If you’re in the middle of planning a trip to the Island of the Gods, you’re probably wondering : what language is spoken in Bali ? Is there only one official language ? Is English one of them ? Let me clear it all up for you in this short and simple guide.
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What's the official language in Bali ?
To answer this question, it’s crucial to start with a quick reminder… Contrary to popular belief, Bali is not a country ! It is in fact a tiny island belonging to the huge archipelago of Indonesia, in South-East Asia. The official and main language in Bali is therefore Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia), which has been spoken on all the country’s islands since its independence in 1945.
Indonesian is a fascinating language that comes from Malay and draws influences from a bunch of other languages : Arabic through religion, Portuguese and Dutch through the different periods of colonisation, Chinese through the diasporas… some words even clearly sound French ! Yup, that makes a lot of foreign influences. In addition to all these influences, which make Indonesian fairly easy to understand for anyone who speaks one of these languages, pronunciation is very intuitive. So it’s not very complicated to learn if you feel like it – more on that later in the article !
Is there just one language in Bali ?
My foreign friends always seem a bit confused when I tell them that I can’t understand the Balinese when they’re talking to each other : it’s because they speak their dialect and I’m not of Balinese origin, but Javanese !
So there’s not just one language in Bali, and that’s where things get a little more complicated. Indonesia’s an enormous country made up of many islands… Around 17,000 to give you an idea ! Here, you’ll find many different ethnic groups, each speaking a different dialect. Balinese is the dialect spoken in Bali and it is different to Indonesian. The Balinese dialect is complex, it differs depending on the region and it has several “levels of language” that change depending on the person’s caste – yes, Balinese Hinduism has a caste system like Indian Hinduism, more info on that here.
The Balinese also have their own alphabet, whereas Indonesians use the Latin alphabet like us. All Balinese are fluent in the spoken dialect, but at work, school or any public place, Indonesian is the lingua franca. So if you’re asking yourself “Do most people in Bali speak Indonesian ? “, yes, they all do !
Now, should you speak Balinese or Indonesian in Bali ? My best advice is, if you want to start learning one of the 2 languages (even just the basics), don’t go into the complexities of Balinese and stick to Indonesian. It’s much simpler and at least, you can be certain that the person you’re talking to will understand, even if they’re from another island.
Do Balinese people speak English ?
I’ve been asked in the past whether English is one of Bali’s official languages. The answer’s no, and why should it be ? Indonesia was never colonised by the United Kingdom and is in no way politically dependent on an English-speaking country today. But if you’re wondering “What language do tourists speak with locals in Bali ? “, well…
As you all know, Bali has been an extremely touristy island for several decades. The local economy is highly dependent on foreign spending and investment, so yes, the majority of Balinese speak English very well as they work with tourists all the time. I myself taught English for several months to teenagers in remote parts of the island during my volunteering programme, so I can tell you that English learning is really emphasised everywhere.
The basics of the Indonesian language
While doing some research before writing this article, I came across websites that were sharing pretty inacurate information… So I figured out a mini lesson about the basics of Indonesian from a Franco-Indonesian girl wouldn’t hurt anyone 😉
Actually, I’ve even got some good news for you : if you stick to the basics, Indonesian is relatively easy ! There’s no conjugation, no article, no gender and the language is pronounced exactly as it’s written. So for those of you who want to know “how do you say thank you or hello in Bali ?“, I’ve put together this little chart to use on a daily basis:
wanna take indonesian classes ?
I offer basic Indonesian classes, online or face-to-face in Uluwatu, Bali😉Hit me up on Instagram or through my contact form if you’re interested !
Do I need to learn the native language while in Bali ?
I’d say there are two cases:
If you’re a tourist : it really depends on how curious you are… It’s easy to find locals who speak English in most restaurants/hotels/touristic sites. The Balinese are extremely friendly and they’ll always make an effort to communicate with you, even when they speak a broken English. But locals do really appreciate when tourists try to speak a few words of Indonesian. Quite understandably !
If you are living in Bali long term : learning Indonesian is not necessary in itself BUT knowing how to communicate in a basic way makes a real difference because :
- If you go to less touristy areas or even to another island, you are less likely to find Indonesians who speak English.
- You won’t get ripped off like the ‘basic tourist’: speaking Indonesian makes it easier to negotiate, to get local prices, to refuse ‘forced purchases’…
- It’s a sign of respect, empathy and open-mindedness. It makes the difference between an ordinary expat and one who is genuinely interested in the culture and people of the country they live in !
And that’s a wrap on this topic ! You now know all about the different languages in Bali 😉
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