Bahasa Indonesia course for beginners in Singapore
Start from zero with Basic A, then move on to Basic B. Each level is 12 lessons of 1.5 hours, with 3 to 8 learners and a native Indonesian teacher, at Tanjong Pagar or online. By the end of Basic B, you can talk about your day, order food and make small talk at work.
Nama saya Mei. Saya tinggal di Singapura.
My name is Mei. I live in Singapore.
Who starts here
Basic A assumes you know no Indonesian at all. Basic B is for people who have finished Basic A or already know some basic Indonesian.
Complete beginners
Never spoken a word of Indonesian? Basic A starts there. The first lesson covers the sounds, then greetings and how to say your name.
Partner and family
You want to talk with your in-laws, not just smile and nod. Family, food and daily life are all part of Basic A.
Work with Indonesia
Colleagues in Jakarta, suppliers, site visits. Basic A and Basic B both have a chapter on work, so you can make small talk before the meeting starts.
Grew up speaking Malay?
Basic A isn't for you. Much of the grammar and vocabulary overlaps, so you'd spend the course on things you already know. Private lessons work better. Your teacher starts from what you know and focuses on the words and usage that differ.
What you'll learn in our Bahasa Indonesia course for beginners
Both levels follow our own course book, so every class at the same level covers the same chapters with any teacher.
Basic A
Your first conversations
Berapa harganya? Boleh kurang?
How much is it? Can you go lower?
Topics
- Sounds, greetings and introducing yourself
- Your daily routine
- Numbers and money
- Dates and time
- Family and friends
- Travel, food, work and shopping
Word pairs beginners mix up, sorted early
- Bukan and tidak: both mean "not"
- Tahu and kenal: knowing a fact and knowing a person
- Tolong and silakan: asking for something and offering it
- Ada and punya, and bagus and baik
- Plurals by doubling the word: buku-buku, books
Basic B
Say more, and sound local
Kemarin saya makan di warung dekat kantor.
Yesterday I ate at a food stall near the office.
New in Basic B
- Everyday Jakarta words you'll hear on the street and in the office
- Describing people and things with yang: rumah yang besar, the big house
- Measure words for amounts, the way Indonesians count things
- Telling the time precisely, and pukul versus jam
- Comparing: more than, as much as, the same as
- Joining ideas into longer sentences
You'll also go back to travel, food, work and shopping, with more to say about each.
How the beginner classes work
Prefer one-to-one? Private lessons follow the same course book, on your schedule.
12 lessons of 1.5 hours
Each level, Basic A and Basic B, is 12 lessons of 1.5 hours.
3 to 8 learners
Small enough that you speak in every lesson, not just listen.
At Tanjong Pagar or online
Join in person at Tanjong Pagar or from home. In person, you collect the printed course book at your first lesson. Learning online? We deliver it free within Singapore. Outside Singapore, delivery is charged at cost, and we'll tell you the amount and timing before you pay.
Course book included
Your Basic A or Basic B course book is part of the fee.
One teacher for the whole level
The teacher who starts your level usually finishes it. A replacement steps in only if they're travelling, unwell or there's an emergency.
Review classes, free
Finish a level and you can rejoin later classes of that level free, as often as you like, when there's space in the class. Paying learners are placed first.
Basic A or Basic B: where to start
Start at Basic A if:
- You've never learned Indonesian
- You know a few words from trips, but can't hold a conversation
- You learned some Malay at school but don't speak it day to day
Start at Basic B if:
- You've finished Basic A with us
- You can already introduce yourself, count, tell the time and order food in Indonesian
Take private lessons if:
- You grew up speaking Malay
Not sure? Ask us on WhatsApp for a short level assessment, and we'll tell you where to start.
Finished Basic B? Intermediate A is next.
Your teachers, and what beginners say
Every class is taught by a native Indonesian teacher who teaches in English. Each of our teachers teaches Basic A and Basic B, so your class follows the same course book whoever leads it.
Meet the teachers"I started with zero knowledge and finished feeling confident to understand simple conversations with Ibu Ely. The lessons were fun and practical, focusing on essential communication."
"The instructor was patient and adhered to everyone's pace. For a beginner's class, I was able to learn about the basic sentence structures and words that are most frequently used."
"She's knowledgeable and ready to answer any questions and is able to provide clear and easy to understand explanations."
"Since April this year, I have completed the Bahasa Indonesia Basic A and B courses and am now near completion of Bahasa Indonesia Intermediate A. Classes have remained consistently engaging and interactive, giving students ample time to practice concepts learnt."
Rated 5.0 on Google. Read all reviews
What the beginner course costs
You pay one level at a time. Start with Basic A, and decide on Basic B when you finish. The price on this page is the price you pay.
Classes take 8 learners at most, so review seats open once paying learners are placed.
Is your company paying? We can invoice it directly.
- 12 lessons of 1.5 hours
- 3 to 8 learners per class
- Free review classes for that level
- Course book included
- Tanjong Pagar classroom or online
Beginner course questions
Do I need any Indonesian to start Basic A?
No. Basic A at Learn Indonesian Hub starts from zero, with the sounds of Indonesian, greetings and how to introduce yourself. Many of our Basic A learners have never studied Indonesian or Malay before.
How long does the beginner course take?
Each level is 12 lessons of 1.5 hours, one lesson a week, so a level takes about three months. When there's demand, Learn Indonesian Hub also runs an accelerated Basic A with two lessons a week, which takes about six weeks.
Is Indonesian hard to learn for English speakers?
Indonesian is one of the easier Asian languages for English speakers to start. It uses the same alphabet as English, has no tones, and verbs stay the same for the past, present and future. The harder part is how prefixes and suffixes change a word, which our course covers at Intermediate level.
I speak Malay. Should I start at Basic A?
If you grew up speaking Malay, Basic A isn't the right fit, because much of its grammar and vocabulary overlaps with Malay. Learn Indonesian Hub recommends private lessons instead, so your teacher can start from what you know and focus on the words and usage that differ. If you only learned some Malay at school, Basic A is still the right place to start.
I know some Indonesian. Which level should I join?
If you've never learned Indonesian formally, Basic A is usually the best place to start. If you're unsure, ask Learn Indonesian Hub on WhatsApp for a short level assessment. You'll answer a multiple-choice quiz online, and if needed, a teacher will follow up with a short call. We'll then tell you whether to join Basic A, Basic B or a higher level.
What's the difference between Basic A and Basic B?
Basic A covers greetings, numbers, time, family, travel, food, work and shopping. Basic B goes back to those topics with more grammar, everyday Jakarta words, and ways to describe and compare things.
Can I choose my teacher?
Group classes are assigned a teacher, who usually takes the class through all 12 lessons of the level. For private lessons, the teacher depends on who's available at the times you want.
Can I use SkillsFuture Credit for this course?
No. Learn Indonesian Hub courses can't be paid with SkillsFuture Credit. If your company is paying, we can invoice it directly. Read more about SkillsFuture and our courses
What happens in the free preview class?
The free preview is a 1-hour session on Zoom with a Learn Indonesian Hub teacher. It's a special session for new enquiries, not a seat in a running class. You'll try some Indonesian and ask your questions about the course before you decide.
Sampai jumpa di kelas.
See you in class.
Try a free 1-hour preview class
Meet a teacher, learn your first phrases and ask your questions. Online, with no commitment.