Bahasa Indonesia Commonly Used Expressions

Welcome to our new series!

Language can never be truly understood outside of the context and cultural understanding in which it is used. One of the components that makes learning a new language difficult to understand without comprehending the context and cultural understanding is expression.

Therefore, over the next several weeks, we will present our version of Commonly Used Expressions in Bahasa Indonesia. Our hope is to help you develop your ability to sound more natural in speaking Bahasa Indonesia when the time comes for you to speak to your Indonesian fellows.

The first expression we will talk about is “Oh... Begitu.”

Despite its literal meaning, "like that," as in "do it like that" (particular manner),

begitu has been widely used as the equivalent to the English expression "I see" as someone who confirms that he/she has come to an understanding.

For example:

A: Pak Roni, Apakah Anda lihat Ibu Santi pagi ini?

A: Pak Roni, have you seen Ibu Santi this morning?

B: Oh, Anda tidak tahu? Ibu Santi tidak datang ke kantor karena sakit hari ini.

B: Oh, you haven’t heard? Ibu Santi could not come to work because she is sick today.

A: Oh... begitu! terima kasih banyak Pak Roni!

A: I see, thank you Pak Roni!

There you have it! To learn more about how the expression is being used in real-life situations, click the video below in case you have not watched it.