Convenience Store

1. Ngangge kresek menapa mboten?

   Ngang-ge kre-sek me-na-pa mbo-ten?

   Would you like a plastic bag or not?

   Usage

   Said by staff. At Indomaret and Alfamart across Java a plastic bag costs around 200 rupiah, so you are always asked. Urban staff often use Indonesian ("Pakai kantong plastik?"), but replying in Javanese warms up the exchange instantly

   Grammar Note

   "Menapa mboten" frames a polite either/or question; the Ngoko equivalent is "apa ora". To decline, say "mboten, matur nuwun" (no thank you).

2. Nyuwun kresek setunggal

   Nyu-wun kre-sek se-tung-gal

   One plastic bag, please

   Usage

   Use it when staff do not offer a bag. Since the early 2020s many Indonesian provinces have charged for or phased out plastic bags, so some shops only carry paper bags or paid reusable ones

   Grammar Note

   "Nyuwun + noun" is the most polite way to ask for something; the Ngoko version is "njaluk kresek siji". Krama numerals — setunggal, kalih, tiga — are entirely different words from Ngoko siji, loro, telu.

3. Dipanasi menapa mboten?

   Di-pa-na-si me-na-pa mbo-ten?

   Would you like it heated up?

   Usage

   Said by staff. Indomaret and Alfamart keep a microwave behind the counter for chilled meals and pastries. Say "nggih, dipanasi" (yes please) or "mboten usah" (no need)

   Grammar Note

   The prefix "di-" forms the passive. Stating an action you will perform on the customer in the active voice sounds too direct in Javanese, so service speech uses the passive to leave the agent unnamed.

4. Nyuwun tulung dipanasaken

   Nyu-wun tu-lung di-pa-na-sa-ken

   Please heat this up

   Usage

   Use this to ask before staff offer. The microwave is behind the counter and operated by staff, so say it as you hand over the item

   Grammar Note

   "Nyuwun tulung + passive verb" is the politest request pattern in Javanese. The suffix "-aken" marks the Krama causative/transitive, corresponding to Ngoko "-ake" (dipanasake becomes dipanasaken).

5. Wonten toya panas?

   Won-ten to-ya pa-nas?

   Do you have hot water?

   Usage

   Buy a cup noodle such as Pop Mie at an Indonesian convenience store and staff will fill it free from the in-store dispenser, usually adding a fork. Shops with a small eat-in counter let you eat it right there

   Grammar Note

   "Wonten + noun?" asks whether something is available; the Ngoko form is "ana banyu panas?", where the word for water changes outright from toya to banyu. In Javanese the vocabulary itself, not just the endings, shifts with the politeness level.

6. Susuke kangge donasi, nggih?

   Su-su-ke kang-ge do-na-si, nggih?

   Shall we put your change toward the donation?

   Usage

   Said by staff. A habit peculiar to Indonesian convenience stores: they ask every time whether the small change (down to 100 rupiah) may go to a charity box. Declining is perfectly acceptable — just say "mboten, susukipun kemawon" (no, the change please)

   Grammar Note

   The suffix "-e" works like a definite article, marking "the" specific item (susuk becomes susuke). Sentence-final "nggih" is the Krama word for yes and turns the sentence into a request for confirmation; Ngoko uses "ya".

7. Wonten kartu member?

   Won-ten kar-tu mem-ber?

   Do you have a member card?

   Usage

   Said by staff. You are asked at every purchase about loyalty cards such as the Indomaret Card or Alfamart's Ponta. If you have none, "mboten wonten" (I don't have one) is all you need

   Grammar Note

   In commercial settings Javanese sentence frames routinely host English or Indonesian nouns, and "kartu member" is a typical case. There is no need to substitute an older, purely Javanese word.

8. Struke dibekta menapa mboten?

   Struk-e di-bek-ta me-na-pa mbo-ten?

   Will you take the receipt?

   Usage

   Said by staff. Decline and it goes straight in the bin. Shelf prices and till prices sometimes disagree at Indonesian convenience stores, and holding the receipt lets you get it corrected on the spot

   Grammar Note

   "Dibekta" is the Krama passive of "to carry", corresponding to Ngoko "digawa". This sentence sits in the intermediate register called Madya, the normal level of politeness young staff use with customers.

9. Saged bayar QRIS?

   Sa-ged ba-yar Q-R-I-S?

   Can I pay with QRIS?

   Usage

   QRIS is Indonesia's central-bank standard for QR payments: one code works with GoPay, OVO, DANA, ShopeePay and every other app. Coverage extends well beyond convenience stores to food carts and even temple donation boxes

   Grammar Note

   "Saged + verb" asks whether something is possible; the Ngoko form is "isa bayar QRIS?". Javanese uses the same "saged" for both ability and permission.

