This guide adapts rules and examples from Microsoft’s Localization Style Guide for Indonesian (originally written for software/UI localization). The underlying linguistic rules apply universally — to legal contracts, medical documents, marketing copy, and any Indonesian translation work. Restructured and reformatted as a general Indonesian translator reference by ChatsControl.

Indonesian Translation Style Guide — Voice, Word Choice & Common Pitfalls (Legal, Medical, Marketing, IT)¶

TL;DR¶

• Indonesian translation prefers shorter forms over formal alternatives — butuh/perlu (not membutuhkan/memerlukan), ponsel (not telepon selular), Cara (not Bagaimana caranya); applies to marketing, software UI, patient instructions.
• Indonesian is largely gender-neutral — “dia” covers he/she/they; profession terms “kepala sekolah”, “ketua”, “perawat”, “pegawai”, “polisi” work for all genders without modification.
• Omit translations of “please” — Indonesian doesn’t require politeness markers like English; simply remove tolong/mohon/silakan from translations in product UI and most modern content.
• Follow Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia (KBBI Daring) and Pedoman Umum Ejaan Bahasa Indonesia (PUEBI) from Badan Pengembangan dan Pembinaan Bahasa as the normative orthographic and lexical references.
• Use everyday vocabulary over formal alternatives — Sebaiknya (not Disarankan), Pembaruan/perbarui (not Pemutakhiran/mutakhirkan), Berapa (not Berapa banyak).

Register and tone for modern Indonesian translation¶

Register is the level of formality, warmth, and conversational ease the target text projects. Modern Indonesian readers across consumer-facing spheres expect a clear, friendly, concise register that resembles everyday conversation.

Three principles define the target register:

• Warm and relaxed. Natural, less formal, more grounded in honest conversation.
• Crisp and clear. Written for scanning first, reading second.
• Ready to help. Anticipates user needs.

Why this matters: Formal bureaucratic Indonesian damages outcomes across spheres. In marketing translation to Indonesian consumers, audience expects modern accessible voice. In medical patient materials it reduces comprehension. In software UI it creates friction. In government translation modern Indonesian public communications increasingly favor accessible Bahasa. Only sworn legal translation retains older formal register.

Word choice: terminology and short forms¶

Approved terminology¶

Use approved terminology from Microsoft language resources where applicable.

Short word forms and everyday words¶

Indonesian prefers shorter words in daily conversations. Use abbreviations or root forms of words:

Words and phrases to avoid¶

Why this matters: Formal vocabulary signals institutional distance. In marketing translation “Disarankan” reads as administrative; “Sebaiknya” reads as advice from a friend. In software UI removing “tolong” from every prompt produces cleaner, less verbose strings.

Sample translations: applying voice principles in context¶

Focusing on the user action¶

Explanatory text and providing support¶

Promoting a feature¶

Providing how-to guidelines¶

Inclusive language¶

All communications should be inclusive and diverse.

General guidelines:

• Comply with local language laws.
• Use plain language.
• Be mindful when referring to various parts of the world.
• Represent diverse perspectives.
• Don’t generalize or stereotype people.
• Don’t use profane or derogatory terms.
• Don’t use slang considered cultural appropriation.
• Don’t use terms with unconscious racial bias.

Avoid gender bias¶

Overview: Indonesian is largely not gender-biased. The third-person pronoun “dia” can be either “he” or “she.” Words like “kepala sekolah” (headmaster/headmistress), “ketua” (chairman/chairwoman) apply to both genders.

However, some words distinguish gender through suffixes:

• “-wan” or “-man” for male or generic; “-wati” for female.
• Allomorph “-a” for male; “-i” for female.

Examples:

Guidelines for gender-inclusive Indonesian:

For generalizations, use common noun forms (orang, individu).

Note: Gender-neutral language should be used in new products and content going forward; legacy material may remain unchanged.

Accessibility¶

Focus on people, not disabilities. Don’t use words that imply pity (cacat, penderita).

Use generic verbs that apply to all input methods. Keep paragraphs short.

Language-specific standards¶

Abbreviations¶

Indonesian uses common abbreviations: dll. (etc.), dst. (and so on), yth. (yang terhormat). Most computing acronyms remain in English.

Acronyms¶

Computing acronyms typically remain in English (PC, USB, HTML).

Adjectives¶

Indonesian adjectives follow the noun and don’t agree in number or gender.

Articles¶

Indonesian has no definite/indefinite articles like English. Use demonstratives (ini, itu) when specificity is needed.

Compounds¶

Indonesian compounds may be written as one or two words depending on convention.

Conjunctions¶

Use natural conjunctions — dan (and), atau (or), tetapi (but), namun (however), oleh karena itu (therefore).

Gender¶

Indonesian has no grammatical gender. Most nouns are gender-neutral.

Genitive¶

Indonesian marks possession through word order (book + my = my book). The construction is buku saya (book of-me).

Localizing colloquialism, idioms, and metaphors¶

Translate intended meaning, not literal colloquialism.

