Vocabulary Words For Children | 300 Must Know Words in Indonesian

300 useful Indonesian vocabulary words for children, with exactly 30 different entries per age from 1 to 10. The complete Indonesian word tables come first. Each entry includes an English meaning and a short example in Bahasa Indonesia so the learner can go directly from understanding a word to using it in a meaningful situation.

Age is a flexible editorial guide, not a language-development milestone. A one-year-old is not required to say or read thirty words. Caregivers can naturally model names of people and familiar things. Older beginners can start with early vocabulary while doing age-appropriate activities. “Must know” is not a scientifically established top-word ranking or an official Indonesian curriculum.

Indonesian words for children by age

Age 1 · Age 2 · Age 3 · Age 4 · Age 5 · Age 6 · Age 7 · Age 8 · Age 9 · Age 10

How to use the words · Indonesian language notes · Four-week plan · Questions parents ask · Sources

Useful expressions such as terima kasih and bekerja sama count as one vocabulary entry each. The English gloss summarises the sense illustrated by the example; a dictionary can contain additional meanings.

Age 1: 30 Indonesian words — Familiar people, needs and things

Age 1 Bahasa Indonesia vocabulary: thirty entries
No.Indonesian wordEnglish meaningEveryday Indonesian example
1ibumotherIbu ada di sini.
2ayahfatherAyah membaca buku.
3bayibabyBayi itu sedang tidur.
4nenekgrandmotherNenek datang hari ini.
5kakekgrandfatherKakek tersenyum.
6airwaterSaya mau air.
7susumilkSusu ada di gelas.
8makananfoodMakanan sudah siap.
9rotibreadAda roti di meja.
10gelasdrinking glassIni gelas saya.
11sendokspoonAmbil satu sendok.
12piringplatePiring itu bersih.
13bolaballBola itu menggelinding.
14bukubookMari membaca buku.
15tempat tidurbedKucing ada di tempat tidur.
16pintudoorPintunya terbuka.
17tanganhandPegang tangan saya.
18kakifoot; legKaki saya basah.
19mataeyeBoneka itu punya mata biru.
20mulutmouthBoneka membuka mulut.
21hidungnoseHidung boneka kecil.
22kucingcatKucing itu beristirahat.
23anjingdogAnjing itu minum air.
24burungbirdBurung sedang berkicau.
25makanto eatMari makan bersama.
26minumto drinkSaya mau minum air.
27tidurto sleepSekarang waktunya tidur.
28lagiagain; moreMau lagi?
29tidakno; notTidak, terima kasih.
30yayesYa, ayo bermain.

Practise this group: Name the real person, drink or object the child notices and respond to their communication.

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Age 2: 30 Indonesian words — Actions, movement and simple requests

Age 2 Bahasa Indonesia vocabulary: thirty entries
No.Indonesian wordEnglish meaningEveryday Indonesian example
1sayaI; meSaya ada di sini.
2kamuyou, informalKamu boleh memilih.
3milikkumineBuku ini milikku.
4di sinihereDuduklah di sini.
5di sanathereBola itu di sana.
6pergito goKita akan pergi ke taman.
7datangto comeTeman saya datang.
8bukaopen; to openBuka kotak itu perlahan.
9tutupclose; to closeTutup pintunya, ya.
10naikto go upKita naik tangga.
11turunto go downAyo turun dengan hati-hati.
12dudukto sitSilakan duduk.
13berdirito standMari berdiri.
14berjalanto walkKita berjalan bersama.
15berlarito runAnak itu berlari di taman.
16melompatto jumpKelinci itu melompat.
17melihatto look; seeSaya melihat gambar.
18mendengarto hearSaya mendengar musik.
19memberito giveSaya memberi buku kepada teman.
20mengambilto take; pick upSaya mengambil gelas.
21bantuanhelp; assistanceSaya perlu bantuan.
22tungguwaitTunggu sebentar.
23besarbigPohon ini besar.
24kecilsmallBeruang itu kecil.
25panashotSup ini panas.
26dingincoldAirnya dingin.
27basahwetJaket saya basah.
28keringdryKain ini kering.
29sepatushoeDi mana sepatu saya?
30kausT-shirtKaus saya berwarna biru.

Practise this group: Show a safe action, let the child request something and use the word naturally again later.

