Featured article photo: Pesanggaran, Kabupaten Banyuwangi, Jawa Timur, Indonesia by Hugo Matilla
1. Sama-sama → You’re Welcome
(Formal and Informal)
The most common way to respond to a “Thank you” in Indonesian is sama-sama, which is equivalent to “You're welcome” in English. This phrase works in both formal and informal settings.
2. Terima kasih kembali → You’re Welcome
(Formal)
Terima kasih kembali is a little odd if translated literally in English, it means “Thank you in return.” So basically, someone thanks you, and by saying this, you thank them back.
It is a figure of speech, and people use it sometimes in formal settings. If you don't really get this, stick to sama-sama instead.
3. Nggak pa-pa → No prob, No problem
(Informal)
Nggak pa-pa is an abbreviated, informal way of saying “No problem,” or rather "No prob." The non-abbreviated informal form is nggak apa-apa and the standard formal form is tidak apa-apa, which isn’t typically used in everyday settings.
4. Gpp → Np
(Texting)
You know how in English sometimes people text Np to mean "No problem"? In Indonesian, the equivalent to this would be Gpp, the abbreviated form of Nggak pa-pa.
More Niceties in Indonesian
- 5 Ways to Say Thank You in Indonesian
- 3 Ways to Say You're Welcome in Indonesian
- 7 Greetings You Will Hear When Visiting Indonesia