Indonesian translation: what to know

What the job involves, what changes the price, and what to ask a pro.

What indonesian translation is

An Indonesian translator converts documents between English and Indonesian, handling formal and informal registers for business or personal readers. Indonesian is the national language of Indonesia, and its forms of address, such as Anda and kamu, change the tone of a text, so the readers and the setting must be clear before translating.

Signs you need it

  • Your readers are in Indonesia or an Indonesian community abroad, and you need text that reads naturally to them.
  • You have a contract, certificate or notice that must be read in Indonesian with exact terms.
  • You are publishing a website, product guide or course in Indonesian and want the wording to sound natural.
  • You have an Indonesian document that must be read in English for a business, legal or personal purpose.
  • A machine translation has used a register that is too casual or too stiff for the document.
  • You need a formal document for an Indonesian office or employer that expects a specific tone.

What the pro does

  • Confirms the readers, the purpose and whether the register should be formal or informal.
  • Builds a glossary of names, product terms and titles, with the Indonesian form of each.
  • Translates the text in the chosen register, choosing the forms of address that suit the readers.
  • Checks that the forms of address and affixes are consistent throughout the document.
  • Reviews the translation for natural phrasing, then returns the file with notes on the choices to approve.

What changes the price

Every job is different, so we do not publish prices. These are the things that move the quote up or down.

  • Word count or page count, and the number of documents.
  • Register needed, formal, informal or a mix.
  • Subject complexity, such as legal, medical, technical or marketing text.
  • Formatting, such as tables, forms or design files.
  • Whether a second reviewer checks the Indonesian text.
  • Deadline for delivery.

What a written quote should spell out

  • The word count or page count, and the language direction.
  • The register the translation uses.
  • The glossary step, and who approves the terms.
  • Whether a second review is included.
  • The file format returned, and whether the layout is recreated.

Questions to ask before you hire

  • Who will read the Indonesian text, and what register do they expect?
  • How do you choose the forms of address?
  • Will you write in Indonesian for Indonesia, or Malay for another country?
  • Will a second person review the Indonesian text?
  • Can you keep the layout of my forms or tables?
  • Can you show a sample passage on a subject like mine?

Red flags

  • Uses one register for every reader without asking who they are.
  • Mixes formal and informal forms of address within one document.
  • Changes names, dates or figures in the translation.
  • Sends a machine translation with no human review and presents it as professional work.
  • Cannot explain the register or the forms of address used.

What you can do yourself

You can list the readers, the names and terms that must stay the same, and whether the document is formal, then have an Indonesian speaker read a draft. Hire a translator when the document is official, will be published or sent to customers, or contains legal, medical or technical terms where one wrong word changes the meaning.

Licenses and permits

Indonesian translation is not commonly licensed, so a license is usually not required for this work. Check with the office or organization that will receive the document, since some set their own rules for accepted translations, and ask the translator for Indonesian samples in your subject as proof of skill.

Indonesian translation questions

Should I use Anda or kamu?

Anda is a polite form for documents and business writing, while kamu is informal and suits friendly marketing or personal messages. Decide before translating, since changing it later means editing the whole text.

Is Indonesian the same as Malay?

The two are closely related and share much vocabulary, but they differ in spelling, some words and everyday usage. Tell the translator which country the readers are in, so the text matches them.

Are English terms kept?

Often yes, for technical and product terms that readers use in English. Agree the list of kept terms in the glossary before translating.

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