal verbs in Indonesian.

Learn to read and use vocabulary and phrases at the hospital and pharmacy.

Learn useful vocabulary about technology.

Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Provides a strong foundation in Indonesian grammar, which is often overlooked in beginner courses, enabling learners to construct proper sentences and ask questions effectively
Covers practical, everyday situations like ordering food, asking for directions, and shopping, which are essential for independent travel and cultural immersion
Focuses on building a strong base in vocabulary and pronunciation, which are crucial for developing confidence and fluency in speaking Indonesian
Explores vocabulary related to family, hobbies, religion, and nature, which provides insights into Indonesian culture and everyday life
Includes a final assignment, which allows learners to consolidate their knowledge and apply their skills in a practical context
Requires learners to understand basic concepts such as vowel combinations, capital letters, and math symbols, which may be challenging for absolute beginners

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Reviews summary

Effective beginner indonesian for practical use

According to learners, this course is excellent for absolute beginners, providing a solid foundation in the language. Students praise the clear explanations, good pacing, and focus on useful vocabulary and phrases for everyday situations. Many felt it significantly improved their confidence to speak and use Indonesian, especially for travel. While some found the grammar explanations a bit brief and felt it lacked depth for serious structural understanding, it is widely seen as highly effective for getting started quickly.
Pace is suitable for beginners
"The pacing is just right..."
"The pace is good."
"But for a beginner wanting to speak quickly, it's effective."
Content is well-structured and easy to follow
"The instructor explains things clearly."
"Outstanding course! The lectures are easy to follow, and the examples are clear."
"The structure is logical, building step-by-step."
Helps learners feel ready to speak
"I feel much more confident trying to speak Indonesian now."
"This course gave me the confidence to use Indonesian when I traveled to Bali last month."
"Feeling ready to travel to Indonesia!"
Learn useful words for everyday use
"The vocabulary lists are very useful for everyday situations."
"Covers essential vocabulary and phrases."
"A very practical course focusing on conversational Indonesian. The vocabulary is useful for daily interactions."
Ideal starting point for zero prior knowledge
"This course is excellent for absolute beginners. The pacing is just right..."
"Suitable for beginners with no prior knowledge."
"As a complete beginner, I was nervous, but the way the material is presented made it easy to grasp."
"Good introduction to Indonesian. Covers the basics well..."
Some find grammar coverage brief
"I found some of the grammar explanations a bit brief..."
"It's okay for a start, but it lacks depth. ...grammar isn't covered as comprehensively as I hoped."
"Grammar is introduced but not explored deeply."
"While it's 'for beginners,' I expected a bit more challenge or deeper grammar explanations."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Complete Indonesian Course: Learn Indonesian for Beginners with these activities:
Review Basic Grammar Concepts
Reinforce your understanding of fundamental grammar concepts to build a solid foundation for learning Indonesian sentence structure.
Browse courses on Indonesian Grammar
Show steps
  • Review parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives).
  • Study basic sentence structures (subject-verb-object).
  • Practice identifying grammatical elements in simple sentences.
Explore 'Lonely Planet Indonesian Phrasebook & Dictionary'
Expand your vocabulary and learn practical phrases for travel and everyday situations in Indonesia.
Show steps
  • Obtain a copy of the 'Lonely Planet Indonesian Phrasebook & Dictionary'.
  • Browse the phrasebook and identify useful phrases for different scenarios.
  • Practice using the phrases in simulated conversations.
Read 'Indonesian for Dummies'
Supplement your learning with a beginner-friendly guide to Indonesian language and culture.
Show steps
  • Obtain a copy of 'Indonesian for Dummies'.
  • Read the chapters covering basic grammar and vocabulary.
  • Complete the exercises and quizzes in the book.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Vocabulary Flashcard Practice
Reinforce vocabulary acquisition through repetitive flashcard drills, focusing on the 300+ words covered in the course.
Show steps
  • Create flashcards for the vocabulary words from each lesson.
  • Practice with the flashcards daily, focusing on pronunciation.
  • Use spaced repetition to review previously learned words.
Follow Indonesian Cooking Tutorials
Immerse yourself in Indonesian culture while learning vocabulary related to food and cooking.
Show steps
  • Find Indonesian cooking tutorials online (YouTube, blogs).
  • Follow the instructions and try to cook a simple dish.
  • Note down any new vocabulary related to ingredients and cooking methods.
Create a Short Indonesian Dialogue
Apply learned vocabulary and grammar by writing a short dialogue in Indonesian, simulating a real-life conversation.
Show steps
  • Choose a scenario (e.g., ordering food, asking for directions).
  • Write a dialogue using vocabulary and phrases from the course.
  • Practice the dialogue with a partner or record yourself.
Help Others in Online Forums
Solidify your understanding by helping other learners with their questions and challenges in online forums.
Show steps
  • Find online forums or communities for Indonesian language learners.
  • Browse the forums and identify questions you can answer based on your knowledge.
  • Provide helpful and accurate responses to other learners' questions.

