"Gak Faham, Pak." 25 Malay - Indonesian Word Differences That Will Trip You Up in Batam!
Photo Source : @UiHua Cheah
If you’re going to Batam (or anywhere in Indonesia) for the first time, you may think that communication wouldn’t be an issue. After all, Bahasa Indonesia and Bahasa Malaysia are pretty similar… right?
Well, if you have a basic grasp of Bahasa Malaysia, you won’t be completely lost. However, you may run into some confusion when, say, trying to pay via QR.
In Malaysia, we call it “DuitNow” or simply just “QR”. However, using either of these terms in Batam may land you with a confused look because they call it “QRIS”.
So, here are 25 common Indonesian words you may come across in Batam - in alphabetical order:
Angkot
Bahasa Malaysia: Bas mini / Van mini
English: Minibus / Minivan
Example: Tunggu angkotnya di situ aja. Nanti berhenti sendiri. / Just wait for the bus there. It’ll stop on its own.
Antri
Bahasa Malaysia: Beratur
English: Queue
Example: Kalau mau masuk, harus antri dulu di sebelah sana / If you want to enter, you need to queue over there first.
Bensin
Bahasa Malaysia: Minyak petrol
English: Petrol
Example: Maaf, Pak. Saya isi bensin sebentar, ya. / Sorry sir. I’m going to quickly pump petrol.
Bisa
Bahasa Malaysia: Boleh
English: Can / Able to
Example: Bisa bayar pakai QRIS, kartu, atau tunai. / You can pay using QRIS, card, or cash.
Bu / Ibu
Bahasa Malaysia: Puan / Cik (for older women or in formal settings)
English: Madam / Auntie (for older women or in formal settings)
Example: Silakan lihat-lihat dulu, Bu. / Please have a look around, Madam.
Cabe
Bahasa Malaysia: Cili
English: Chilli
Example: Mau pakai cabe, Mbak? / Want chilli with that, miss?
Dong
This word is a particle at the end of a sentence that changes depending on context.
Closest Malaysian equivalents are “lah”, “kan”, or “wei”
Sample Sentence 1: Cobain sambalnya dong! Pedas! / Try the sambal wei! Spicy!
Sample Sentence 2: Cantik, beli saja dong! / It’s pretty, buy it lah!
Enggak / Nggak / Gak/ Ga
Bahasa Malaysia: Tak
English: No / Not
Example: Bisa gak pedas, ya? / Can it not be spicy?
Es
Bahasa Malaysia: Ais
English: Ice
Example: Mau coba teh es, bu? / Want to try an ice tea, miss?
Gratis
Bahasa Malaysia: Percuma
English: Free of charge
Example: Air minum dan kopi di kamar gratis. / Drinking water and coffee in your room are free.
Iya
Bahasa Malaysia: Ya
English: Yes
Example: Iya, udah termasuk. / Yes, it’s included.
Jeruk
Bahasa Malaysia: Limau / Oren
English: Generally oranges, but can also refer to other citrus fruit such as lemons or limes
Example: Jeruknya manis, Mas! Coba dulu, nanti pasti mau beli sekilo! / These oranges are sweet, sir! Try it first, and you’ll definitely want to buy a whole kilo!
Karcis
Bahasa Malaysia: Tiket
English: Ticket
Example: Karcisnya dua puluh ribu, ya. / The ticket is 20,000 rupiah, okay?
Kasir
Bahasa Malaysia: Kaunter / Juruwang
English: Cashier
Example: Kasirnya di sebelah kanan. / The cashier is on the left.
Macet
Bahasa Malaysia: Jam / Sesak
English: Traffic jam
Example: Aduh, macet lagi… / Dang, traffic jam again…
Mas
Bahasa Malaysia: Bang / Bos / Bro
English: Bro / Mister / Sir (in more informal settings)
Example: Mau makan di sini atau bungkus, Mas? / Do you want to eat here or take away, mister?
Mbak
Bahasa Malaysia: Kak / Sis / Cik
English: Miss / Sis (in more informal settings)
Example: Mbak Nabihah ya? / Are you Miss Nabihah?
Mobil
Bahasa Malaysia: Kereta
English: Car
Example: Jalanan sempit, jadi mobil gak bisa masuk. / The road’s too narrow, so cars can’t get through.
Nongkrong
Bahasa Malaysia: Lepak
English: Hang out
Example: Tempat Nongkrong Asik! Wifi kenceng, Harga bersahabat! / Cool Hangout Spot! Fast wifi, Friendly prices!
Ojol / Ojek
Bahasa Malaysia: Grab / E-Hailing
English: Grab / E-Hailing
Example: Ojol ke Grand Batam Mall murah, Mbak. Bisa pakai Gojek atau Grab. / E-Hailing to Grand Batam Mall is cheap, miss. You can use Gojek or Grab.
Pak / Bapak
Bahasa Malaysia: Encik / Tuan
English: Sir / Uncle (for older men or in formal settings)
Example: Mau pesan apa, Pak? / What would you like to order, Sir?
Permisi
Bahasa Malaysia: Tumpang lalu / Maaf mengganggu
English: Excuse me
Example: Permisi, Bu… ada yang bisa saya bantu? / Excuse me, madam… is there anything I can help with?
QRIS (pronounced “kris”)
Bahasa Malaysia: QR / DuitNow
English: QR Pay / DuitNow
Example: Itu ada QRIS-nya di meja. / There’s a QRIS code on the table.
Supir
Bahasa Malaysia: Pemandu
English: Hired driver
Example: Besok pagi supir akan jemput jam tujuh di hotel. / The driver will pick you up at 7am at the hotel tomorrow morning.
Yuk!
Bahasa Malaysia: Jom!
English: Let’s go!
Example: Yuk, makan! / Let’s eat!
Time to practice your new Indonesian language skills in Batam, yuk!
PPhoto Source : @UiHua Cheah
Language needs to be practised, and what better way than with a beachside resort holiday in Batam?
Just a 90-minute ferry ride from Berjaya Waterfront, you’ll be nongkrong-ing away in no time! Berjaya Waterfront’s daily and regular schedule of air-conditioned ferries also ensures hassle-free transport with a side of comfort.
Once you’re there, here are some tips to start conversations without being awkward: