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 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.
You will start with everyday Indonesian words like the food (makanan), the drink (minuman), the cup (cangkir) — the vocabulary that appears most often in real conversations.
| English | Indonesian | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| the food | makanan | The food is delicious. Makanan itu lezat. |
| the drink | minuman | I want a drink. Saya ingin minum. |
| the cup | cangkir | The cup is full. Cangkir itu penuh. |
| the bottle | botol | The bottle is empty. Botol itu kosong. |
| the plate | piring | The plate is clean. Piring itu bersih. |
| the spoon | sendok | I use a spoon. Saya menggunakan sendok. |
| the fork | garpu | I eat with a fork. Saya makan dengan garpu. |
| the knife | pisau | The knife is sharp. Pisau itu tajam. |
| the breakfast | sarapan | I eat breakfast. Saya makan sarapan. |
| the lunch | makan siang | We have lunch at noon. Kami makan siang di tengah hari. |
| the dinner | makan malam | They eat dinner together. Mereka makan malam bersama. |
| the bread | roti | I buy bread. Saya membeli roti. |
| the butter | mentega | I put butter on the bread. Saya mengoleskan mentega pada roti. |
| the cheese | keju | I eat cheese. Saya makan keju. |
| the milk | susu | I drink milk. Saya minum susu. |
| the coffee | kopi | I drink coffee in the morning. Saya minum kopi di pagi hari. |
| the tea | teh | I like tea. Saya suka teh. |
| the juice | jus | I drink juice. Saya minum jus. |
| the soda | soda | I drink soda. Saya minum soda. |
| the rice | nasi | I eat rice. Saya makan nasi. |
The 100 most important Indonesian words →
The 100 most important Indonesian verbs →
| to borrow | meminjam |
| to buy | membeli |
| to clean | membersihkan |
| to close | menutup |
| to cook | memasak |
| to do | melakukan |
| to drink | minum |
| to eat | makan |
| to find | menemukan |
| to get | mendapatkan |
| She is my friend | Dia adalah teman saya |
| They have fun together | Mereka bersenang-senang bersama |
| We eat lunch together | Kami makan siang bersama |
| She smiles a lot | Dia banyak tersenyum |
| He tells funny jokes | Dia menceritakan lelucon lucu |
| I visit my friends | Saya mengunjungi teman-teman saya |
Every word narrated and illustrated – read along and repeat.
All vocabulary as audio – including a 3x repetition version, perfect for listening before you fall asleep.
All words and sentences to look up and read offline.
Spaced-repetition system like flashcards – reviews exactly when you need them.
Type your own words – AI translates them, adds example sentences and the trainer practises them with you.
Short stories built from the words you already know, with audio and tap-to-explain.
Download Premium content and keep learning without internet.
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.
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.
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.
For beginners and returners (level A1–B1) who want to build a usable Indonesian vocabulary fast – without grammar overload, with audio.