20 Everyday Balinese Words and Their Meanings

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Balinese is a regional language that is still alive and used as a means of communication for Balinese people. Until now, many Balinese people still use Balinese in their daily lives, so it is still sustainable and developing well.

Not only is it used by native Balinese, Balinese is also often spoken by foreigners or immigrants. Moreover, Bali is known as a province in Indonesia that attracts both domestic and international tourists. In this way, Balinese is classified as a regional language which has a large number of speakers.

According to the dictionary "Anggah-Ungguh Kruna Bali-Indonesia", basically the Balinese language is divided into the words kruna alus and kruna nenten alus. However, the levels of kruna or words that are generally known are coarse kruna, then andap, mider, and finally alus kruna.

The four kruna or words are pronounced according to the level of the person speaking. For example, rough kruna is used to curse. Then, kruna andap is usually used when talking to peers. Meanwhile, kruna mider is used in neutral conversation. Furthermore, kruna alus is used when talking with elders, parents, religious leaders and officials.

The many levels of kruna in Balinese mean that Balinese has thousands of vocabularies. But there are several everyday vocabulary words in Balinese that you can learn. Here are some 20 everyday Balinese vocabulary words and their meanings.

1. Bli or Mbok

The words "Bli" or "Mbok" are often used in daily conversation in Balinese. The words Bli or Mbok are sentences to greet the person you are talking to. Bli is used for men while Mbok is for women. The meaning of this sentence is the same as the words "mas" and "mbak" in Javanese. Examples of its use are: there's a man named Gusti, then use "Bli Gusti." Meanwhile, there's a woman named Nengah, then use "Mbok Nengah".

2. Numbas

The word "numbas" in Indonesian means "to buy". This word is commonly used in everyday Balinese conversation when you want to buy something. An example of its use is, for example, if you want to buy eggs, then use the sentence "titiang pacang numbas eggs" which means "I want to buy eggs".

3. Matur Suksma

The sentence "matur suksma" in Indonesian means "thank you". In Balinese conversation, the word "matur suksma" is also usually shortened to just "suksma". When you visit Bali, don't forget to say this word after receiving help or finishing visiting a place.

4. Wastan Titiang

In Balinese, the sentence wastan titiang is used when introducing names. If translated into Indonesian, the word "wastan titiang" means "my name". An example of its use is when you want to introduce a name such as "my name is Wayan", then it becomes "wastan titiang Wayan".

5. Rahajeng

Rahajeng means "safe". This word can be used as a greeting in Balinese. Examples of using the word rahajeng in greeting sentences include: rahajeng semeng means good morning, rahajeng tengai means good afternoon, rahajeng sore means good afternoon, rahajeng wengi means good evening.

6. Kenken Kabare

Kenken in the Balinese - Indonesian dictionary means "how", while Kabare means "news". So, Kenken Kabare in Balinese conversation means "how are you". If you are asked like that, it's best to answer with the phrase "becik-becik" which in Indonesian means "fine".

7. Kuda Hargane

When you visit Bali and want to buy something and want to ask the price, you should use the words "kudahargane?". This word is very important to use when you go shopping in Bali. In Indonesian "Kuda Hargane" means "how much does it cost", or you can also use the words "kuda niki?".

8. Ten Dados Tawah or Jagi Kirang

If you are going shopping and want to haggle over the price, you can use the phrase "ten dados tawah?". This sentence means "can it be cheaper?". Apart from that, you can also use the phrase "jagi kirang" when bargaining because it means "can I have less?".

9. Punapi Gatra

Apart from the phrase "kenken Kabare", to ask how someone is doing you can also say it with the phrase "punapi gatra?". This interrogative sentence can be followed by the sentence "dumogi becik-becik kemanten" which in Indonesian means "hopefully you are fine".

10. Tiang Tresna Ajak Adi

This Balinese words can be used if you are in love with a woman. The sentence "tiang tresna ajak adi" in Indonesian means "I love you".

11. Ngiring Ngajeng

The Balinese conversational phrase that is often used every day is "ngiring ngajeng". This sentence is used to invite someone to eat. Ngiring ngajeng in Indonesian means "let's eat".

12. Ngudiang

This Balinese language is usually used for small talk. This sentence is used to ask about activities that are being carried out. In Indonesian, "ngudiang" means "what are you doing?"

13. Jaen

When you visit Bali and enjoy its delicious culinary delights, don't forget to mention the word "jaen". This word means "delicious". For example, if you want to say that "sate lilit is really delicious", then you can use the words "sate lilit jaen pisan".

14. Dija

The word "dija" is usually used when you want to ask where a friend is. "dija" in Indonesian means "where". So if you want to ask a friend's location, you can use the word "dija?", then your friend will immediately answer their whereabouts, if they know where they are.

15. Saking

According to Balinese conversation, the word "saking" is used when asking where the other person is from. The word "saking" in Indonesian means "from". If you use this word, for example, "I'm from Malang", it becomes "titiang saking Malang".

16. Sugra nggih / Ampurayang

According to Indonesian, the Balinese word "sugra nggih" means "sorry or excuse me". You can use the word at the beginning of a sentence when you want to ask someone else something. Apart from that, you can also use the word "ampurayang" which also means sorry.

17. Rahajeng Rawuh

The word "Rahajeng" in Balinese is often used. In the Balinese - Indonesian dictionary published by Balai Bahasa Bali, the word "rahajeng" means "congratulations". The phrase "rahajeng rawuh" means "welcome". This word is also often used by Balinese people when welcoming guests or tourists.

18. Om Swastiastu

Bali is a province where the majority of the population is Hindu. The sentence Om Swastiastu itself is an opening greeting usually given by Hindus in Bali to someone they meet. In Islam, a similar sentence to Om Swastiastu is "Assalamu'alaikum" (Peace be upon you).

19. Mepamit

Next there is the word "mepamit" which in Indonesian means "Going home". The word "mepamit" is often used when you want to say goodbye to a friend's house or say goodbye to an event.

20. Tan / Nenten

The popular Balinese language used in everyday life is "tan" or "nenten". This word means "no". So if you want to reject something or want to say "no", you can use the word "tan/tenten".

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