Basic Nouns

1. Air

   Water

   Usage

   The basic word for drinking water; works with a gesture

2. Makanan

   Food

   Usage

   The general word to use when you are looking for something to eat

3. Uang

   Money

   Usage

   The basic word when talking about paying or changing money

4. Toilet

   Usage

   This single word is usually enough for someone to point the way

5. Tisu

   Tissue

   Usage

   For asking for paper at an eatery or a public toilet

6. Obat

   Medicine

   Usage

   The general word to lead with at a pharmacy

7. Bagasi

   Luggage

   Usage

   For storing, carrying, or collecting your bags

8. Kunci

   Key

   Usage

   At a hotel front desk when handing over or collecting a key

9. Tiket

   Ticket

   Usage

   Covers both travel tickets and entry tickets

10. Paspor

    Passport

    Usage

    Comes up at check-in, money changers, and immigration

11. Telepon

    Phone

    Usage

    Used both for the device and for making a call

12. Pengisi daya

    Charger

    Usage

    When you want to borrow one at a hotel or café, or buy one

    Grammar Note

    In everyday speech people also just say "charger"

13. Stasiun

    Station

    Usage

    The most common landmark word when asking for directions

14. Rumah sakit

    Hospital

    Usage

    The first word to say when you feel seriously unwell

15. Polisi

    Police

    Usage

    Who to ask for after a theft or an accident

16. Toko

    Shop

    Usage

    The general word when asking where you can buy something

17. Kamar

    Room

    Usage

    For booking, changing, or checking availability at a hotel

18. Jalan

    Road

    Usage

    For asking the way, usually while showing a map

19. Keluarga

    Family

    Usage

    Comes up constantly in introductions and small talk

20. Nama

    Name

    Usage

    For confirming a booking or introducing yourself

21. Kepala

    Head

    Usage

    Point to this for a headache or any head symptom

22. Mata

    Eye

    Usage

    For eye pain or trouble; in compounds it can mean other things (mata uang = currency), but alone it is the eye

23. Gigi

    Tooth

    Usage

    Point to this for toothache

24. Tenggorokan

    Throat

    Usage

    For a sore throat; the outside of the neck is "leher"

25. Perut

    Stomach / belly

    Usage

    Point to this for stomach or belly pain

26. Punggung

    Back

    Usage

    For back pain

27. Pinggang

    Lower back / waist

    Usage

    For lower-back pain; the whole back is "punggung"

28. Kaki

    Leg / foot

    Usage

    Covers the whole leg and the foot — Indonesian does not separate them, so point at your own body to narrow it down

29. Tangan

    Hand

    Usage

    The hand; the arm is "lengan", though colloquially "tangan" can stretch to include the arm

30. Dada

    Chest

    Usage

    The neutral word for the chest and chest pain; the breast is "payudara"

31. Mobil pemadam kebakaran

    Fire engine

    Usage

    "Mobil" (car) + "pemadam kebakaran" (fire brigade); the brigade itself is just the second part

32. Konsulat

    Consulate

    Usage

    Borrowed from Dutch "consulaat"; the embassy is the separate word "kedutaan"

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