One of the first things you must learn when studying the Indonesian language is how to say hello.

Indonesians are incredibly friendly people.

If you walk down the street in Jakarta or a village in Bali, people will likely smile and greet you. Knowing how to respond correctly is the best way to make a great first impression.

But here’s the trick:

Indonesian greetings are often based on the time of day.

If you use the wrong one, people will still understand you, but it might sound a little bit strange. For example, we don’t just say “Good day”. We have specific words for early morning, late morning, afternoon, and night.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through the standard greetings, slang, and some important cultural variations.

Time-based greetings (Selamat Pagi, Siang, Sore, Malam)

The most formal and polite way to greet someone is by using the word Selamat followed by the time of day.

Selamat literally means “safe” or “congratulations”, but in this context, it functions like “Good” in English (as in Good Morning).

Here is a simple breakdown of the four main times of day. Memorizing these time windows is the key to sounding natural.

A quick tip for beginners:

Selamat Siang and Selamat Sore are the ones that confuse learners the most.

In English, “Good Afternoon” covers everything from noon until sunset. In Indonesian, we split it up. Siang is when the sun is high and hot. Sore is when the sun starts going down and it gets cooler.

If you want to sound more casual (like a local), you can drop the word Selamat.

Asking “How are you?” in Indonesian

Once you have greeted someone, the natural next step is to ask how they are doing.

The most common phrase you will hear is Apa kabar?

Apa means “what” and Kabar means “news”. So you are literally asking, “What is the news?”

Here is how a typical exchange looks:

Sometimes, people might just say Baik (Good) or Baik-baik saja (Just fine).

If you want to be a bit more colloquial or casual with friends, you can change the word order or use slang:

• Gimana kabarmu? (How is your news? - Informal)
• Sehat? (Healthy? - Used to ask if someone is doing well)

Cultural greetings: “Where are you going?”

This is one of the most interesting parts of Indonesian culture.

Often, instead of saying “Hello” or “How are you,” an Indonesian neighbor or friend might ask you:

Mau ke mana?

This translates to “Where are you going?”

To a Westerner, this might feel intrusive or nosy. Why do they want to know where I am going?

Don’t worry, they are not actually checking up on you.

It is just a friendly way of acknowledging your presence. You don’t need to give a specific answer.

If you are just walking around, you can simply reply:

Or if you are actually going somewhere specific:

Another very common cultural greeting, especially around meal times, is:

Sudah makan? (Have you eaten yet?)

Again, this shows that people care about your well-being.

Saying goodbye

Just like greetings, there are a few ways to say goodbye depending on the situation.

Selamat tinggal vs Selamat jalan

This is a classic grammar rule that even beginners should know.

1. Selamat tinggal: Used if you are leaving and the other person is staying. (Literally: “Good staying”).
2. Selamat jalan: Used if you are staying and the other person is leaving. (Literally: “Good going/walking”).

However, in modern, casual conversation, we rarely use these phrases because they sound very formal and final.

Instead, use these casual options:

Use Hati-hati when someone is driving away or leaving your house. It is a warm way to tell them to be safe on the road.

Regional and religious variations

Indonesia has hundreds of local languages. While everyone speaks standard Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia), you will hear local variations depending on which island you are on.

Also, because Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world, Islamic greetings are extremely common.

Assalamualaikum

You will hear this everywhere. It is an Arabic phrase used by Muslims, but it is often used in formal speeches to greet everyone.

The reply is Waalaikumsalam.

Greetings in Bali (Om Swastiastu)

I am Balinese, so I must include this! If you visit Bali, you will see people pressing their hands together and saying:

Om Swastiastu.

This is a Hindu greeting that means “May God bless you.” You can use this with anyone in Bali, and they will be very happy to hear a foreigner use it.

Greetings in Java (Monggo)

On the island of Java, politeness is very important.

While they use standard Indonesian, you will often hear the word Monggo.

It isn’t exactly “hello,” but it is used to greet people when you pass them on the street, or when inviting someone to enter a room. It essentially means “Please” or “Go ahead.”

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Greetings are the easiest way to connect with locals.

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes with the time of day. If you say Selamat Pagi at 12:00 PM, people might giggle, but they will appreciate that you are trying!

Here is a quick checklist to remember:

• Use Pagi for morning, Siang for midday, Sore for afternoon, and Malam for night.
• Answer Apa kabar? with Baik.
• Don’t get offended if someone asks Mau ke mana? (Where are you going?).
• Use Hati-hati when someone leaves.