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Age 3: 30 Indonesian words — Feelings, time and sharing

Age 3 Bahasa Indonesia vocabulary: thirty entries
No.Indonesian wordEnglish meaningEveryday Indonesian example
1senanghappySaya senang hari ini.
2sedihsadAnak itu merasa sedih.
3marahangryDia marah karena menunggu.
4takutafraidSaya takut mendengar bunyi itu.
5lelahtiredSaya lelah setelah berjalan.
6laparhungrySaya lapar.
7hausthirstySaya haus setelah berlari.
8tenangcalmSekarang saya merasa tenang.
9baik hatikindTetangga kami baik hati.
10lembutsoft; gentleSelimut ini lembut.
11bisingnoisyJalan itu bising.
12sunyiquiet; silentRuangan ini sunyi.
13cepatfastKereta ini cepat.
14lambatslowSiput itu lambat.
15atasabove; topBukunya ada di atas meja.
16bawahbelow; bottomBolanya di bawah kursi.
17dalaminsideMainan itu ada dalam kotak.
18luaroutsideSepeda ada di luar.
19depanfrontSaya berdiri di depan pintu.
20belakangback; behindKucing ada di belakang sofa.
21hari initodayHari ini kita menggambar.
22besoktomorrowBesok kita ke taman.
23kemarinyesterdayKemarin kami membaca cerita.
24temanfriendTeman saya sudah datang.
25berbagito shareKita bisa berbagi pensil.
26giliranturnSekarang giliran kamu.
27tolongplease; helpTolong ambilkan kertas.
28terima kasihthank youTerima kasih atas bantuanmu.
29maafsorryMaaf, saya terlambat.
30bermainto playMari bermain bersama.

Practise this group: Discuss a character’s feeling, and model polite turn-taking in a game.

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Age 4: 30 Indonesian words — Comparisons, sequences and explanations

Age 4 Bahasa Indonesia vocabulary: thirty entries
No.Indonesian wordEnglish meaningEveryday Indonesian example
1alasanreasonApa alasan pilihanmu?
2karenabecauseKami tinggal di rumah karena hujan.
3pertamafirstPertama, cuci tangan.
4kemudianthenKemudian, simpan mainan.
5terakhirlastIni buku terakhir.
6samasameKedua gambar itu sama.
7berbedadifferentKedua daun itu berbeda.
8cukupenoughKertasnya sudah cukup.
9kosongemptyGelas ini kosong.
10penuhfullKotak itu penuh.
11beratheavyTas ini berat.
12ringanlightweightPaket ini ringan.
13halussmoothPermukaan itu halus.
14kasarroughKulit pohon ini kasar.
15empuksoft; cushionyBantal ini empuk.
16kerashardBatu ini keras.
17bulatroundBola itu bulat.
18persegisquareGambar ini berbentuk persegi.
19dekatnearPerpustakaan itu dekat.
20jauhfarStasiun itu jauh.
21antarabetweenPensil ada di antara dua buku.
22memilihto chooseKamu boleh memilih cerita.
23membangunto buildKita membangun menara.
24memperbaikito repairMari memperbaiki mainan.
25mengingatto rememberSaya ingin mengingat hari itu.
26melupakanto forgetJangan melupakan tasmu.
27bertanyato askKamu boleh bertanya.
28menjawabto answerSaya akan menjawab dengan tenang.
29menjelaskanto explainCoba jelaskan aturannya.
30membandingkanto compareMari membandingkan ukurannya.

Practise this group: Compare two objects and explain one clear difference before using abstract terms.

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Age 5: 30 Indonesian words — Questions, senses and judgement

Age 5 Bahasa Indonesia vocabulary: thirty entries
No.Indonesian wordEnglish meaningEveryday Indonesian example
1pertanyaanquestionSaya punya pertanyaan.
2jawabananswerJawabannya ada di cerita.
3menggambarkanto describeCoba gambarkan daun itu.
4mengurutkanto put in orderAyo mengurutkan gambar.
5menghitungto countKita menghitung kursi.
6mengukurto measureMari mengukur meja.
7menebakto guessCoba tebak isi kotaknya.
8menyadarito notice; realiseSaya menyadari ada perubahan.
9polapatternPola ini berulang.
10bentukshapeApa bentuknya?
11warnacolourPilih satu warna.
12angkanumeralTuliskan angka itu.
13ukuransize; measurementBerapa ukurannya?
14bunyisoundSaya mendengar bunyi pelan.
15bausmellBau roti itu enak.
16rasataste; feelingSaya suka rasa ini.
17teksturtextureTekstur kainnya berbeda.
18menitminuteTunggu satu menit.
19jamhour; clockSudah lewat satu jam.
20tengah harimiddayKita makan saat tengah hari.
21soreafternoon; early eveningKami berjalan sore hari.
22malamnightKami membaca saat malam.
23pekanweekPekan ini kami belajar.
24janjipromiseSaya akan menepati janji.
25hati-haticarefulBerjalanlah hati-hati.
26beranibraveIa berani meminta bantuan.
27jujurhonestBerikan jawaban yang jujur.
28adilfairMari mencari cara yang adil.
29penasarancuriousSaya penasaran dengan jawabannya.
30banggaproudSaya bangga sudah mencoba.

