For most English speakers, yes. Indonesian uses the same alphabet as English, it's spelt the way it sounds, it has no tones, and verbs don't change for past or future. The harder parts come later: prefixes and suffixes that change a word, and the gap between formal and everyday Indonesian.
What makes Indonesian easy
Indonesian lets you say useful things early. Within your first few lessons you can introduce yourself in full sentences. Five things make that possible.
Same alphabet, spelt the way it sounds
Indonesian uses the same alphabet as English. Most letters have one sound, so once you know them you can read almost any word out loud. A few take practice. The letter c sounds like the "ch" in "chair", so cari (look for) sounds like "CHAH-ree". The r is rolled. The letter e has two sounds, and you learn which one from hearing the word.
No tones
Unlike Mandarin, Thai or Vietnamese, the pitch of your voice doesn't change what a word means. Get the rise and fall a little wrong and people still understand you.
Verbs don't change
English turns "eat" into "ate" and "eaten". Indonesian keeps the verb the same and adds a word for time.
- Saya makan. I eat.
- Saya sudah makan. I've already eaten.
- Saya sedang makan. I'm eating.
- Saya akan makan. I'll eat.
No gender, simple plurals
There's no masculine or feminine to remember. Even "he" and "she" are the same word: dia. For plurals, you often repeat the word, or leave it alone when a number already tells you there's more than one.
- buku: book. buku-buku: books.
- dua buku: two books. The word stays the same.
Words you already know
Indonesian has borrowed many words from English and Dutch. You can guess these the first time you see them.
- informasi: information
- universitas: university
- dokter: doctor
- polisi: police
- kantor: office, from the Dutch kantoor
What makes Indonesian harder than it looks
Most learners reach these a few months in. None of them is a reason to stop, but it helps to know they're coming.
Prefixes and suffixes
Indonesian builds new words by adding pieces to a root word. One root can give you a whole family.
- tulis: write (the root)
- menulis: to write
- tulisan: writing, handwriting
- penulis: writer
Some prefixes also change the first sound of the root. Me- plus tulis becomes menulis, not "metulis". This is the part of Indonesian that takes the most practice. Our course teaches the prefixes and suffixes one at a time at Intermediate level, a chapter each.
Formal and everyday Indonesian
The Indonesian in a textbook and the Indonesian you hear on the street in Jakarta can sound quite different. People shorten words and swap in casual ones.
- tidak (formal) and nggak (everyday): no, not
- saya (polite) and aku (casual): I
- terima kasih and makasih: thank you
Start with the polite forms. They're understood everywhere and never rude. Then pick up the casual ones as you go. Our Basic B level adds everyday Jakarta words for this reason.
Listening at full speed
Reading Indonesian gets easy quickly. Following two friends chatting takes longer, because words run together and casual forms creep in. The fix is hearing real Indonesians speak, often. Every class at Learn Indonesian Hub is taught by a native Indonesian teacher.
Is Indonesian easier if you speak Mandarin?
In some ways, yes. Like Mandarin, Indonesian keeps the verb the same and adds a word to show time. It also uses measure words when you count some things: dua ekor kucing (two cats) works much like 两只猫.
And there are no tones and no characters to memorise. If you grew up with English and Mandarin, as many Singaporeans did, our founder Iwan Yang can explain Indonesian through both. He moved to Singapore at 10 and learned English and Chinese from scratch himself.
Is Indonesian easy if you speak Malay?
Malay speakers start well ahead. The grammar is close and much of the vocabulary is shared. But some everyday words mean something different in Indonesia, and these catch people out.
- kereta: train in Indonesia, but car in Malay. In Indonesia, a car is a mobil.
- percuma: wasted, for nothing. In Malay it means free. Free in Indonesian is gratis.
- bisa: can, be able to. Malay speakers usually say boleh, and bisa in Malay often means venom.
If you grew up speaking Malay, we suggest private lessons rather than Basic A, so your teacher can start from what you know and focus on what's different.
How long does it take to learn Indonesian?
The US Foreign Service Institute, which trains American diplomats, puts Indonesian in its Category II. It estimates about 36 weeks, or 900 class hours, to reach professional working proficiency. That's longer than French or Spanish at 24 to 30 weeks, and far shorter than Mandarin, Japanese or Arabic at 88 weeks.
You probably don't need diplomat-level Indonesian. To chat with your in-laws, talk to a driver or get through a site visit, you need much less. At Learn Indonesian Hub, Basic A and Basic B take about six months with one 1.5-hour lesson a week, and take you from your first words to simple conversations.
How to make Indonesian easier
- Speak from the first lesson. Reading is the easy part. Saying it out loud is what makes it stick, so practise it from day one.
- Learn the root, then the family. When you meet a new word, find its root. One root often gives you three or four words.
- Start polite, add casual later. Saya and tidak work everywhere. Aku and nggak are for friends.
- Practise with native speakers. Apps are good for vocabulary. You need a person to correct how you say things.
- Repeat a level when you need to. At Learn Indonesian Hub, once you finish a level you can rejoin later classes of that level free, when there's space in the class.
About Learn Indonesian Hub
Learn Indonesian Hub teaches Bahasa Indonesia to adults in Singapore, with native Indonesian teachers at Tanjong Pagar and online. Every class follows our own course book, so you keep your place if you switch class, teacher or format.
New to Indonesian? Basic A takes you from your first words to simple conversations, in classes of 3 to 8. After you finish a level, you can repeat it free when there's space in the class.
Not sure where to start? Message us on WhatsApp for a short level check, or join a free 1-hour preview on Zoom.
Frequently asked questions
Is Indonesian easy to learn for English speakers?
Yes. Indonesian is one of the easier languages for English speakers to start. It uses the same alphabet as English, has no tones, and verbs don't change for past or future. Prefixes and suffixes take the most practice.
Is Indonesian harder than Malay?
No. Indonesian and Malay share most of their grammar and much of their vocabulary, so they're similar in difficulty. Some everyday words mean different things, such as kereta, which means train in Indonesia and car in Malaysia.
Is Indonesian easier than Mandarin?
For most English speakers, yes. Indonesian has no tones and no characters, and it uses the same alphabet as English. Like Mandarin, it doesn't change its verbs for past or future.
How long does it take to learn basic Indonesian?
At Learn Indonesian Hub, Basic A and Basic B take about six months with one 1.5-hour lesson a week. Together they take you from your first words to simple conversations.
What is the hardest part of learning Indonesian?
The prefixes and suffixes. They change a root word's meaning and sometimes its first sound, so menulis (to write) comes from tulis (write). Following fast, casual speech also takes time.
