1. Terima kasih → Thank you
(Formal)
Terima kasih is a formal, polite way to say “thank you” in Indonesian. It gives off a sense of formality with a little bit of rigidity, so you will come across this phrase often when listening to news broadcasters, people in the service industry, or... ATM machines. People in closer friendships or relationships typically don't use this phrase amongst one another.
If you are on a vacation in Bali or anywhere in Indonesia 🏝️ and you want to thank someone in the tourism industry, you could say Terima kasih, and of course it will be well-appreciated. However, from a language perspective, it is a little too formal. I would suggest using the phrase in No. 3 below.
2. Terima kasih banyak → Thank you very much
(Formal)
Banyak in this context means “many”. So Terima kasih banyak essentially means, “Thank you very much”. This phrase is also typically used only in formal settings.
3. Makasih → Thank you
(Informal)
Makasih is the abbreviated, informal version of Terima kasih. This is a very common phrase used amongst friends and people who are familiar with one another.
As previously mentioned, you could use Makasih to thank someone in the tourism industry when going on a vacation in Bali or anywhere in Indonesia. It is more casual and gives off a friendlier vibe, yet still polite.
4. Trims → Thank you
(Texting)
Indonesian speakers abbreviate a lot when they text.
For example, Trims is an abbreviation of Terima kasih and it is typically used only in text messages.
However, its usage is declining, in favor of Thanks or Tq (abbreviated from "Thank you" in English).
5. Thanks → You know what this means
(Informal)
Many aspects of the current Indonesian language are influenced by English, so this is not surprising. Younger Indonesian speakers would sometimes say Thanks ya to mean, well… “Thanks.”
In Indonesian, ya is sometimes added to the end of a phrase/sentence to soften one's speech.
There we have it. Now let's find out how to respond to a “Thank you” in Indonesian:
- 3 Ways to Say You're Welcome in Indonesian
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