Learning Javanese Words

Purbo Negoro on the future of Javanese language, and learning some easy words and phrases.

Hello all,

Being a foreigner in Indonesia is indeed hard - but new friends are made instantly when you speak to them in their language - Indonesian. To an Indonesian it means a highly respected white values them enough to bother learning, what many Indonesians truly believe is a backward, provincial, idiotic language - in comparison to English or other European language.

Even more enamouring to the majority - 45%+ of Indonesians - and guaranteed to get you astonished faces and gasps you wish you could capture on film - is speaking some polite Javanese - or Kromo Inggil.

Many wrongly claim Javanese is extinct or dying. Actually - the complete opposite is true - we are finding many young people keen to learn. Sri Gusti Sultan Hamengkubuwana IX has vigourously re-introduced this ancient and beautiful language into his Kingdom - the minor Principalities following suit.
Javanese has been long part of the compulsory primary curriculum of Central Java - as have many regional languages like Batak, Sundanese, Balinese etc - even widely spoken Irian languages - even East Timorese language of Tetum (this is why it is alive still today). See we are not entirely evil.
In Central Java, street signs are becoming bi-lingual, house names - even Wikipedia in Javanese!
And I just bought as new Javanese dictionary to replace my ancient Dutch one - published 2008.
This is almost a complete reversal of Indonesian mindset - to elevate a perceived "kampungan" or provincial language. By all means - we must preserve all our ethnic languages- it is what makes us Indonesians so unique
Until about 1938 - Javanese was very much alive as a language - including a very widely circulated Surabayan newspaper printed entirely in Javanese script.
Tagalog has many Javanese loan words- like 'aso' (Javanese is: asuk) for dog.
So here are some very easy basic words that will garner you the affection of your beloved man/womans' all powerful Javanese mother - you speak this polite Javanse- "you are in like Flynn":
Note (e in Javanese is almost always the 'e' in "enam" or British pronunciation of 'example'.
I have spelt as pronounced.:

• Thank-you- Matur Nyuwun
• You're welcome: Sami-sami

• Excuse Me/Beg your Pardon/I'm Sorry- Nyuwun Sewu ultra polite: nyuwun pangapuro
• Excuse me as in: May I beg your leave? ke Pareng
• How are you? Kado?s pundi kabaripun? or pripun kabaripun? (ultra polite)
• May I pass? ndhere langkung? (it literally means- may I pass on your left)
• Who? Sinten?
• Here: wonten mriki
• There: wonten mriko
• Yes? (as in being called): Dalem Mas/mBak? Dalem Pak/Bu? Dalem sayang?

Age names:

• Jeng- younger girlfriend
• Nak- for children
• Mas/mBak- older brother/sister- anyone slightly younger, same age or older by roughly 10 years
• Pak/Bu- mother/father- anyone older by 10- 15 years
• Pak de/Bu de- big father/mother- senior by 15+ years or until about age 65-ish
• Eyang- grandma/pa- anyone obviously very senior around 70's ish unless they object (Javanese can be very vain)!

• No (as in tidak)- boten
• No- (as in bukan)- sanes (with e is as in 'keg')

• welcome - sugeng rawuh
• Good evening= Sugeng Dalu
• Good Afternoon= Sugeng sonten (sore time)
• Good Morning= Sugeng injang
• Bon voyage= Sugeng tindak
• Bon appetit!= Sugeng dahar
• Please Eat= Monggo dahar
• Happy Birthday: Sugeng Ambel Warsa!
• Please (action implied- like silahkan)- monggo
• I Love you: Dalem tresno panjenengan

Yo wes. Cekap. Pareng ya?

original source here.