Practice Indonesian in Jakarta with Native Speakers Online
Skip the Jakarta traffic and practice Indonesian by video with people from Kemang to Menteng. Small group classes and 1-on-1 exchanges that actually fit your schedule.
Create your free accountNo card needed. Exchanges between members are always free.
In Jakarta you hear a mix that trips up most learners: formal Bahasa Indonesia at the office, Betawi-flavored slang on the street, and the code-switched "anak Jaksel" English-Indonesian blend around Kemang and SCBD. Expats and transplants living in Menteng, Senopati or Kelapa Gading usually pick up enough to order food and deal with Grab drivers, but that's not the same as holding a real conversation with someone who isn't paid to be patient with you.
Finding someone to practice with in person here runs into the obvious problem: macet. A meetup that's 8km away in BSD or Bintaro can eat two hours round trip once you're past 5pm, so plans made at lunch quietly die by evening. Even inside the city, going from an office in Sudirman to a café in Kemang after work means fighting the same jam everyone else is stuck in, and half the group cancels once they check Google Maps.
Doing it by video removes that variable completely. You join a small class with a native teacher or a 1-on-1 exchange (half an hour in Indonesian, half an hour in your language) from wherever you are, at whatever hour actually works once the workday and the commute are done.
Words you will actually hear
| Here | Elsewhere | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Gue / Lu | Saya / Kamu | Jakarta's everyday I/you, used almost everywhere except formal writing |
| Macet | Kemacetan lalu lintas | traffic jam — comes up in conversation constantly, as an excuse and as small talk |
| Anak Jaksel | Anak muda Jakarta Selatan | a South Jakarta kid known for mixing English words into every Indonesian sentence |
| Woles | Santai | relaxed, take it easy — the word is 'selow' spelled backwards |
| Gabut | Bosan tanpa kegiatan | bored with nothing to do, very common in casual chats |
| Kepo | Terlalu ingin tahu | nosy, overly curious about someone else's business |
| Cabut | Pergi / pulang | to leave or bail on something, casual way to say you're heading out |
| Bete | Kesal / bad mood | from Betawi 'begete', means annoyed or in a sour mood |
| Nongkrong | Berkumpul santai | hanging out with friends, usually at a warung or café with no fixed agenda |
How it works here
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Sign up and say your level
Two minutes. If you do not know your level, we place you in the first class.
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Pick a class or an exchange
Classes are led by a native teacher. An exchange is with another member: half the time in their language, half in yours.
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Join by video, nothing to install
From your phone or your computer. If you cannot make it, cancel and get your place back.
Questions about this
What time do people actually show up for exchanges?
Most activity happens after 7-8pm once people are home and off the roads, since leaving Sudirman or Thamrin before then usually means sitting in macet anyway. Weekend mornings work too, before the midday heat and errands take over.
Do I need to meet up in person somewhere in Jakarta?
No. Everything runs by video, which is the whole point — a 1-on-1 that would mean crossing the city from Kelapa Gading to Kemang instead takes zero commute. You just log in from home or the office.
What level of Indonesian do I need to start?
You can join with almost no Indonesian if you pick the group classes, since the teacher adjusts to where you are. For the 1-on-1 exchanges you'll get more out of it once you can hold a basic conversation, since the other half of the time you're the one explaining your language.
How much does it cost?
Pricing depends on whether you join group classes with a native teacher or the 1-on-1 exchanges between members, so check the current plans on the pricing page. There's no hidden markup for being in Jakarta specifically — it's the same setup as anywhere else in the community.
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A free account, a free first group class, and exchanges that never cost anything.
