Bahasa Indonesia

American

[bah-hah-suh] / bɑˈhɑ sə /

noun

official name of the Indonesian language.

Bahasa Indonesia British

/ bɑːˈhɑːsə /

noun

the official language of Indonesia: developed from the form of Malay formerly widely used as a trade language in SE Asia

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Bahasa Indonesia

< Malay: Indonesian language

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He was a Fulbright scholar in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, and speaks Bahasa Indonesia.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026

According to AFP journalists in Jakarta, the Grok X account was still active and replying to queries, including in Bahasa Indonesia, on Saturday evening.

From Barron's • Jan. 10, 2026

The railway is named Whoosh, a Bahasa Indonesia acronym that translates to time-saving and reliable.

From BBC • Oct. 2, 2023

The clip, which features people speaking the Bahasa Indonesia language, was uploaded to YouTube on Dec. 6, 2021.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 21, 2022

During a 2010 presidential visit, he delighted onlookers by proclaiming in Bahasa Indonesia that bakso, a savory meatball soup, and nasi goreng, flavorful fried rice, are delicious.

From Washington Times • Jun. 30, 2017

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023