Bali is a beautiful island province of Indonesia. When you visit Bali, you will want to greet the people you meet in a friendly, polite and respectful way. Before traveling, learn to say "hello" and other phrases and ways to say hello.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Say “Hello” in Balinese
Step 1. Say "om suastiastu". To say "hello" in Balinese, you will have to say "om suastiastu"
The Balinese language has a different alphabet than is used in Western languages, so the transcription of this phrase to say "hello" is written exactly as it is pronounced in Balinese. This is a simplified version in Balinese that makes it easier to pronounce certain phrases without having to learn the Balinese alphabet and its writing.
- Try to pronounce the phrase as it is written. Maybe it helps to divide it into three parts "Om Swasti Astu". Make a slight emphasis on "Om" and the repeating "ast" sound. "Om SwASti AStu".
- You can search the Internet for the recording of how to say "om suastiastu" to hear the pronunciation.
- This greeting translates to "peace and greetings from God."
- The other person will answer using the same phrase "om suastiastu."
Step 2. Use appropriate gestures
In Balinese culture, it is customary to accompany greetings with gestures. To be as polite and respectful as possible to the person you are greeting, you should bring your hands together at chest level, palms together in prayer position and fingers pointing upward.
- This is a traditional Hindu greeting that has been used more frequently in recent years.
- Many people will greet you with a slight handshake and then some will touch their chest as part of the greeting ritual.
Step 3. Try other greetings
You can also try another Balinese greeting that allows you to say phrases such as good morning and good afternoon. Having a slightly broader repertoire will help you feel more in tune with your Balinese hosts.
- To say good morning, say "rahajeng semeng."
- To say good afternoon, say "rahajeng wengi."
Step 4. Learn how to say "hello" in Bahasa Indonesia
Another commonly spoken language in Bali is Bahasa Indonesia, so why not learn some basic greetings from this language, too? It is very common to just say "Halo" or "Hello" to say hello. It is also quite typical to greet someone saying "how are you?", Which in this language is said "Apa kabar?" There are other phrases that are used very frequently, but this will depend on the time of day they are used.
- Good morning it is said "Selamat pagi".
- Good afternoon you say "Selamat siang".
- Good evening it is said "Selamat sore".
- Until tomorrow it is said "Selamat malam".
- To practice your pronunciation, you can listen to these correctly pronounced phrases online.
Method 2 of 2: Learn Other Basic Expressions
Step 1. Introduce yourself
When you greet someone in Balinese, it would be a good idea to introduce yourself. To do this, you have to say "wastan tiang" followed by your name. This simply translates to "my name is …". Then you can ask the other person's name. You have to say "sira pesengen ragane".
Step 2. Say thank you
If you've stopped to ask someone for help or directions, you probably want to thank them politely before saying goodbye. You can say thank you in Balinese by saying "suksma", which means "thank you"
To give thanks in a more formal way, you can say "terima kasih" which means "thank you", or "matur suksma" to say "thank you very much"
Step 3. End the conversation politely
After you respectfully greet the person, you will want to end the conversation in the same way. People will appreciate it more that you say goodbye in a polite way than just saying “bye” or “dah” in Indonesian slang. The most polite way to say goodbye is “Titiang lungsur mapamit dumun,” which means “now I will retire.” Usually this phrase is used with people who are highly respected or belong to a high caste.
- Other alternative ways to say goodbye are "Pamit dumun", "Pamit", "Ngiring dumun", and "Ngiring".
- A more informal way to greet someone you already know well is to say "Kalihin malu."