Ayo Sinau Boso Jowo! Let's Learn Javanese!

Javanese is the language of the Javanese people from the central and eastern parts of the island of Java in Indonesia. There are also pockets of Javanese speakers in the northern coast of western Java. It is the native language of more than 75,500,000 people (more than 30% of total population in Indonesia).

Javanese is part of the Austronesian family, but it is otherwise not particularly close to other languages and is difficult to classify, though not too dissimilar from neighbouring languages such as Malay, Sundanese, Madurese and Balinese. Most speakers of Javanese also speak Indonesian (a standardized form of Malay) for official and commercial purposes, as well as a means to communicate with non-Javanese Indonesians.

 Vowels

In clossed syllables the vowels /i u e o/ are pronounced [ɪ ʊ ɛ ɔ] respectively.In open syllables, /e o/ are also [ɛ ɔ] when the following vowel is /i u/ in an open syllable; otherwise they are /ə/, or identical (/e...e/, /o...o/). In the standard dialect of Surakarta, /a/ is pronounced [ɔ] in word-final open syllables, and in any open penultimate syllable before such an [ɔ].

Consonants

The Javanese "voiced" phonemes are not in fact voiced but voiceless, with breathy voiced on the following vowel.The relevant distinction in phonation of the plosives is described as stiff voice versus slack voice.

A Javanese syllable can have the following form: CSVC, where C = consonant, S = sonorant. (/j/, /r/, /l/, /w/, or any nasal consonat), and V = vowel As with other Austronesian languages, native Javanese roots consist of two syllables; words consisting of more than three syllables are broken up into groups of disyllabic words for pronunciation. In Modern Javanese, a disyllabic root is of the following type: nCsvVnCsvVC.

Apart from Madurese, Javanese is the only language of Western Indonesia to possess a distinction between retroflex and dental phonemes.These letters are transcribed as "th" and "dh" in the modern Roman script, but previously by the use of a dot: "ṭ" and "ḍ". Some scholars take this to be an influence from Sanskirt but others believe it could be an independent development within the Austronesian super-family.

Registers

In common with other Austronesian languages, Javanese is spoken differently depending on the social context. In Austronesian there are often three distinct styles or register. Each employs its own vocabulary, grammatical rules, and even prosody. In Javanese these styles are called:

1. Ngoko (or Ngaka). Informal speech, used between friends and close relatives. It is also used by persons of higher status (such as elders, or bosses) addressing those of lower status (young people, or subordinates in the workplace).
2. Madya. Intermediate between ngoko and krama. Strangers on the street would use it, where status differences may be unknown and one wants to be neither too formal nor too informal. The term is from Sanskrit madhya ("middle").
3. Krama. The polite and formal style. It is used between those of the same status when they do not wish to be informal. It is used by persons of lower status to persons of higher status, such as young people to their elders, or subordinates to bosses; and it is the official style for public speeches, announcements, etc. The term is from Sanskrit krama ("in order").

 Okay enough for the theory, let's try some phrases in Javanese :)

 English                              Kromo                                             Ngoko

Welcome	Sugeng rawuh
Hello	Halo	Halo
How are you? I'm fine, thanks. And you?	Kadọs pundi kabaripun?	Piyé kabaré?
	Pangéstinipun saé	Apik-apik baé
Long time no see	Sampun dangu bọten kepanggih	Wis suwé ora ketemu
What's your name? My name is ...	Asmanipun panjenengan sinten?	Jenengmu sạpạ?
	Nami kulạ ...	Jenengku ...
Where are you from? I'm from ...	Panjengan saking ngendi?	Kowe sạkạ ngendi?
	Kulạ saking ...	Aku sạkạ ...
Please too meet you	Kulạ seneng kepanggih kaliyan panjengan	Aku seneng ketemu karo kowé
Good Morning	Sugeng énjing
Good afternoon	Sugeng siang
Good evening	Sugeng sọnten
Good night	Sugeng dalu
Good bye	Kepanggih malih benjang	Dah dah!
Good luck	Mugi tansah diparingi rejeki
Cheers/Good health!	Mugi tansah diparingi kasarasan	Mugạ séhat terus
Have a nice day	Mugi diparingi dinten ingkang saé
Bon appetit	Sugeng dhahar	Ayo dipangan
Bon voyage	Sugeng tindhak	Slamet jalan
I don't understand	Kula bọten mangertọs	Aku ora mudeng
Please speak more slowly	Tulung, pendikan ingkang sarèh	Tulung, ngọmọng alọn-alọn
Do you speak Javanese?	Punạpạ panjenengan saged bạsạ Jạwi	Ạpạ kowé isạ bạsạ Jạwạ
	Inggih, sethithik	Yạ, sithik
How do you say ... in Javanese?	Kadọs pundi panjengan ngendikaaken ... ing bạsạ jawi	Piye kowé ngọmọng ... ing bạsạ jạwạ
Excuse me	Nuwun séwu	Mit - amit
How much is this?	Pinten reginipun?	Pirạ regané?
Sorry	Nyuwun pangapunten	Jaluk ngapurạ
Thank you Response	Matur nuwun	Trim
	Sami-sami	Pạdhạ-pạdhạ
Where's the toilet?	Paturasanipun wọnten pundi?	Paturasané ạnạ ngendi?
This gentleman/lady will pay for everything	Piantun menika ingkang badhé bayar sedạyạ	Wọng kaé sing arep bayar kabèh
Would you like to dance with me?	Punạpạ panjenangan kersạ nari kaliyan kulạ?	Ạpạ kowé gelem joged karo aku?
I love you	Kula tresna panjengan	Aku seneng kowe
Get well soon	Énggal dhangan	Ndang mari
Leave me alone!	Késah kemaẉn!	Lungạ!
Call the police!	Hubungi pulisi!	Hubungi polisi!
Help! Fire! Stop!	Tulung! Kọbọngan! Stop!	Tulung! Kọbọngan! Stop!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year	Sugeng Riyạyạ Natal lan Warsạ Énggal	Slamet Natal lan Taun Anyar Sugeng Natal lan Sugeng Warso Enggal
Happy Easter	Sugeng Riyạyạ Paskah	Slamet Paskah
Happy Birthday	Sugeng Tanggap Warsạ	Slamet Ulang Taun
One language is never enough	Setunggal bạsạ menika bọten cekap	Sak bọsọ kuwi ora cukup

Hope you enjoy to study, good luck,  Dah Dah!! :)