SACE Stage 2 Indonesian (continuers) cheat sheet

Formal address uses Bapak/Ibu followed by name or title; informal uses Mas/Mbak or first name. Never use Bapak/Ibu with peers unless deliberately marking distance.

When opening a conversation, use a greeting appropriate to time: Selamat pagi (until ~11 a.m.), Selamat siang (~11 a.m.–3 p.m.), Selamat sore (~3–6 p.m.), Selamat malam (after dark).

To disagree politely, use phrases such as 'Maaf, saya kurang setuju' or 'Mungkin bisa dipertimbangkan...' rather than blunt 'Tidak'.

Turn-taking markers: 'Nah,' 'Jadi,' 'Lalu,' 'Kemudian,' 'Sebenarnya,' 'Maksud saya' signal a new turn or clarification.

Requests: 'Bisa tolong...?' and 'Mohon...' are more formal than 'Tolong...'; add '-lah' (e.g., 'Tolonglah') for softened imperative.

Apologising: 'Maaf' for minor, 'Maafkan saya' for serious, 'Mohon maaf lahir dan batin' only in Idul Fitri context.

Leave-taking: 'Selamat tinggal' to the person staying, 'Selamat jalan' to the person leaving; 'Sampai jumpa' is neutral.

Responding to offers: accept with 'Ya, terima kasih' or 'Boleh, silakan'; decline with 'Terima kasih, tapi saya...' (never a bare 'Tidak').

Identify text type by structure: news reports lead with what/who/when/where; procedure texts use imperatives and numbered steps; recount texts use past markers like 'kemarin', 'tadi'.

Skim for gist using title, first sentence, and repeated key nouns; scan for specific data (numbers, names, dates) without reading every word.

Recognise cohesive devices: 'oleh karena itu' (therefore), 'namun' (however), 'selain itu' (besides), 'sebaliknya' (on the contrary), 'akibatnya' (as a result).

Distinguish fact from opinion: fact markers include numbers, dates, sources ('menurut data...'); opinion markers include 'sebaiknya', 'menurut saya', 'mungkin'.

Infer meaning of unknown words from affixes: 'memper-' often = to make more; 'ke-an' = state/abstract noun; 'pe-an' = process/result.

For inference questions, locate the sentence containing the clue, then choose the option that requires one logical step beyond the literal text-not a repeat.

When answering in Indonesian, mirror the register of the text: formal text → 'Anda'/'tersebut'; informal → 'kamu'/'dia'.

Watch for false friends: 'bisa' = can/poison (context!), 'kantor' = office (not cantor), 'aktif' = active, 'gratis' = free.

Use the correct affix frame: meN- for active transitive verbs (menulis, membaca), di- for passive (ditulis, dibaca), ber- for intransitive/stative (belajar, bekerja).

Tense is marked by adverbs, not verb inflection: 'sudah' (perfect), 'sedang' (progressive), 'akan' (future), 'belum' (not yet), 'pernah' (ever).

Sentence order is Subject–Predicate–Object; adjectives follow nouns (rumah besar = big house), and 'yang' introduces relative clauses.

Paragraph structure for an analytical text: introduction (issue) → arguments with 'pertama', 'kedua', 'selain itu' → conclusion with 'oleh karena itu' or 'dengan demikian'.

Formal letter layout: place/date top right; 'Kepada Yth.' + recipient; 'Dengan hormat,' opening; body; 'Hormat saya,' + sender.

Cohesion: vary connectors; avoid repeating 'dan' or 'karena'; use 'sehingga' (so that), 'meskipun' (although), 'agar' (in order to).

Punctuation matches English for commas and periods, but decimal comma is used in Indonesian numbers (3,5 = 3.5) and thousands use a period (1.000 = 1,000).

Reduplication marks plurality or variety: 'buku-buku' (books), 'sayur-sayuran' (vegetables), 'anak-anak' (children).

Bahasa Indonesia is the national language; regional languages include Javanese, Sundanese, Balinese, and Batak, each with its own script or oral tradition.

Pancasila has five principles: belief in one God, just and civilised humanity, Indonesian unity, democracy guided by consensus, and social justice.

Major public holidays: Idul Fitri (end of Ramadan), Nyepi (Balinese day of silence), Waisak (Buddhist), Natal, and Independence Day on 17 August.

Traditional greeting gestures vary: 'salim' (touching an elder's hand to the forehead) in Java; 'namaste' in Bali; handshake with the right hand generally.

Food culture: 'nasi' is the staple; 'halal' certification matters for many; communal eating ('makan bersama') reflects 'gotong royong' (mutual assistance).

Batik is UNESCO-recognised (2009); each pattern (parang, kawung, mega mendung) carries symbolic meaning and regional origin.

The 'gotong royong' principle underlies community work (kerja bakti) and is a recurring theme in Indonesian civic discourse.

Language register: 'aku/kamu' is intimate; 'saya/Anda' is formal; 'kami' excludes the listener, 'kita' includes the listener-this distinction is tested.