Want to actually learn this — with audio, spaced repetition and progress tracking?
Study in the app →Indonesian · BIPA 1 (A1) · Chapter 23
Pakaian dan warna Clothes and colours
Clothes and colour vocabulary: pakaian, celana, rok, jaket, ukuran, warna, merah, biru, hitam, putih. Key grammar: the colour (and any adjective) comes AFTER the noun — "jaket biru" (a blue jacket, not "biru jaket"), "celana hitam" (black trousers), "rok putih" (white skirt), just like ch20. English speakers, used to "blue jacket", put the colour in front — "biru jaket" ✗ → "jaket biru" ✓. Culture corner §2: markets, malls and haggling. Pronunciation corner: the final h in the colour words.
Dialogue
biru jaket? jaket biru?
- Budi Mike, kamu suka warna apa? Mike, what colour do you like?
- Mike Saya suka biru. Saya mau beli biru jaket. I like blue. I want to buy a blue jacket. (slip: the colour goes after the noun → "jaket biru")
- Budi Kata benda dulu, warna setelahnya: "jaket biru". Noun first, colour after: "jaket biru".
- Mike Oh, saya mau beli jaket biru. Oh, I want to buy a blue jacket.
Dialogue
Membeli jaket — Buying a jacket
- Mike Selamat siang. Saya mau beli jaket. Good afternoon. I want to buy a jacket.
- Sari Suka warna apa? What colour do you like?
- Mike Saya suka biru. Ada jaket biru? I like blue. Do you have a blue jacket?
- Sari Ada. Ini jaket biru. Yes. Here is a blue jacket.
- Mike Saya suka. Berapa harganya? I like it. How much is it?
- Sari Dua ratus ribu rupiah. Two hundred thousand rupiah.
Vocabulary
| 汉字 | Pinyin | POS | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| pakaian | n. | clothes | |
| celana | n. | trousers, pants | |
| rok | n. | skirt | |
| jaket | n. | jacket | |
| ukuran | n. | size | |
| warna | n. | colour | |
| merah | adj. | red | |
| biru | adj. | blue | |
| hitam | adj. | black | |
| putih | adj. | white |
Grammar
Warna setelah kata benda: "jaket biru" The colour after the noun: "jaket biru"
Seperti semua kata sifat dalam bahasa Indonesia (ingat bab 20: "makanan enak"), warna datang SETELAH kata benda: "jaket biru" (jaket dulu, biru setelahnya), "celana hitam", "rok putih", "pakaian merah". Penutur Inggris terbiasa "blue jacket" (warna dulu) jadi berkata "biru jaket" — salah. Benar: "jaket biru". Menanyakan warna dengan "-nya" dari bab 22: "Jaket ini warnanya apa?" → jawab "warnanya biru" atau singkat "jaket biru". Bisa dirangkai: "dua jaket biru" = angka + benda + warna (tanpa "-s").
Like all adjectives in Indonesian (remember ch20: "makanan enak" = tasty food), the colour comes AFTER the noun: "jaket biru" (jaket first, biru after), "celana hitam" (black trousers), "rok putih" (white skirt), "pakaian merah" (red clothes). English speakers, used to "blue jacket" (colour first), say "biru jaket" — wrong. Correct: "jaket biru". Ask the colour with "-nya" from ch22: "Jaket ini warnanya apa?" (what colour is this jacket?) → answer "warnanya biru" or briefly "jaket biru". You can chain it: "dua jaket biru" = number + noun + colour (no "-s").
- jaket biru a blue jacket
- celana hitam black trousers
- Jaket ini warnanya apa? What colour is this jacket?
- Saya mau beli rok putih. I want to buy a white skirt.
Culture
Pasar, minimarket, dan menawar Markets, minimarkets & haggling
In Indonesia there are two very different places to shop: the traditional market, where prices are "soft" and you can haggle, and the minimarket or mall, where the price is fixed on the label. Knowing which one you are in tells you whether to bargain or just pay.
The traditional market
The market is the heart of the neighbourhood: stalls packed together selling vegetables, meat, fish, fruit, clothes and household goods. The sellers are often women who know their regular customers by face. Here many goods have no price tag — you have to ask "Ini berapa?" (how much is this?) or "Berapa harganya?". The first price a seller names is usually a little above the real price, especially for a newcomer. That is not cheating — it opens a friendly conversation.
Haggling
Haggling is a normal and enjoyable part of the market. The gentle way: ask the price, then smile and say "Mahal!" (expensive!) or "Boleh kurang?" (can it be cheaper?). The seller offers a lower price, you counter, and you meet in the middle. Don't bargain too low or too harshly — the goal is a price that makes both sides happy. A smile and politeness help a lot. If you have asked and haggled, you should buy. And remember: for vegetables or things worth a few thousand rupiah, Indonesians often don't bargain.
Minimarkets and malls
At minimarkets like Indomaret or Alfamart, and at malls, it is the opposite: everything has a price tag and the price is fixed — no haggling. You just take the goods, go to the cashier, and pay in cash or tap a card. Young city people increasingly like malls because they are cool, clean and clearly priced. Many families use both: the market for fresh vegetables and fish in the morning, the minimarket or mall for dry goods and clothes. Knowing where to haggle and where to just pay is a small but useful skill.
In short: at the market, ask "Berapa harganya?", smile and haggle gently; at the minimarket or mall, just take the goods and pay. Both are part of Indonesian life — and a little cheerful bargaining at the market, with a smile, can be the start of a small friendship with the seller.
pronunciation
Want to actually learn this — with audio, spaced repetition and progress tracking?
Study in the app →