Indonesian→English

Translate Indonesian to English the way locals mean it.

Indonesian speakers often hide resignation, teasing, or refusal behind soft particles and slang that a textbook reader may take literally.

Going the other way? English to Indonesian

474 local dialects

AIRTranslate on iPhone choosing between Indonesian varieties

What locals actually say

Yaudah, terserah kamu deh.

Fine, have it your way.

Yaudah closes the discussion, while deh adds resignation, so terserah can signal annoyance rather than genuine freedom to choose.

Jangan baper, aku cuma bercanda.

Don’t take it personally, I was just kidding.

Baper is slang for becoming overly emotionally affected, so the phrase dismisses hurt feelings rather than simply describing emotion.

Dia PHP banget, jangan terlalu berharap.

They’re really stringing you along, so don’t get your hopes up.

PHP is short for pemberi harapan palsu, or someone who gives false hope, usually in a romantic or flirtatious situation.

Patungan aja, biar nggak berat di kantong.

Let’s split the bill so it doesn’t hit anyone’s wallet too hard.

Patungan means sharing a payment, while aja and nggak signal casual Jakarta Indonesian.

Belok kiri di lampu merah, terus lurus sampai ketemu minimarket.

Turn left at the traffic light, then go straight until you reach the convenience store.

Lampu merah literally means “red light” and is the everyday Indonesian term for a traffic light; ketemu is a colloquial form meaning “reach” or “come across.”

Nasiku sedikit aja, sambalnya yang banyak, ya.

Just a little rice for me, but go heavy on the sambal, okay?

The construction sedikit aja ... yang banyak expresses a casual contrast between wanting less of one thing and more of another; sambal is Indonesian chili relish.

Adikku lagi nginep di rumah nenek.

My younger sibling is staying over at Grandma’s.

Adik means a younger sibling without specifying gender, while lagi and nginep are casual forms signaling an ongoing stay.

Bos gue minta revisinya kelar sebelum makan siang.

My boss wants the revisions finished before lunch.

Gue is very casual Jakarta slang for “I” or “my,” and kelar is a colloquial word meaning “finished.”

Notes like these come with every AIRTranslate translation, so you learn why locals phrase it that way as you go.

How Indonesian differs

Indonesian. Formal register uses Anda and baku forms; casual register is colloquial Jakarta Indonesian (aku/kamu or gue/lu only if clearly very casual, nggak, banget, dong/sih particles). Match the source's formality faithfully.

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Localization Notes explaining why locals say it that way