Basic Nouns

1. Banyu

   Ba-nyu

   Water

   Usage

   The basic word for drinking water; works with a gesture

2. Panganan

   Pa-nga-nan

   Food

   Usage

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

3. Dhuwit

   Dhu-wit

   Money

   Usage

   The basic word when talking about paying or changing money

4. Kamar cilik

   Ka-mar ci-lik

   Toilet

   Usage

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

5. Tisu

   Ti-su

   Tissue

   Usage

   For asking for paper at an eatery or a public toilet

6. Obat

   O-bat

   Medicine

   Usage

   The general word to lead with at a pharmacy

7. Barang

   Ba-rang

   Luggage

   Usage

   For storing, carrying, or collecting your bags

8. Kunci

   Kun-ci

   Key

   Usage

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

9. Tikèt

   Ti-kèt

   Ticket

   Usage

   Covers both travel tickets and entry tickets

10. Paspor

    Pas-por

    Passport

    Usage

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

11. Telpon

    Tel-pon

    Phone

    Usage

    Used both for the device and for making a call

12. Charger

    Char-ger

    Usage

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

    Grammar Note

    The English loanword is used as-is for a charger

13. Stasiun

    Sta-si-un

    Station

    Usage

    The most common landmark word when asking for directions

14. Rumah sakit

    Ru-mah sa-kit

    Hospital

    Usage

    The first word to say when you feel seriously unwell

15. Pulisi

    Pu-li-si

    Police

    Usage

    Who to ask for after a theft or an accident

16. Toko

    To-ko

    Shop

    Usage

    The general word when asking where you can buy something

17. Kamar

    Ka-mar

    Room

    Usage

    For booking, changing, or checking availability at a hotel

18. Dalan

    Da-lan

    Road

    Usage

    For asking the way, usually while showing a map

19. Kulawarga

    Ku-la-war-ga

    Family

    Usage

    Comes up constantly in introductions and small talk

20. Jeneng

    Je-neng

    Name

    Usage

    For confirming a booking or introducing yourself

21. Sirah

    Si-rah

    Head

    Usage

    Show while pointing at your own head to say where it hurts

    Grammar Note

    Use the neutral form "sirah" for your own body; the krama inggil "mustaka" is reserved for the listener's body

22. Mripat

    Mri-pat

    Eye

    Usage

    Point to it for an eye problem or when looking for eye drops

23. Untu

    Un-tu

    Tooth

    Usage

    For finding a dentist or showing where a toothache is

24. Tenggorokan

    Teng-go-ro-kan

    Throat

    Usage

    For a sore throat; distinct from "gulu", the outside of the neck

    Grammar Note

    Javanese has no distinct everyday word here; this Indonesian-shared form is what is actually used in Java

25. Weteng

    We-teng

    Stomach / Belly

    Usage

    For stomach ache or food poisoning

26. Geger

    Ge-ger

    Back

    Usage

    Point at your back at a massage place or a clinic

27. Bangkekan

    Bang-ke-kan

    Waist / Lower back

    Usage

    For lower-back pain; the area below "geger" (the back)

28. Sikil

    Si-kil

    Leg / Foot

    Usage

    Covers both leg and foot; point at the exact spot on your own body

29. Tangan

    Ta-ngan

    Hand

    Usage

    For a hand injury or pain; can also stretch to mean the whole arm

30. Dhadha

    Dha-dha

    Chest

    Usage

    The chest, for chest pain or breathing trouble

31. Kuping

    Ku-ping

    Ear

    Usage

    For earache or trouble hearing

32. Gulu

    Gu-lu

    Neck

    Usage

    For a stiff or painful neck

33. Pundhak

    Pun-dhak

    Shoulder

    Usage

    Also useful for showing a masseur where to work

34. Dhengkul

    Dheng-kul

    Knee

    Usage

    Point at it after a fall or a stair injury

35. Driji

    Dri-ji

    Finger

    Usage

    For a cut or burn on a finger

36. Kulit

    Ku-lit

    Skin

    Usage

    For a rash, insect bites, or sunburn

37. Lengen

    Le-ngen

    Arm

    Usage

    The arm itself; "tangan" is the hand

38. Irung

    I-rung

    Nose

    Usage

    For a blocked or runny nose

39. Hotel

    Ho-tel

    Usage

    Show it with your hotel name when asking the way back

40. Bandara

    Ban-da-ra

    Airport

    Usage

    For telling a taxi or bus where you are heading

41. Halte bis

    Hal-te bis

    Bus stop

    Usage

    Point at it when asking where to catch a bus

42. Kedutaan

    Ke-du-ta-an

    Embassy

    Usage

    For getting to your own country's office after losing a passport

43. ATM

    ATM

    Usage

    For asking where to withdraw cash; read out as "ah-teh-em" in Indonesia

44. Panggonan ijol dhuwit

    Pang-go-nan i-jol dhu-wit

    Money changer

    Usage

    For asking where you can change foreign currency

    Grammar Note

    panggonan = place, ijol = to exchange, dhuwit = money; shopfronts usually read "MONEY CHANGER"

45. Laundry

    Laun-dry

    Usage

    In Java, laundry is normally sold by the kilo at a shop rather than self-service; this is the word on the sign

46. Branwir

    Bran-wir

    Fire engine / fire brigade

    Usage

    A fire engine; the same word also covers the fire brigade and a fire extinguisher

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