Lesson 1 of 615 min · 150 XP
Common Verbs
Kata Kerja Umum
Learn the most frequently used verbs and how to use them in sentences.
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Introduction
Verbs in Indonesian don't conjugate based on person or tense! Context and time words show when something happens. This makes verbs surprisingly easy to learn.
📝Action Verbs
Makan/mah-kahn/
To eat
Saya makan nasi goreng. — I eat fried rice.
Minum/mee-noom/
To drink
Dia minum kopi setiap pagi. — She drinks coffee every morning.
Pergi/per-gee/
To go
Kami pergi ke pasar. — We go to the market.
Datang/dah-tahng/
To come
Tolong datang tepat waktu. — Please come on time.
Bicara/bee-chah-rah/
To speak/talk
Dia bicara bahasa Inggris dengan baik. — He speaks English well.
Menulis/meh-noo-lis/
To write
Saya menulis surat. — I write a letter.
Membaca/mem-bah-chah/
To read
Anak itu membaca buku. — That child reads a book.
Tidur/tee-door/
To sleep
Saya tidur jam sepuluh. — I sleep at ten o'clock.
Beli/beh-lee/
To buy
Saya ingin membeli baju baru. — I want to buy a new shirt.
Kerja/ker-jah/
To work
Ayah saya kerja di kantor. — My father works in an office.
Belajar/beh-lah-jar/
To study/learn
Saya belajar bahasa Indonesia. — I study Indonesian.
Tinggal/ting-gahl/
To live/stay
Dia tinggal di Bandung. — He lives in Bandung.
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Tense with Time Words
Indonesian verbs don't change form. Use time words instead: "kemarin" (yesterday), "sekarang" (now), "besok" (tomorrow), "sudah" (already), "sedang" (currently), "akan" (will).
💬Same verb, different tenses
Saya makan nasi kemarin.
I ate rice yesterday.
Saya sedang makan nasi sekarang.
I am eating rice now.
Saya akan makan nasi besok.
I will eat rice tomorrow.
Saya sudah makan nasi.
I have already eaten rice.
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