LANGUAGES OF INDONESIA | Facts and Details

LANGUAGES IN INDONESIA

The official language of Indonesia—Bahasa Indonesian—is virtually the same as Bahasa Malaysian (also known as Bahasa Melayu or Malay). Most Indonesia speak the language of their ethnic group or island as their first language, at home and with members of their group and speak Bahasa Indonesian in public and when talking to members of other groups. Bahasa Indonesian is understood in all but the most remote villages. It is universally taught in schools and is spoken by nearly every Indonesian in business, politics, national media, education and academia. Compared to other languages it is fairly easy to learn and speak a few words.

Most languages are linked to ethnic groups such as the Javanese, Batak, Sudanese, Dayak, Toraja and Buginese. Javanese is the dominant language of Java. Many people on other islands speak it too because many Javanese live on other islands too. When Sukarno took control off Indonesia during the 1949 independence from the Dutch, he implemented one language across the archipelago — Bahasa Indonesia. This is taught in all Indonesian schools along with local languages and English in some schools.

The languages of Indonesia are not mutually intelligible, though some subgroups are more similar to each other than others (similar to how the Romance languages of Europe are closer to each other than to Germanic languages, despite both being part of the Indo-European family). Some language subgroups have sub-subgroups that are also not mutually intelligible, and many have local dialects. Two languages — one in northern Halmahera and one in western Timor — are non-Austronesian, and like Basque in Europe, they are not related to any other known languages. The numerous languages of Papua are also non-Austronesian. [Source: “Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume 5: East/Southeast Asia:” edited by Paul Hockings, 1993]

Since Indonesia gained independence in 1949, many formerly remote communities have attended school, learnt Bahasa Indonesia, the national language, and absorbed wider influences. Currently, only thirteen Indonesian languages have a million or more native speakers, and those with fewer speakers are generally considered to be at risk of extinction. [Source: “Culture and Customs of Indonesia” by Jill Forshee, Greenwood Press, 2006]

More than 700 Languages Spoken in Indonesia

Indonesians speak hundreds of languages. Depending on who is doing the counting they speak 583, 703 or 731 different languages. In one estimate 700 languages are spoken in Irian Jaya alone. On the tiny island for Alor, there are 140,000 people divided among 50 tribes, each of which speaks a distinct languages or dialect. Countries with the most languages: 1) Papua New Guinea (832); 2) Indonesia (731); 3) Nigeria (515); 4) India (400); 5) Mexico (300); 6) Cameroon (300); 7) Australia (300); 8) Brazil (234).

Based on reports of ethnic self-identification in the 2000 census, the primary languages spoken by 2 million or more people were Javanese (83 million), Sundanese (30 million), Malay/Indonesian (17 million), Madurese (6.7 million), Batak (6.1 million), Minangkabau (5.4 million), Buginese (5.1 million), Balinese (3 million), and Acehnese (2.2 million). In addition, some 2 million inhabitants spoke one of several dialects of Chinese. Arabic and languages of India and Europe also are used. Other languages with more than 1 million speakers each are Banjarese, Batawi, Sasak, Toba Batak, Makasarese, Lampung, Dairi Batak, and Rejang. English widely used in government and business circles.

There are many different regional languages and dialects. There are at least six distinct language groups on Sulawesi and seven on tiny Alor. The languages spoken in the interior of Kalimantan form their own distinct sub-family. On Java there are three main language. The Balinese have have their own language. Sumatra has around 52 languages. Acehese and Batak are the primary languages of northern Sumatra while Bahasa Melayu is the predominate language in the south. Mandarin is not only the most widely spoken language in China, it also has many speakers in Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Austronesian, Papuan and Extinct Languages in Indonesia

Bahasa Indonesia and most of the languages spoken in Indonesia are Austronesian languages, a language family spoken from Malaysia through the Philippines, north to several hill peoples of Vietnam and Taiwan, and to Polynesia, including by the Hawaiian and Maori (of New Zealand) peoples. but Austronesian languages predominate throughout the Indonesia archipelago to the west of Timor Island. Depending on how they are counted there are between 200 and 400 Austronesian languages spoken in Indonesia. There are 1,200 Austronesia languages—about a fifth of the world's total. About a hundred different Austronesian languages are spoken on Vanuatu alone.

The majority of non-Austronesian languages spoken in Indonesia are Papuan (Melanesian) languages, which are also spoken in Papua New Guinea and some Melanesian islands, namely the Solomon Islands, in the western Pacific. More than 150 Papuan (Melanesian) languages have been identified in Indonesian New Guinea and more than 700 are spoken in Papua New Guinea. Papuan languages are found in the eastern regions of the Indonesian archipelago, including Timor, and the northern half of Halmahera and on other islands in the Maluku region and throughout much of the Indonesian part of New Guinea. Austronesian languages are also prevalent in these regions, making it difficult to delineate language group borders. [Source: “Culture and Customs of Indonesia” by Jill Forshee, Greenwood Press, 2006]

Since the seventeenth century, many languages have become extinct. This followed events such as the Dutch capture of the Banda Islands in 1621 and the subsequent extermination of most of the indigenous population, resulting in the extinction of their language.¹ The massive eruption of Mount Tambora in Sumbawa in 1815 obliterated the Tambora language group. Other languages have disappeared as people have migrated or mixed with others arriving in their regions.

