Palembang or Palembang Malay (known natively as baso Pelembang) is a language variety spoken predominantly by the Palembang people, native to the Palembang region in the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Its daily register is very closely related to other Malayic varieties, including Musi and Minangkabau, while its high speech register is related to Javanese krama. In this phrasebook, the first alternative is always the commonly used daily form, followed by the much more restricted high speech (Bebaso) form, which is only used in formal or polite conversations with older people by a small subset of the traditional ethnic Palembang community.

Phrase list[edit]

Some phrases in this phrasebook still need to be translated. If you know anything about this language, you can help by plunging forward and translating a phrase.

Basics[edit]

Hello!

Tabik!

How are you?

Mak mano kabarnyo? / Mak pundi kabarnyo?

I'm well

Alap bae aku / Sae saos kulo

What is your name?

Sapo namo kau? / Sinten nami niko?

My name is ______

Namo aku ni ______ / Nami kulo niki ______

Please

Tulung

Thank you

Mokaseh

You're welcome (in response to 'thank you')

Samo-samo

Yes

Iyo / Enggi / Leser

No

Idak / Didi / Nano

Excuse me

Amit

I'm sorry

Mintak mahap aku / Nyatu mahap kulo

I can't speak Palembang [well].

Dak [pulo] pacak bebaso Palembang aku ni / Nano [pulak] wikan baso Palembang kulo niki

Do you speak English?

Pacak baso Inggris dak kau? / Wikan baso Inggris nano niko?

Is there someone here who speaks English?

Di sini ado yang pacak baso Inggeris dak? / Ngeriki wenten yang wikan baso Inggeris nano?

Help!

Tulung!

Look out!

Awas!

Good evening

Siang / Awan

Good night

Malem

I don't understand

Dak tereti aku / Nano wikan kulo

Where is the toilet?

Jambannyo di mano ye? / Jambannyo di pundi ye?

Where are you from?

Asli mano kau? / Asli pundi niko?

Learning more[edit]

• Learning Palembang at Wikibooks