Indonesian Translation Services
Language History
The Indonesian language, also known as “Bahasa Indonesia” is one of two variations of standardised Malay. It is considered a member of the Austronesian language family, which also includes Tagalog, Māori, Samoan and more. From the 9th to the 14th century, Malay was the court language in the Strait of Malacca region. Travelers and traders began using this language and it started spreading throughout the Indonesian islands. Eventually, in the early 20th century, a standardised version of Malay was developed to unify the islands. This is what is known today as “Bahasa Indonesia”. Today, students learn Bahasa Indonesia in schools, but they are generally also native in the language of their island region.
According to Babbel, there are approximately 23 million Indonesian speakers around the world.
Where is Indonesian Spoken?
Fact!
Did you know the word ‘thai’ means ‘free’ in the Thai language?
Did you Know?
“Indonesian is a “polite language”. It derives from Malay, which happens to be famous for being the most polite language in the eastern region.”
False Friends in Indonesian and English
4 Easy Phrases in Indonesian!
Fact!
Did you know the word ‘thai’ means ‘free’ in the Thai language?
Did you Know?
Population vs. Internet Penetration
Indonesia Population:
269,536,482
Internet Users:
2,000,000
Penetration:
63.5 %
As of 2020. Source:
www.internetworldstats.com
Indonesian Translation Tips
• Sentences start with a subject, then a verb (also called a predicate), and finally, an object.
• There are four Indonesian verbs – (1) active transitive, (2) passive transitive, (3) active intransitive, (4) passive intransitive.
• Verbs do not change according to the tense. Past or future tense is usually demonstrated by adding words that signify the time.
• Indonesian does not make use of grammatical gender. Only a few words use natural gender such as “putri” meaning “daughter”, and “putra” meaning “son”.