Javanese

Javanese is an Austronesian language spoken by about 80 million people in Indonesia and Suriname. It belongs to the West Indonesian Branch of the Hesperonesian subfamily of the Malayo-Polynesian Family. It has a literay history dating back to the 8th century and has nine styles of speech, which are determined by principals of etiquette. There s a trend towards simplification of the different speech levels. Five major languages are spoken in Java: 1 Javanese around Jakarta; 2) Bahasa Indonesian in northwest and central Java; 3) Sundanese in southwest Java; 4) Madurese in northeast Java and nearby Madua island; and 5) Balinese in eastern Java and Bali.

As is true with many of the cultural groups in Indonesia, the Javanese also have their own language. It is quite complex when compared to the more easily learned national language of Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian). The Javanese language has nine levels ranging from low to high, reflecting status, age and familiarity between speakers. There are regional variations too. The Javanese language of East Java is more course and generally considered less respectful than that spoken in Central Java. In Central Java, politeness and good manners are highly regarded. Loud displays of emotion are considered quite rude. Thus, the Javanese are known for their indirectness and deference to authority in order to avoid negative, embarrassing or uncomfortable feelings. This trait stems from the Hindu court traditions of pre-Islamic influence. [Source: hello-indonesia.com]

In Indonesia Javanese is spoken in Java, particularly in central and east Java, and on the north coast of West Java, and in Madura, Bali, Lombok, and in the Sunda region of West Java. Javanese was used as the court language in Palembang, South Sumatra until the late 18th century and has been used as a literary language for over a millenium. It currently has no official status though is recognised as a regional language in Central Java, Yogyakarta, and East Java. It is taught in some schools, and there are some radio and TV programmes in Javanese, as well as a number of magazines. The Javanese alphabet was also used to write Balinese and Sundanese, but has been replaced by the Latin alphabet. [Source: omniglot]

The earliest known writing in Javanese dates from the 4th Century AD, at which time Javanese was written with the Pallava alphabet. By the 10th Century the Kawi alphabet, which developed from Pallava, had a distinct Javanese form. For a period from the 15th century onwards, Javanese was also written with a version of the Arabic alphabet, called pegon. By the 17th Century, the Javanese alphabet had developed into its current form. During the Japanese occupation of Indonesia between 1942 and 1945, the alphabet was prohibited.Since the Dutch introduced the Latin alphabet to Indonesia in the 19th Century, the Javanese alphabet has gradually been supplanted. Today it is used almost exclusively by scholars and for decoration. Those who can read and write it are held in high esteem.

Language and Etiquette in Indonesia

People generally use the highest level of language to speak to high-status people in formal situations and the lower levels to speak to people of lower rank or with whom they are most intimate. Although children learn to speak at the lowest level first, they gradually are socialized to speak to some of their more distant kin and respected strangers in higher-level forms of Javanese. This formality is particularly common in cities, where there are marked distinctions in status. However, there is evidence that these practices are slowly changing. Many children who go elsewhere in Indonesia for work or school or who live overseas refuse to write letters home to their elders in Javanese because of their fear of making a glaring error. Increasingly, in formal situations, they use Bahasa Indonesia because they are no longer sure of the social situation at home. Although Bahasa Indonesia possesses a relatively simple system for indicating status distinctions, it is regarded as a foreign idiom among many Javanese. [Source: Library of Congress *]

Many of the rules of etiquette center on the proper use of language, which is more problematic in Javanese than in most other languages. When addressing someone, Javanese speakers must choose from several different levels of politeness. These “speech levels” comprise words that have the same meaning but are stylistically different. For instance, among the Javanese variations of the word “now,” saiki is the least refined, while saniki is a little fancier, and samenika is the most elegant. Javanese has many such triads—so many that people cannot speak for long in the language without having to decide whether the situation is formal or informal and what the relations among the participants are. *

When someone says yes, does he or she mean yes or no. Indonesia is a gracious culture that is polite. Wanting to be agreeable and never wanting to embarrass another, the native language Bahasa Indonesia has 12 words that "say yes but really mean no. Unless you are fluent in Bahasa Indonesia, using English or another language will not convey the correct message. Even with a correct translation, though the literal translation for these 12 words would be yes, the culture requires a polite, agreeable response. Since saying no to someone is impolite, don't assume a positive response means you have agreement. *

Foreign Languages in Indonesia

English, the most widely spoken foreign language, is spoken by many people in the major cities and tourist areas. A lot more people speak English than Dutch, the language of the colonial power that ruled Indonesia for 350 years until 1949.