Practise this group: Describe, count, measure or sort familiar things you can see or hear.

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Age 6: 30 Indonesian words — Stories, problems and expressing ideas

Age 6 Bahasa Indonesia vocabulary: thirty entries
No.Indonesian wordEnglish meaningEveryday Indonesian example
1dasarbasis; foundationApa dasar pendapatmu?
2contohexampleBerikan satu contoh.
3rinciandetailRincian itu penting.
4utamamain; principalIni masalah utama.
5memulaito beginKita bisa memulai sekarang.
6menyelesaikanto complete; solveSaya ingin menyelesaikan tugas.
7urutansequenceSusun gambar sesuai urutan.
8peristiwaeventCerita ini memuat satu peristiwa.
9tokohstory characterTokoh itu mencari peta.
10latarsetting; backgroundLatar ceritanya sebuah desa.
11masalahproblemKami punya masalah.
12solusisolutionMari mencari solusi.
13rencanaplanKita membuat rencana.
14memeriksato checkSaya memeriksa jawaban.
15benarcorrect; trueJawaban ini benar.
16kesalahanmistakeSaya menemukan kesalahan.
17berlatihto practiseKita bisa berlatih bersama.
18meningkatkanto improveSaya ingin meningkatkan kemampuan.
19usahaeffortSaya menghargai usahamu.
20kesabaranpatienceKita perlu kesabaran.
21minatinterestSaya punya minat membaca.
22kekecewaandisappointmentDia merasa kecewa setelah pembatalan.
23kekhawatiranworry; concernSaya mengerti kekhawatiranmu.
24kenyamanancomfortKenyamanan juga penting.
25keselamatansafetyKeselamatan harus diutamakan.
26pribadipersonal; privateIni pesan pribadi.
27izinpermissionMinta izin dahulu.
28hormatrespectTunjukkan rasa hormat.
29bekerja samato cooperateKita dapat bekerja sama.
30keputusandecisionKeputusan ada padamu.

Practise this group: Retell a short event, identify its central problem and consider one solution.

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Age 7: 30 Indonesian words — Observation, quantities and directions

Age 7 Bahasa Indonesia vocabulary: thirty entries
No.Indonesian wordEnglish meaningEveryday Indonesian example
1memprediksito predictMari memprediksi hasilnya.
2mengamatito observeKita mengamati bayangan.
3mencatatto recordCatat hasil pengukuran.
4hasilresultHasilnya berbeda.
5penyebabcauseKita mencari penyebabnya.
6dampakimpact; effectPikirkan dampak perubahan.
7perubahanchangeKami melihat perubahan.
8melanjutkanto continueKita melanjutkan besok.
9memasukkanto include; put inMasukkan nama itu ke daftar.
10mengecualikanto excludeKita mengecualikan benda rusak.
11kelompokgroupBuat kelompok kecil.
12kategoricategoryPisahkan sesuai kategori.
13bahanmaterialBenda ini terbuat dari bahan apa?
14bendaobjectJelaskan benda ini.
15permukaansurfacePermukaannya terasa kasar.
16jarakdistanceUkurlah jaraknya.
17arahdirectionPanah menunjukkan arah.
18posisipositionCatat posisi buku.
19kirileftBelok ke kiri.
20kananrightLihat ke kanan.
21lurusstraightBuat garis lurus.
22melengkungcurvedJalan itu melengkung.
23setaraequivalentKedua jumlah itu setara.
24kurangless; lackingKita perlu kurang dari lima.
25lebihmoreJumlahnya lebih besar.
26totaltotalTotalnya dua belas.
27separuhhalfWarnai separuh gambar.
28seperempatquarterWarnai seperempat bagian.
29meminjamkanto lendSaya akan meminjamkan pensil.
30mengembalikanto return an itemSaya mengembalikan buku.

Practise this group: Observe a change, record what happened and separate observations from predictions.

