Body Parts

1. Kepala

   Head

   Usage

   Show this at a clinic and point at your head. "Kepala saya sakit" means "my head hurts"

2. Rambut

   Hair

   Usage

   Used at a salon or barber. "Potong rambut" means "a haircut"

3. Wajah

   Face

   Usage

   The slightly more formal word. Everyday speech prefers "muka", but salons and skincare use "wajah"

4. Mata

   Eye

   Usage

   Used when asking for eye drops or contact lens supplies

5. Telinga

   Ear

   Usage

   Useful for reporting ear trouble after diving

6. Hidung

   Nose

   Usage

   For a blocked nose or a nosebleed — "mimisan" is the word for a nosebleed

7. Mulut

   Mouth

   Usage

   Used at the dentist or for mouth ulcers ("sariawan")

8. Gigi

   Tooth

   Usage

   "Sakit gigi" is toothache; "dokter gigi" is the dentist

9. Lidah

   Tongue

   Usage

   For a tongue burning from chilli, or when a doctor asks to see it

10. Leher

    Neck

    Usage

    Indonesian separates the outer neck ("leher") from the throat ("tenggorokan"); this is the outer neck

11. Tenggorokan

    Throat

    Usage

    The throat inside. "Sakit tenggorokan" is a sore throat — the most useful one at a pharmacy

12. Bahu

    Shoulder

    Usage

    Point at it to tell a masseuse where to focus. "Pundak" is the colloquial alternative

13. Lengan

    Arm

    Usage

    The arm from shoulder to wrist — a different word from "tangan" (hand), handy when pointing out where to inject

14. Siku

    Elbow

    Usage

    Used after a fall when the elbow took the impact

15. Tangan

    Hand

    Usage

    The hand itself, though in casual speech it can stretch to cover the whole arm

16. Jari

    Finger

    Usage

    Covers fingers and toes alike; say "jari kaki" when you specifically mean toes

17. Kuku

    Nail

    Usage

    Used at a nail salon or when you break a nail

18. Dada

    Chest

    Usage

    An emergency word for chest pain or tightness — "dada sesak" means a tight chest

19. Perut

    Belly / Abdomen

    Usage

    The belly you can point at from outside; the stomach organ itself is "lambung"

20. Punggung

    Back

    Usage

    Careful: the identical spelling means "buttocks" in Malaysian Malay. In Indonesian it is the back

21. Pinggang

    Waist / Lower back

    Usage

    "Sakit pinggang" covers lower-back pain of any kind

22. Pantat

    Buttocks

    Usage

    Used for an injection site or after a long bus ride. An everyday word, but show it on screen rather than saying it loudly

23. Paha

    Thigh

    Usage

    Used to specify a spot in a massage; "paha ayam" is also chicken thigh on a menu

24. Kaki

    Leg / Foot

    Usage

    Indonesian does not split leg from foot — both are "kaki". Say "telapak kaki" for the sole only

25. Lutut

    Knee

    Usage

    Used after a scooter spill, or when sitting cross-legged at a temple has taken its toll

26. Pergelangan kaki

    Ankle

    Usage

    A sprain is "keseleo": "pergelangan kaki saya keseleo" means "I sprained my ankle"

27. Kulit

    Skin

    Usage

    For sunburn or insect bites; "dokter kulit" is a dermatologist

28. Tulang

    Bone

    Usage

    A fracture is "patah tulang" — the same wording used in the health cards

29. Darah

    Blood

    Usage

    "Golongan darah" is blood type and "tekanan darah" is blood pressure — both come up in a dengue test

30. Jantung

    Heart

    Usage

    The organ. The metaphorical "heart" is "hati" instead. Same word as "penyakit jantung" in the health cards

31. Lambung

    Stomach (organ)

    Usage

    The stomach as an organ. Gastritis is usually called "maag", and that is the word pharmacies respond to

32. Usus

    Intestine

    Usage

    "Usus buntu" is appendicitis — show it if the pain has settled in your lower right side

33. Paru-paru

    Lungs

    Usage

    Comes up with asthma or a chest X-ray. Indonesian doubles the word for paired or plural things

34. Hati

    Liver

    Usage

    The liver. The same word also means "heart / feelings", and "hati-hati" means "be careful" — so show the screen in a medical setting

35. Ginjal

    Kidney

    Usage

    Used when explaining a chronic condition. Malaysian Malay uses a completely different phrase, "buah pinggang"

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