After Indonesia became independent, the older generation of well-educated Indonesians who spoke Dutch gradually diminished. Iver time, Dutch was no longer widely understood, even among students and teachers of history, limiting access to many historical documents. English became the primary foreign language taught in schools and universities, though with varying levels of success. [Source: Clark E. Cunningham, Countries and Their Cultures, Gale Group Inc., 2001]

Studying Chinese language is becoming more fashionable. For three decades the studying of Chinese was banned because of Beijing’s support for communist rebels in the 1960s. In 1996, city officials in Jakarta ordered foreign words to be removed from buildings. The Citraland Shopping Mall, for example, was then forced to change its name to Citratanah Pusat Perdangangan.

English in Indonesia

English is the most widely spoken foreign language in Indonesia. But far fewer people speak it than in Malaysia, which is a former British colony and where English is often the language of instruction in school.

Emily Brennan wrote in the New York Times: “Everyone speaks some of the national language, Indonesian, but not many speak English. If you get even a little off the beaten track, students who want to practice their English present themselves as guides. Since the beginning of recorded history, you’ve got people going through the islands, trading goods. That’s made Indonesians very welcoming, very outward looking, and drives this amazing hospitality. [Source:Emily Brennan, New York Times, July 4, 2014]

Indonesia words in English: Batik is a Javanese word. Amok, as in running amok, is an Indonesian-Malay word. It is derived from a psychological condition found in Malaysia and Indonesia called "amok," which has been described as a reaction to stress when a man goes quiet, broods and then finally freaks out and grabs any weapon available killing everyone in sight and then lapsing into silent amnesia.

An example of Indlish—a mix of Bahasa Indonesian and English: “Gue tadi lunch meeting sauna boss” means “I had a lunch meeting with my boss.”

Problem with English Teaching in Indonesia

Seven out of ten people in Indonesia questioned by the Jakarta Post said their English classes at school were boring and did not help them later in life. Sari P. Setiogi wrote in the Jakarta Post, “While English is taught at most elementary school, some parents try to give their children a head start by encouraging them to master the basics -- numbers, familiar objects and the like -- before enrolling them in international kindergartens. For the majority of students though, learning English is a tough task, and one that they readily complain about. "Er... I learned English, yes, but I don't feel confident. I feel weird every time I try to speak English,” said Toto, a graduate of a private university in Jakarta. [Source: Sari P. Setiogi, Jakarta Post, August 30 2004 ^/^]

“Toto blamed his high school English teacher for failing to encourage him. He likened his teacher to a robot. “He said the same sentences every time he entered the classroom,” Toto recalled. “Open your textbook. Read the text. Good -- those were the words that came out of his mouth.” An English teaching expert said Toto's experience was quite common here. “English classes in the country are considered rather boring, certainly they don't inspire a love of the language,” said Arief Rachman at a seminar held by the Indonesian International Education Foundation (IIEF) recently. ^/^

“IIEF organizes English tests for applicants for scholarships to study at overseas universities or attend fellowship programs abroad. Arief, who was also executive chairman of UNESCO's Indonesian National Committee, said about 80 percent of English teachers here taught in an authoritarian way. When it came to textbooks, Arief said, they were dry and lacked material that was relevant to daily life. ^/^

“Participation is the best way in which to stimulate children who are studying English, Arief said. “Maybe we should learn from kindergartens,” he said. “The learning process should be made fun and interesting for students. More activities such as a role-play and games, and the use of computers, would surely make learning fun.” Students should aim to master reading, speaking, audio-lingual and written skills, according to Arief, who hosted an English program on television station TVRI in the 1980s. “On average, Indonesian students' (English) reading ability is about 70 percent, listening 80 percent, speaking 5 to 10 percent and writing 3 percent,” said Arief. ^/^

“He said only about 40 percent of English teachers in the country could really communicate in English. “Our English teachers may understand theory, but they do not know how to use the language,” said Arief. Separately, director of the IIEF Irid Agoes told The Jakarta Post that no trainer of high school English teachers she observed exceed the standard score of 500 in their Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). “If the trainers are of that standard, can you imagine the skill of the teachers they train,” she said. Irid said writing was not a habit among most Indonesians, including lecturers. “Why? Because they are afraid of making mistakes,” said Irid. Cultural factors also prevent some Indonesians from speaking English. “Some people think that speaking English is too Western,” said Irid. “In fact, their fear (of being too Western) causes them to miss out on the opportunities that a good grasp of English would bring.” ^/^

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: “Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume 5: East/Southeast Asia:” edited by Paul Hockings, 1993; “Culture and Customs of Indonesia” by Jill Forshee, Greenwood Press, 2006; National Geographic, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian magazine, Encyclopedia.com, Library of Congress, Indonesia Tourism website (indonesia.travel), Indonesia government websites, Live Science, The Conversation, The New Yorker, Time, BBC, CNN, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Lonely Planet Guides, Google AI, Wikipedia, The Guardian and various websites, books and other publications.

Last updated April 2026