Why English to Indonesian is harder than it looks
You have to choose how formal to be, and it shows. Saya is the neutral โIโ and aku is the intimate one; Anda is formal and kamu is familiar. Indonesian makes the choice visible in every sentence, so a friendly message and a business one should not use the same words.
English tense becomes a time word. Indonesian verbs do not change, so โI sent it yesterdayโ needs sudah or kemarin to land as past. Drop it and the sentence reads as something you are about to do.
Politeness is a small word, not a long phrase. Tolong, mohon and silakan carry what English spreads across โwould you mind possibly.โ Translating the padding gives Indonesian that reads hesitant rather than courteous.
Titles matter more than names. Pak, Bu, Mas and Mbak are used constantly, and going straight to a first name can read as abrupt. An English message that opens with just the name usually wants the title added on the Indonesian side.
Written by Hardik Vegad, Co-founder, Translatify. Last updated .
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