Bahasa Indonesia is the lingua franca in Indonesia. It was established by the government in 1945 to intensify the process of nationalization of the country after the independence declaration. Actually, in Indonesia there are more than 300 ethnic groups. Each of them has its own traditions, habits and its own language. Here in Sukabumi, the local people speak Sundanese as the Sundanese ethnic is native to West-Java. Apart from their mother tongue, all Indonesian children learn Bahasa Indonesia in school. Thus, it is their first foreign language. Bahasa Indonesia simply means Indonesian language (Bahasa = language). It is related to the Malaysian language and very easy to learn due to a simple grammar. Nowadays, Bahasa Indonesia is used in school, universities, government, workplaces and in the media. Hence, if you want to get in touch with the local people, no matter where you are in Indonesia, learning Bahasa Indonesia is the first step!

Some words you will use daily in Indonesia:

Bahasa Indonesia


Selamat pagi!

Good morning!

Selamat siang!

Good day!

Selamat sore!

Good afternoon!

Selamat malam!

Good night!

Selamat tinggal!


Sampai jumpa!

See you!

Terima kasih.

Thank you.


You are welcome.








Keep the spirit!