One of the best things about learning Indonesian is how incredibly logical the number system is.

Unlike French, where you have to do math to say “80” (four-twenties), or English with its irregular “eleven” and “twelve,” Indonesian numbers follow a very strict pattern.

Once you memorize the numbers from 1 to 10, you basically know how to count to a million.

Why are Indonesian numbers so easy?

The language uses a simple building-block system.

If you want to say “twenty-one,” you literally say “two ten one.” There are very few exceptions, which makes this one of the quickest vocabulary sets you’ll master.

Keep reading and I’ll break down exactly how to count, from zero to one billion.

The basic numbers 1-10

This is the most important part of the guide. You need to memorize these ten words. Everything else in the Indonesian number system is built on top of these.

Note that the number zero is nol.

Wait, why is 10 not satu puluh?

You will notice a pattern in Indonesian where the number one (satu) often changes to the prefix se- when it is attached to a unit. So instead of saying “one ten” (satu puluh), we combine them to say sepuluh.

The teens (11-19)

To make numbers between 11 and 19, you simply take the basic number (1-9) and add the word belas.

Think of belas as the English word “-teen”.

There is only one exception: 11. Just like with 10, we don’t say satu belas. We use the se- prefix to make sebelas.

For the rest, it is very straightforward:

• 11: Sebelas
• 12: Dua belas
• 13: Tiga belas
• 14: Empat belas
• 15: Lima belas
• 16: Enam belas
• 17: Tujuh belas
• 18: Delapan belas
• 19: Sembilan belas

The tens and larger numbers (20-99)

Once you get to 20, the pattern changes slightly, but it remains very logical.

To say 20, 30, 40, etc., you simply use the number followed by puluh (which means ten).

• 20: Dua puluh (Two ten)
• 30: Tiga puluh (Three ten)
• 40: Empat puluh (Four ten)
• 50: Lima puluh (Five ten)

To add a single digit, you just say it at the end.

The formula is: [Number] + [puluh] + [Number]

Let’s look at some examples:

• 21: Dua puluh satu
• 35: Tiga puluh lima
• 48: Empat puluh delapan
• 99: Sembilan puluh sembilan

Hundreds, thousands, and millions

Now that you know the system, we can go much higher. The logic stays exactly the same. You just need to learn three new words:

1. Ratus (Hundred)
2. Ribu (Thousand)
3. Juta (Million)

Note: For the number “one hundred” and “one thousand,” we use the se- prefix again.

Wait, why is one million satu juta and not sejuta?

While you might hear people say sejuta in casual conversation, the formal standard usually reverts to satu juta for millions and billions (milyar). However, for hundreds and thousands, you must use se-.

Let’s try a complex number.

The year 1945 (Indonesian independence year): Seribu sembilan ratus empat puluh lima. (One thousand + nine hundred + four ten + five).

Ordinal numbers (first, second, third)

Ordinal numbers tell you the position of something (1st, 2nd, 3rd).

In English, these are messy (First, Second, Third, Fourth). In Indonesian, they are incredibly easy. You just add the prefix ke- to the number.

There is only one exception: “First”.

• 1st: Pertama (The exception)
• 2nd: Kedua
• 3rd: Ketiga
• 4th: Keempat
• 5th: Kelima
• 10th: Kesepuluh

Colloquial and fast spoken numbers

When you are learning Indonesian phrases for travel, you will notice that locals speak very fast.

In spoken Indonesian, numbers are often shortened. If you are buying street food or haggling in a market, you likely won’t hear the full “Satu, dua, tiga, empat.”

Here is how they are typically chopped:

• Satu -> Tu
• Dua -> Wa
• Tiga -> Ga
• Empat -> Pat
• Lima -> Ma
• Enam -> Nam
• Tujuh -> Juh
• Delapan -> Pan
• Sembilan -> Lan

So, a phone number like 0812 might sound like “Nol-pan-tu-wa”.

Also, don’t be confused if you hear Hokkien (Chinese dialect) terms in Jakarta markets, like gopek (500) or seceng (1000), but as a beginner, sticking to standard Indonesian numbers is perfectly fine and everyone will understand you!

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Indonesian numbers are a relief for language learners.

If you can memorize 1 to 10, plus the words belas (teen), puluh (ty), ratus (hundred), and ribu (thousand), you are ready to handle almost any situation involving money, time, or counting.