Learn Indonesian in a Week: Your Practical Guide

Day 7: Emergency, Health & Safety

We always hope you won’t need to use the vocabulary in this article, but “prevention is better than cure.” When traveling to a new country, knowing how to ask for help or explain a medical condition is vital. Indonesia is generally a very safe country with a peaceful population, but mastering emergency words provides extra peace of mind during your travels.

The Universal Emergency Number: 112

Important: Dial 112 for any emergency in Indonesia. It works from any network, even without credit.

Pro Tip: Enable your GPS/Location services before calling. This allows dispatchers to track your coordinates even if you cannot describe your exact location.

Asking for Help (General Emergencies)

Indonesian Phrase	Pronunciation	English Meaning
Tolong!	To-long!	Help!
Saya dalam bahaya	Sa-ya da-lam ba-ha-ya	I am in danger
Saya tersesat	Sa-ya ter-se-sat	I am lost
Di mana kantor polisi?	Dee ma-na kan-tor po-lee-see?	Where is the police station?
Saya kehilangan paspor	Sa-ya ke-hee-lan-gan pas-por	I lost my passport

At the Pharmacy & Hospital (Health)

Saya sakit (Sa-ya sa-keet) = I am sick.
Dokter (Dok-ter) = Doctor.
Obat (O-bat) = Medicine.
Apotek (A-po-tek) = Pharmacy.
Sakit perut (Sa-keet puh-root) = Stomach ache.
Sakit kepala (Sa-keet kuh-pa-la) = Headache.

Emergency Pronunciation Guide

Series Conclusion (Phase 1)

By completing these seven articles, you now have a sufficient linguistic foundation for a pleasant and independent journey through Indonesia. You’ve learned how to greet people, order food, navigate streets, book accommodation, shop wisely, and protect yourself in emergencies. Indonesia is a gracious country, and these few words of “Bahasa” will make your experience much deeper.

What’s Next?

Our journey doesn’t stop here. For those looking to master the structure and expand their vocabulary, stay tuned for our upcoming advanced articles:

🚀 8. Advanced Daily Phrases: Diving into sentence structures and basic grammar.
📖 9. The Essential 150 Dictionary: A categorized reference of 150 key words.
💡 10. The Ultimate Cheat Sheet: Practical examples combining everything we’ve learned.