1000 Words

Learn Indonesian – start with the 1000 most important words

Around 1000 words are enough to understand roughly 85% of everyday speech. That is exactly what 1000 Words focuses on: instead of endless grammar tables, you first learn the Indonesian vocabulary you will actually meet in real life – nouns, verbs, adjectives and full sentences, each with translation, example sentence and native-speaker audio.

Learn the way that fits your day: as a video to read along, as an audiobook for your commute or for falling asleep, as an ebook, or with the built-in vocabulary trainer that shows you every word again at the scientifically optimal moment (spaced repetition). Everything is available on the website and in the free app for iOS and Android.

A taste: Indonesian vocabulary with example sentences

EnglishIndonesianExample sentence
the appleapelI eat the apple.
Saya makan apel itu.
the bookbukuShe reads the book.
Dia membaca buku itu.
the catkucingThe cat is sleeping.
Kucing itu sedang tidur.
the doganjingThe dog is barking.
Anjing itu sedang menggonggong.
the carmobilHe drives the car.
Dia mengendarai mobil itu.
the houserumahWe live in a house.
Kami tinggal di sebuah rumah.
the chairkursiShe sits on the chair.
Dia duduk di kursi itu.
the tablemejaPut the book on the table.
Taruh buku itu di atas meja.
the windowjendelaOpen the window.
Buka jendela itu.
the doorpintuClose the door.
Tutup pintu itu.
the pencilpensilI write with the pencil.
Saya menulis dengan pensil itu.
the paperkertasThe paper is on the table.
Kertas itu ada di atas meja.
the schoolsekolahThe school is big.
Sekolah itu besar.
the teacherguruThe teacher teaches math.
Guru itu mengajar matematika.
the studentmuridThe student is studying.
Murid itu sedang belajar.
the boyanak laki-lakiThe boy is playing.
Anak laki-laki itu sedang bermain.
the girlanak perempuanThe girl is singing.
Anak perempuan itu sedang bernyanyi.
the adultorang dewasaThe adult is working.
Orang dewasa itu sedang bekerja.
the friendtemanMy friend is here.
Teman saya ada di sini.
the treepohonThe tree is tall.
Pohon itu tinggi.

The 100 most important Indonesian words →

Essential Indonesian verbs & adjectives

to acceptmenerima
to addmenambahkan
to agreesetuju
to allowmengizinkan
to askmeminta
to believepercaya
to borrowmeminjam
to breakmemecahkan
to bringmembawa
to buildmembangun

Indonesian sentences for beginners

I like applesSaya suka apel
She is my friendDia adalah teman saya
It is a sunny dayHari ini cerah
He runs fastDia berlari cepat
We are happyKami bahagia
They play soccerMereka bermain sepak bola

How you learn Indonesian with 1000 Words

🎬 Learning videos

Every word narrated and illustrated – read along and repeat.

🎧 Audiobooks

All vocabulary as audio – including a 3x repetition version, perfect for learning while you sleep.

📖 Ebooks & PDFs

All words and sentences to look up and read offline.

🧠 Vocabulary trainer

Spaced-repetition system like flashcards – reviews exactly when you need them.

✨ AI stories

Short stories built from the words you already know, with audio and tap-to-explain.

📴 Offline mode

Download Premium content and keep learning without internet.

Frequently asked questions

How many words do I need to understand Indonesian?

With the 1000 most frequent words you understand about 85% of everyday spoken language. That is why 1000 Words focuses exactly on this core vocabulary – organized into nouns, verbs & adjectives and full sentences.

Does learning Indonesian while sleeping really work?

Research shows the brain consolidates previously learned material during sleep. Our audiobooks with triple repetition are made for this: listen in the evening, relax, and anchor what you learned. Read more in our article on learning while you sleep.

Is 1000 Words free?

Yes, getting started is free: parts of the videos and audiobooks, the vocabulary trainer, the matching game and previews of all content. Premium unlocks everything – including downloads for offline mode.

Who is 1000 Words for?

For beginners and returners (level A1–B1) who want to build a usable Indonesian vocabulary fast – without grammar overload, with native-speaker audio.

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