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Age 8: 30 Indonesian words — Evidence, information and options

Age 8 Bahasa Indonesia vocabulary: thirty entries
No.Indonesian wordEnglish meaningEveryday Indonesian example
1buktievidenceApa bukti pernyataan itu?
2pendapatopinionIni pendapat saya.
3faktafactPeriksa fakta ini.
4sumbersourceApa sumber informasinya?
5tujuanpurpose; goalApa tujuan pesan ini?
6pembacareader; audiencePembaca perlu penjelasan yang jelas.
7pesanmessagePesan itu menyebut waktu.
8ringkasansummaryTulis ringkasan singkat.
9menghubungkanto connectCoba hubungkan kedua gagasan.
10mempertentangkanto contrast; set in oppositionKita dapat mempertentangkan dua pandangan.
11serupasimilarKedua gambar itu serupa.
12berlawananoppositeArah mereka berlawanan.
13tepataccurate; appropriateKita perlu angka yang tepat.
14perkiraanestimatePerkiraan ini belum pasti.
15rata-rataaverageRata-rata dua dan empat adalah tiga.
16mungkinpossible; perhapsMungkin akan hujan.
17mustahilimpossibleHal itu mustahil di sini.
18kepastiancertaintyKami belum punya kepastian.
19keraguandoubtSaya masih punya keraguan.
20kemungkinanpossibilityAda kemungkinan hujan.
21kecil kemungkinanunlikelyKecil kemungkinan acara itu batal.
22manfaatbenefitApa manfaatnya?
23risikoriskPikirkan risikonya.
24alternatifalternativeAda alternatif lain.
25akibatconsequenceSetiap pilihan punya akibat.
26tanggung jawabresponsibilityIni tanggung jawab saya.
27kesepakatanagreementKami mencapai kesepakatan.
28komitmencommitmentSaya akan menjaga komitmen.
29empatiempathyEmpati membantu kita memahami.
30kesetaraanequalityKesetaraan hak perlu dijaga.

Practise this group: Look for a source, fact and opinion in a short passage or everyday claim.

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Age 9: 30 Indonesian words — Reasoning, personal boundaries and dialogue

Age 9 Bahasa Indonesia vocabulary: thirty entries
No.Indonesian wordEnglish meaningEveryday Indonesian example
1menarik simpulanto infer; draw a conclusionKita menarik simpulan dari bukti.
2membenarkanto justify; deem correctAlasan itu belum tentu membenarkan tindakan.
3menafsirkanto interpretMari menafsirkan grafik.
4kontekscontextKonteks mengubah makna.
5relevanrelevantContoh ini relevan.
6tidak relevanirrelevantInformasi itu tidak relevan.
7tepercayatrustworthyCari sumber tepercaya.
8memverifikasito verifyKita memverifikasi informasi.
9mengoreksito correctSaya mengoreksi jawabannya.
10menatato organiseMari menata gagasan.
11prioritaspriorityKeselamatan adalah prioritas.
12strategistrategyCoba strategi yang berbeda.
13perspektifperspectiveDengarkan perspektif lain.
14asumsiassumptionItu baru asumsi.
15simpulanconclusionJelaskan simpulanmu.
16membuktikanto proveCoba buktikan pernyataanmu.
17menilaito evaluateKita menilai hasilnya.
18efisienefficientCara ini lebih efisien.
19fleksibelflexibleKita perlu rencana fleksibel.
20gigihpersistentDia gigih mencoba.
21penuh perhatianconsiderate; attentiveTeman yang penuh perhatian mendengarkan.
22meyakinkanto persuade; convinceAlasan itu cukup meyakinkan.
23pengaruhinfluenceIklan dapat memberi pengaruh.
24persetujuanconsent; agreementMinta persetujuan sebelum berbagi foto.
25batasboundary; limitKamu boleh menyatakan batas.
26privasiprivacyHormati privasi orang lain.
27menolakto refuseKamu boleh menolak.
28kepercayaantrustKepercayaan dibangun perlahan.
29dialogdialogueMari berdialog melalui dialog yang sopan.
30negosiasinegotiationNegosiasi memerlukan kemampuan mendengar.

Practise this group: Discuss a small decision, including personal boundaries and listening to others.

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Age 10: 30 Indonesian words — Analysis, responsibility and wider-world ideas