Nouns¶

Use approved Indonesian nouns from KBBI. Indonesian doesn’t have grammatical plurals — context indicates plurality, sometimes with reduplication (anak = child; anak-anak = children).

Prepositions¶

Indonesian uses prepositions naturally (di, ke, dari, dengan, untuk).

Pronouns¶

Address users with Anda (formal capitalized). Indonesian has multiple second-person pronouns with different formality levels:

• Anda — formal (capitalized), used in product UI, business
• kamu — informal singular
• saya — first person formal
• aku — first person informal

For product translation, use Anda. Note that Anda is capitalized per PUEBI rules.

Punctuation¶

Indonesian punctuation generally follows European conventions:

• Period (.) — end of sentences.
• Comma (,) — between clauses.
• Question mark (?) — at end of question.
• Quotation marks — typically ” ” for primary.

Sentence fragments¶

UI strings often use sentence fragments. Don’t artificially expand.

Symbols and nonbreaking spaces¶

Use nonbreaking spaces between numerical values and units.

Verbs¶

Indonesian verbs don’t conjugate for tense. Time is indicated by context or time adverbs (sudah = already, akan = will). Verb prefixes (me-, di-, ber-, ter-) indicate voice and aspect.

Use imperative form for instructions (Klik, Pilih, Masukkan).

Localization considerations¶

Accessibility¶

Generic verbs that work with all input methods.

Applications, products, and features¶

Microsoft product names are trademarked and not translated.

Trademarks¶

Trademarked names should not be localized.

Software considerations¶

Standard software localization conventions apply.

Reference materials¶

Normative references¶

1. Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia — 5th edition, 2016, Badan Pengembang dan Pembinaan Bahasa. KBBI Daring (online).
2. Pedoman Umum Ejaan Bahasa Indonesia (PUEBI) — 2016, Badan Pengembangan dan Pembinaan Bahasa.
3. Pedoman Umum Pembentukan Istilah — 3rd edition, 2007, Pusat Bahasa.
4. Tata Bahasa Baku Bahasa Indonesia — 4th edition, 2017, Badan Pengembangan dan Pembinaan Bahasa.
5. Glosarium Daring — Online terminology.

Informative references¶

1. id.wikisource.org
2. id.wikipedia.org

FAQ¶

How do I address users in Indonesian translation?¶

Use Anda (formal capitalized “you”) for product UI, marketing, and consumer-facing content. Capitalization of Anda is mandatory per PUEBI orthography rules. Avoid kamu (informal) in business and product contexts. Indonesian also frequently uses passive constructions or imperative forms (Klik, Pilih, Masukkan) that don’t require explicit pronouns — these read naturally.

Should I translate ‘please’ in Indonesian?¶

Generally no — simply remove tolong, mohon, or silakan from translations. Indonesian doesn’t require politeness markers as frequently as English. Including them in every instruction reads as forced and verbose. Imperative forms (Pilih, Klik, Masukkan) without politeness markers are standard and not impolite. Exception: certain formal correspondence and legal contexts may retain mohon/silakan.

Which Indonesian vocabulary should I avoid in modern translation?¶

Formal/uncommon alternatives: Tolong/mohon/silakan (often omit), Disarankan (use Sebaiknya), Pemutakhiran/mutakhirkan (use Pembaruan/perbarui), Bagaimana caranya (use Cara), Berapa banyak (use Berapa or jumlah). Also prefer shorter root forms: butuh/perlu (not membutuhkan/memerlukan), ponsel (not telepon selular).

How should I handle gender in Indonesian translation?¶

Indonesian is largely gender-neutral by default. The pronoun “dia” covers he/she/they. Most profession terms work for all genders (kepala sekolah, ketua). However, some words have gender-specific suffixes: -wan/-man for male/generic, -wati for female (karyawan/karyawati). For modern gender-inclusive translation, use the generic forms (perawat instead of suster, pegawai instead of karyawan/karyawati, polisi instead of polwan). New content should be gender-neutral; legacy content may retain older forms.

Which authoritative references should I use for Indonesian translation?¶

Normative: Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia (KBBI 5th edition, 2016, Badan Pengembangan dan Pembinaan Bahasa — accessible online as KBBI Daring), Pedoman Umum Ejaan Bahasa Indonesia (PUEBI, 2016), Pedoman Umum Pembentukan Istilah (3rd edition, 2007), Tata Bahasa Baku Bahasa Indonesia (4th edition, 2017), and Glosarium Daring (online terminology). Informative: id.wikipedia.org and id.wikisource.org for general background.

How do I handle the lack of tense markers in Indonesian?¶

Indonesian verbs don’t conjugate for tense. Time is indicated by context or time adverbs: sudah (already), akan (will), sedang (currently), telah (have done). For instructional text use imperative; for descriptions of past events use sudah/telah; for future use akan. Verb prefixes (me-, di-, ber-, ter-) indicate voice and aspect, not tense.

Sources¶

• Microsoft Localization Style Guide for Indonesian (PDF)
• Microsoft Globalization Style Guides hub
• KBBI Daring
• Badan Pengembangan dan Pembinaan Bahasa