Learn Indonesian by watching Netflix

Why learn Indonesian?

• +It is the lingua franca of the world's fourth most populous country and much of Southeast Asia.
• +The grammar is famously approachable: no tenses, no plurals to memorise, no gendered nouns.
• +It is the practical language of Bali and the wider expat and travel community in Indonesia.
• +There is very little competition for Indonesian learning tools, so good resources stand out.

Best Indonesian shows on Netflix

Ranked picks with difficulty and what makes each good for learners. See the full directory.

• A Perfect FitB1 · romance, comedy
• Ali & Ratu Ratu QueensB1 · drama, comedy
• The Big 4B1 · action, comedy
• Cigarette GirlB2 · drama, romance, historical
• PhotocopierB2 · thriller, drama
• Nightmares and DaydreamsB2 · sci-fi, thriller, anthology

A few Indonesian words to start

terima kasih

thank you

selamat pagi

good morning

makan

to eat

enak

delicious, nice (used for food and good experiences)

pisang

banana

jalan-jalan

to go for a stroll or trip (reduplication of jalan (road))

kamu

you (informal)

bagus

good, great

Indonesian vocabulary guides

• Essential Indonesian Phrases
• Indonesian Slang You'll Actually Hear
• Indonesian Numbers 1 to 10 (and Beyond)
• Indonesian Greetings for Every Time of Day
• How to Say I Love You in Indonesian
• Indonesian Food Words for Ordering and Watching

Frequently asked questions

Is Indonesian hard to learn?

Indonesian is considered one of the easier languages for English speakers. It uses the Latin alphabet, has no verb conjugation for tense, no grammatical gender, and a phonetic spelling system, so reading and pronunciation come quickly.

Can you really learn Indonesian by watching Netflix?

Yes, as a supplement. Watching graded, comprehensible content builds listening comprehension and vocabulary in context. LingoBinge swaps a few subtitle words into Indonesian and lets you save them for spaced review, which turns passive watching into real practice.

How long does it take to learn Indonesian?

The US Foreign Service Institute estimates roughly 36 weeks (about 900 hours) of study to reach professional working proficiency, which is faster than most European languages and far faster than Mandarin or Japanese.