The easiest way to learn Indonesian is to read and listen to short, easy Indonesian about things you already like, checking the translation when you need it. Indonesian you can mostly understand is called comprehensible input, and it keeps showing you the most common words and prefixes, so you can leave prefix tables and long word lists for later. Below are the first steps in order, and some easy Indonesian to start with.
Is Indonesian Easy to Learn?
Indonesian is easy to start, and it still takes a long time to learn well. Most of that time goes into words and the prefixes that build new words from them. The U.S. Foreign Service Institute puts Indonesian in its second group of four for English speakers, so it takes longer than Spanish and less time than Russian. Our guide to the fastest way shows how long it takes.
Three things make Indonesian easy to start.
- The Letters You Already KnowIndonesian is written with the same alphabet as English, so you can read your first words on day one.
- Verbs That Never ChangeIndonesian verbs keep one form, so makan (eat) stays the same for I, you, she, yesterday and tomorrow.
- Words You Can GuessMany Indonesian words look like English ones, such as komputer (computer) and taksi (taxi).
What Is the Easiest Way to Start?
The easiest way to start is to learn a few phrases, then spend your time on short Indonesian you enjoy, one small step at a time.
- Start With a Few PhrasesLearn a few phrases you can use right away, such as terima kasih (thank you) and selamat pagi (good morning).
- Read About What You LoveRead short dialogues about food, travel, or anything else you already enjoy.
- Listen While You ReadPlay the audio as you read, so each word's sound and spelling go together.
- Hide the TranslationKeep the English hidden, and check it only when a line stops you.
- Save a Few WordsSave only the few words you want to keep from each lesson.
- Say a Line Out LoudRead a line aloud whenever it feels fun, like a greeting you want to use.
Bubblegum is a language app for reading and listening to Indonesian at your level, with lessons that Poppy, its AI tutor, writes about the things you like. Words you save come back inside new lessons through Regenerative Review™, so reviewing them means reading more Indonesian.
What Makes Indonesian Feel Hard, and How Can You Make It Easier?
Four parts of Indonesian feel hard at first, and each one gets easier when you meet it again and again in easy Indonesian.
| What feels hard | The easy fix |
|---|---|
| Prefixes like me- and ber- | A prefix can change how a word starts, as when baca becomes membaca (read). Easy reading shows the common prefixes many times, so open a grammar note only when one confuses you. |
| Words for "you" | Anda is polite, kamu is for friends, and many people say Bapak (sir) or Ibu (ma'am) instead. Easy dialogues show you who uses which one. |
| The describing word after the noun | Indonesian puts the describing word second, as in rumah besar (big house). After many short lines, the order starts to feel normal. |
| Casual words in conversations | In everyday talk, tidak (not) often becomes nggak. Learn the standard word first, and the casual one is easy to spot once you hear it. |
What Is Easy Indonesian to Start With?
Easy Indonesian to start with is short and slow, with pictures, audio or subtitles to help you follow it.
| What | Why it's easy | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Let's Read | Free picture books show their reading level, and you can switch a book to English with a tap. | letsreadasia.org |
| StoryWeaver | Free stories are sorted into four levels, so you can start with the easiest one. | storyweaver.org.in |
| Simply Indonesian | Graded videos on YouTube start with short stories, with Indonesian and English subtitles. | youtube.com/@SimplyIndonesian |
| IndonesianPod101 | Short audio and video lessons are built around a dialogue, and a teacher explains each one. | indonesianpod101.com |
If a new word shows up in almost every line, switch to something easier.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Indonesian pronunciation easy?
Indonesian pronunciation is easy to start, because words are spelled the way they sound, with few exceptions. One letter to learn early is c, which always sounds like the ch in chair, as in cinta (love).
Can I learn Indonesian just by watching Indonesian films?
Not at the start, because most of a film goes by too fast for a beginner to learn from. Films help more once you can follow a simple conversation, especially with Indonesian subtitles on. Before that, learners on r/indonesian suggest cartoons dubbed into Indonesian, such as Doraemon, because the dubs use clear, standard Indonesian.
Which Indonesian app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Indonesian, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. For courses, tutors and speaking practice, see our comparison of Indonesian apps.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- U.S. Department of State, Foreign Language Training (FSI language categories)
- Wikipedia, Indonesian language (Latin alphabet spelled the way it sounds; c sounds like English ch; verbs not marked for person or tense; no grammatical gender; adjectives after the noun; Anda, kamu, Bapak and Ibu; nggak for tidak)
