Greetings
Permisi
per-MEE-see
Excuse me — said when passing in front of someone seated, entering a room, or leaving. Skipping it reads as rude in a way 'sorry' does not fix.
Selamat pagi / siang / sore / malam
suh-LAH-mat PAH-gee / SEE-ang / SOH-ray / MAH-lam
Good morning / midday / afternoon / evening. Jakarta switches to 'siang' around eleven and 'sore' around three — getting it wrong is the classic newcomer tell.
Daily life
Macet
MAH-chet
Gridlock. The most-used word in the city and a legitimate reason to be late; 'macet banget' is the version everyone actually says.
Ganjil-genap
GAN-jil guh-NAP
The odd-even number-plate restriction on around 26 road segments, weekdays 06:00–10:00 and 16:00–21:00. Cars only; motorbikes and EVs are exempt.
KITAS / ITAS
KEE-tas / EE-tas
Your limited-stay permit. ITAS is the legal term, KITAS the card everyone still says. It is not the same thing as the visa you were granted offshore.
SKTT
ess-kah-tay-TAY
Surat Keterangan Tempat Tinggal — the residence certificate from your city's Dukcapil office. This, not the KITAS, is what landlords and banks ask for.
NPWP / NIK
en-pay-way-PAY / neek
Your tax number, now the same sixteen-digit number as the population ID. Without one, withholding on your pay is levied at a penalty rate.
QRIS
KRISS
The single national QR payment standard set by Bank Indonesia. One code works with every wallet and bank app — warungs, taxis, parking, temples.
Banjir
BAN-jeer
Flood. In Jakarta it is a neighbourhood-level fact, not a rare event — ask how high it reached in your street, in centimetres, before you sign a lease.
Ojol
OH-jol
Ojek online — the Gojek and Grab motorbike riders who move most of Jakarta. Faster than a car in traffic and the default for anything under 10 km.
Emergency
Tolong! / Awas!
TOH-long / AH-was
Help! / Look out! — the two words worth knowing before any others.
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.