Age 10 Bahasa Indonesia vocabulary: thirty entries
No.Indonesian wordEnglish meaningEveryday Indonesian example
1menganalisisto analyseMari menganalisis data.
2membedakanto distinguishBedakan fakta dan pendapat.
3kriteriacriterion; criteriaPilih kriteria yang jelas.
4objektifobjective; unbiasedCobalah menilai secara objektif.
5subjektifsubjectiveItu penilaian subjektif.
6implikasiimplicationPikirkan implikasinya.
7biasbiasBias dapat mengubah penilaian.
8proporsiproportionBandingkan proporsi kedua kelompok.
9variabelvariableUbah satu variabel saja.
10hubunganrelationshipPelajari hubungan antarangka.
11prinsipprincipleKejujuran adalah prinsip penting.
12pengecualianexceptionAda pengecualian terhadap aturan.
13hipotesishypothesisMari uji hipotesis.
14keterbatasanlimitationSebutkan keterbatasan penelitian.
15korelasicorrelationKorelasi tidak membuktikan sebab-akibat.
16integritasintegrityDia menunjukkan integritas.
17akuntabilitasaccountabilityAkuntabilitas menuntut penjelasan.
18ketahananresilience; enduranceKetahanan dapat tumbuh dengan dukungan.
19inisiatifinitiativeDia mengambil inisiatif.
20kreatifcreative; resourcefulKelompok itu kreatif mencari cara.
21berkelanjutansustainableKita mencari solusi berkelanjutan.
22keberagamandiversityKeberagaman memperkaya kelompok.
23inklusiinclusionInklusi memungkinkan partisipasi.
24ketidakpastianuncertaintyJelaskan sumber ketidakpastian.
25probabilitasprobabilityHitung probabilitasnya.
26transparansitransparencyTransparansi membantu pengambilan keputusan.
27belas kasihcompassionBertindaklah dengan belas kasih.
28kemandirianindependence; autonomyKemandirian tumbuh dengan latihan.
29saling ketergantunganinterdependenceProyek ini menunjukkan saling ketergantungan.
30pemikiran kritiscritical thinkingPemikiran kritis membutuhkan bukti.

Practise this group: Evaluate a real project using criteria, evidence, likely outcomes and uncertainty.

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How to help children use Indonesian vocabulary

Start with a reason to communicate. When a child wants a drink, air, gelas and tolong have immediate meaning. When sharing a game, giliran, berbagi and tunggu help explain turns. An older learner discussing information needs sumber, bukti and fakta. Introduce a few words, show the meaning, allow a response and return to the word in a new situation.

A child might understand the idea before speaking or reading the word. Accept gestures, paraphrases and other family languages as communication, and model the Indonesian phrase without pressuring the learner. The eduKate Fencing Method can help organise a word, a contrast, a phrase, a complete sentence and later independent use. This is an editorial teaching routine rather than a formal age-based Indonesian assessment.

Indonesian language notes that help parents

Standard Indonesian and everyday varieties differ. This article uses broadly understandable Bahasa Indonesia. Families may use regional languages, colloquial Indonesian and other home languages together. A familiar spoken expression may not match the form used in a formal written sentence. Choose everyday expressions when talking at home and introduce standard written forms where relevant.

Affixes change how words are used. A root such as tulis may appear in words with prefixes and suffixes, such as menulis and tulisan. This guide often presents useful inflected or derived words as their own entries. Indonesian does not generally conjugate verbs by person and tense in the way many European languages do, but sentence structure, time expressions and affixes still matter.

Malay and Indonesian overlap without being identical. Words such as air and buku may look familiar to a Malay speaker; other vocabulary choices, spelling conventions and everyday contexts differ. Use this article for Indonesian, not as a direct replacement for the Malay list. Check uncertain forms in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia (KBBI) and with fluent speakers.

A flexible four-week plan

WeekPractical taskWhat to notice
1Choose a few relevant words from a meal, book, game or household task.Can the learner connect the word to the meaning?
2Reuse the words in a new room, game, story or conversation.Does the meaning carry to a different setting?
3Ask for a real choice, description or short explanation; model it first if needed.Does a word help express an idea?
4Review uncertain words, discuss one meaningful contrast and select new words by need.Can the learner respond without copying the example?

These are suggested activities, not a claim that 30 or 300 words can be mastered in four weeks. Make learning conversational and responsive rather than turning the tables into a speed test.

Questions parents ask about Indonesian vocabulary

Should an age-one child know all thirty words?

No. This is a list of words caregivers can model naturally, not a speech, reading or developmental target.

Are these the 300 most common Indonesian words?

No. They are 300 distinct, practical editorial selections grouped by useful themes.

Can an older beginner start with age-one words?

Yes. Use simpler words in age-respectful situations such as travel planning, cooking, games or short reading.

Is Indonesian the same as Malay?

They are closely related languages with extensive shared vocabulary, but vocabulary, spelling and everyday usage also differ. Learn the forms appropriate to the context.

Can children learn Indonesian alongside another language?

Yes. Multilingualism by itself does not cause language delay. Families can use all their languages in meaningful communication, consistent with ASHA guidance.

Does memorising this list guarantee successful reading?

No. Reading also requires decoding, understanding sentences and communicating ideas beyond isolated definitions.

Sources and further reading

The 300 selections, age groupings, simplified glosses and examples are original editorial content; these references help with lexical checking and broad language-learning practice.

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