10. Sedaya kalih welas ewu rupiah

    Se-da-ya ka-lih we-las e-wu ru-pi-ah

    That comes to twelve thousand rupiah

    Usage

    Said by staff. Rupiah amounts run long, so staff group them in "ewu" (thousands). The till display always shows the figure, so glance at the screen if the spoken number escapes you

    Grammar Note

    Javanese forms 11-19 as "number + welas" (setunggal welas = 11, kalih welas = 12). Ngoko has its own contracted shapes such as "rolas" for twelve, distinct from the Krama forms.

11. Nyuwun sendok

    Nyu-wun sen-dok

    A spoon, please

    Usage

    Indonesians eat with a spoon and fork; chopsticks appear only with Chinese-style noodles. Many shops now hand out cutlery on request only as part of plastic-reduction efforts, so you may get none unless you ask

    Grammar Note

    A fork is "garpu" and a straw "sedotan"; with a cup noodle, ask "nyuwun garpu". A Javanese request needs neither subject nor object marker — the bare noun is enough.

12. Toya mineral wonten pundi?

    To-ya mi-ne-ral won-ten pun-di?

    Where is the mineral water?

    Usage

    Tap water is not drinkable in Indonesia, so bottled water is the norm. The brand name Aqua functions as the generic word for it, and "Aqua wonten pundi?" works just as well

    Grammar Note

    "Wonten pundi?" is the standard way to ask where something is; Ngoko says "ana ngendi?". Swap in any product — "roti" (bread), "es krim" (ice cream) — and the frame still works.

13. Saged ngecas HP wonten mriki?

    Sa-ged nge-cas HP won-ten mri-ki?

    Can I charge my phone here?

    Usage

    Big chains will normally say no, but shops with an eat-in counter and independent warungs will often let you use a socket if you ask. Buy something first, then ask

    Grammar Note

    The prefix "ng-" is a productive way to verbalise loanwords, generating new forms constantly: "cas" becomes "ngecas", "print" becomes "ngeprint". "HP" abbreviates handphone and is read "hape" throughout Indonesia.

14. Saged isi pulsa wonten mriki?

    Sa-ged i-si pul-sa won-ten mri-ki?

    Can I top up phone credit here?

    Usage

    Both Indomaret and Alfamart act as top-up agents for prepaid phones: give your number and the amount and they process it at the till. All the major carriers — Telkomsel, Indosat, XL, Tri — are supported

    Grammar Note

    "Isi pulsa" tops up credit for calls and SMS; mobile data is bought separately as "paket data". Specify "paket data" or you will end up with call credit only.

15. Wonten ATM cedhak mriki?

    Won-ten A-T-M ce-dhak mri-ki?

    Is there an ATM near here?

    Usage

    Indonesian convenience stores frequently house an ATM, with BCA, Mandiri or BRI machines lined up by the entrance. Foreign cards work, but per-withdrawal fees are steep, so take out larger amounts at once

    Grammar Note

    The "dh" in "cedhak" is a retroflex stop unique to Javanese, made with the tongue tip curled back. It contrasts meaningfully with plain "d", and the spelling keeps them apart, as in "dhuwit" (money).

16. Nyuwun rokok sabungkus

    Nyu-wun ro-kok sa-bung-kus

    A pack of cigarettes, please

    Usage

    Cigarettes sit on the shelf behind the till, so point at the brand. Clove-scented "kretek" dominates in Indonesia, with Gudang Garam and Djarum the best-known names. Sales to under-18s are prohibited

    Grammar Note

    The prefix "sa-" means "one" and attaches straight to a classifier: sabungkus (one pack), sabotol (one bottle), sakothak (one box). It is shorter and more natural than using the separate numeral "setunggal".

17. Kamar mandine wonten pundi?

    Ka-mar man-di-ne won-ten pun-di?

    Where is the toilet?

    Usage

    Indonesian convenience stores rarely have a customer toilet and staff will usually direct you to a petrol station or a mosque. Public toilets in Java are often paid (around 2,000 rupiah), so keep coins handy

    Grammar Note

    The definite suffix appears as "-ne" after a vowel and "-e" after a consonant: kamar mandi becomes kamar mandine, struk becomes struke. Higher Krama uses "-ipun" instead.

18. Tokone tutup jam pinten?

    To-ko-ne tu-tup jam pin-ten?

    What time does the shop close?

    Usage

    Most Indomaret and Alfamart branches run from 7am to 10-11pm; only some on main roads or in tourist areas stay open 24 hours. Hours shift during Ramadan and public holidays, so it is worth checking

    Grammar Note

    "Jam pinten" means "at what time"; the Ngoko form is "jam pira". To ask about opening, say "bikak jam pinten?". Javanese leaves the time question word at the end and keeps statement word order.

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