Career center

Learners who complete Complete Indonesian Course: Learn Indonesian for Beginners will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Interpreter
An interpreter facilitates spoken communication between people who speak different languages. This role requires the ability to quickly and accurately understand and convey messages orally. This course helps build a foundation in Indonesian, which can be particularly valuable for interpreting in real-time conversations. The course's emphasis on pronunciation, practical phrases, and conversational skills can help one become a successful interpreter. The practice included in this course can build confidence in oral communication.
Tour Guide
A tour guide provides information and guidance to visitors about a particular location. This role often involves communicating with people from diverse backgrounds, and this course helps build a foundation in Indonesian, which can be invaluable for engaging with tourists who speak that language. This course's focus on practical phrases, greetings, and directions may be particularly useful. The ability to discuss local culture, food, and landmarks learned in this course can further enhance a tour guide's ability to provide an engaging and informative experience.
Cultural Liaison
A cultural liaison works to bridge communication and understanding between people from different cultural backgrounds and often requires linguistic skills. This course helps build a foundation in Indonesian language, which is a key asset for working with Indonesian communities. The course's focus on specific cultural nuances, like greetings and everyday interactions will aid any cultural worker, and the vocabulary learned can help a cultural liaison communicate more effectively on a daily basis. This can enable any cultural liaison to more deeply appreciate Indonesia's cultural landscape.
International Aid Worker
An international aid worker provides assistance to communities in need in foreign countries. This role requires cultural sensitivity and clear communication skills. This course helps build a foundation in Indonesian, which will aid those working in Indonesia to communicate more effectively with the families and communities they serve. The course's focus on everyday phrases, basic sentence structure, and Indonesian culture may be helpful in establishing rapport and facilitating productive interactions. This course can help an international aid worker more effectively aid those they serve.
Translator
A translator converts written text from one language to another and must possess a strong grasp of grammar, vocabulary, and cultural nuances. This course helps build a foundation in Indonesian, which is essential for accurate translation work. The course focuses on everyday vocabulary, sentence structure, and grammar, which are crucial for accurately representing the original text's meaning. A future translator may find this course to be a step toward a career in translation.
Hotel Concierge
A hotel concierge assists guests with a variety of needs, including recommendations, bookings, and directions, requiring strong communication and interpersonal skills. This course helps build a foundation in Indonesian, which can be particularly valuable in hotels that serve Indonesian-speaking guests. The course's focus on greetings, practical phrases, and directions aids any concierge in communicating with guests. This course will help any concierge who would like to expand their skill set to include the Indonesian language.
Language Teacher
A language teacher educates students in the fundamentals of a particular tongue. This course helps build a foundation in Indonesian, which can provide a solid base for teaching beginners. The course's structure and focus on vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation may inform one's teaching approach. Those wishing to teach Indonesian as a first language may find this course useful in clarifying foundational topics for their own teaching practice.
Customer Service Representative
A customer service representative interacts with customers to resolve issues and provide assistance. This role often requires the ability to communicate clearly and effectively with people from diverse backgrounds. This course helps build a foundation in Indonesian, which can be particularly valuable when assisting Indonesian-speaking customers. The course covers greetings, basic sentence structures, and everyday phrases, which are useful for any customer service role dealing with the Indonesian language. This course may be particularly helpful for a customer service representative serving Indonesia or the Indonesian community.
Travel Agent
A travel agent helps clients plan and book trips, requiring knowledge of different destinations and the ability to communicate with people worldwide. This course helps build a foundation in Indonesian, which can be particularly valuable for a travel agent that specializes in trips to Indonesia or who serves clients that speak the Indonesian language. The course's focus on greetings, directions, and ordering food and drinks may help any travel agent to better communicate with Indonesian speakers. This course may be valuable for any travel agent wishing to expand their repertoire.
International Business Professional
An international business professional works with clients, partners, and stakeholders across different countries, requiring strong communication and cross-cultural skills. This course helps build a foundation in the Indonesian language, which can be a key asset when engaging with Indonesian counterparts. A professional may find the course's focus on greetings, basic sentence structure, and everyday phrases useful for building rapport and conducting business effectively. The course's insights into Indonesian culture can further enhance communication and understanding across cultural divides.
Sales Representative
A sales representative works to promote and sell products or services, often requiring strong communication and interpersonal skills. This course helps build a foundation in Indonesian, which may be particularly valuable for a sales representative who works in Indonesia or with Indonesian speakers. The course's focus on basic conversational skills and cultural nuances may be helpful for building relationships with potential clients in Indonesia. This course may be a step toward a successful career in sales.
Foreign Correspondent
A foreign correspondent reports on news and events from another country, requiring an ability to communicate clearly across language and cultural barriers. While fluency is preferred for this role, this course helps build a foundation in Indonesian, which may be useful in navigating daily life in Indonesia and gaining a better understanding of the local culture. This course can aid a foreign correspondent in conducting interviews and interacting with local Indonesian speakers. This is a good start on the path to becoming a foreign correspondent.
Market Research Analyst
A market research analyst studies market conditions in order to provide data for a company's strategic planning. This includes doing surveys and interviews. This course helps build a foundation in Indonesian, which could be beneficial when doing market research in Indonesia. The course's focus on basic conversational phrases may be useful when communicating with participants in the field. Knowledge gained on Indonesian culture may be useful for understanding the needs and practices of the local populace. This course may be useful toward a career in market research.
Immigration Officer
An immigration officer processes visa applications and oversees border control. This position may require interacting with individuals from various linguistic and cultural backgrounds. This course helps build a foundation in Indonesian, which can be useful when working with individuals from Indonesia. The course's focus on basic conversational skills helps an immigration officer in interactions with Indonesian speakers. This course may be useful as an aid to understanding and communication.
Logistics Coordinator
A logistics coordinator manages the movement and storage of goods. This role may require working with teams around the world and communicating with people from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. This course may help build a foundation in the Indonesian language, which could be useful when working with Indonesian distributors, clients, or other partners. The course's focus on everyday phrases and basic conversational skills may be helpful when engaging with Indonesian speakers. This course may aid a logistics coordinator in their career.

Reading list

We've selected one books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Complete Indonesian Course: Learn Indonesian for Beginners.
Provides a comprehensive introduction to the Indonesian language, covering essential grammar, vocabulary, and cultural insights. It's a great resource for beginners, offering practical examples and exercises to reinforce learning. The book is particularly helpful for understanding basic sentence structures and everyday phrases, complementing the course material.

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