Professional translations of the Indonesian language

Indonesian is a variant of the Malay language (Bahasa Melaysia), which belongs to the Western branch of the Austronesian language family. Because the differences between Indonesian and the Malay language are not very extreme, they are scientifically considered to be one language - Bahasa Malaysia is the Malaysian national language and Bahasa Indonesia is the official language of the Republic of Indonesia. Translations into and from Indonesian continue to grow in demand as well. If you are in need of professional translations for one or more texts, then we are the right choice for you. Our native speaking translators will translate your texts with pinpoint accuracy and regard for the unique, linguistic characteristics of the country. Feel free to send us your documents by email or by using the request form located on the right-hand side. In return, we will provide you with a free quote as soon as possible.

The history of the Indonesian language

The Latin script was introduced as a result of Dutch colonization in the nineteenth century. After the Second World War, Indonesian Malay was made the official language in an effort to simplify communication between the approximate 350 different ethnic groups of the Indonesian islands. Each of these peoples had a language or dialect of its own. In the early 1970’s, the script which had consisted of Arabic letters up to that point, was reformed and has been made up of Latin letters ever since. Even though Bahasa Malaysia and Bahasa Indonesia evolved in their own ways after this, Bahasa Malaysia is still the main lingua franca in Southeast Asia, from southern Thailand to Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei, East Timor, and the Philippines. Because of this, Malay is spoken by about two hundred million people today and is one of the seven most widely spoken languages in the world. Two of the most prominent influences on the Malay language are Sanskrit and Arabic, both of which been spoken in Southeast Asia as the lingua franca since the first century with the earliest written evidence dating back to the seventh century.
There are also traces left behind by the languages of the colonial powers of Portugal, England, and the Netherlands. The differentiation of Malay and Indonesian Malay came as a result of English and Dutch language influences. After this country was established, the standard language, Bahasa Indonesia, made it possible for Indonesian peoples to understand each other and essentially contributed to the nation’s unification. For most Indonesians, however, Bahasa Indonesia remains their second language.

Easy to learn?

Indonesian grammar can’t be compared to English grammar. In Bahasa Indonesia, there is no use of articles or declinations and verbs are not conjugated. For these reasons, the language is relatively easy to learn; even the writing is relatively logical. Examples of the Indonesian terms that are internationally known are “orangutan,” which literally translates to “Man Forest”, and “amok” (“meng-âmok” meaning “attack in a blind rage and kill”).

Our services

Should you be in need of translations into or from Indonesian, feel free to contact our experienced project managers. We will provide you with professional and high quality results in every subject area. Even additional services such as Terminology Management and Desktop Publishing are no problem for us. If your goal is to standardize your corporate terminology or have your documents formatted in a certain way - we are happy to be of service to you.

How much does a translation into Indonesian cost?

The standard rate for translations from English into Indonesian is $ 0,22 per word and for translations from Indonesian into English the industry rate is $ 0,22. For new customers or large texts (more than 5,000 words) we may significantly reduce our rates. For urgent jobs that need several translators working simultaneously, we'll apply a surcharge. For a full list of rates per language, please visit Rates table for most requested language combinations.