Basa Bali
Balinese
Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian)
Balinese is the language of Bali and parts of Lombok, mother tongue to roughly three million people. Like Javanese, it has elaborate speech levels (ngoh, kasar, alus, singgih) reflecting caste and social context, and uses the Balinese script (Aksara Bali) alongside Latin. Sanskrit and Old Javanese loanwords are extensive in religious and literary registers, supporting traditional kakawin poetry, shadow-puppet theatre (wayang), and the temple ceremonies that define Balinese Hindu life.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Balinese
Water
yeh
/jeh/
Fire
api
/api/
Sun
matanai
/matanai/
Moon
bulan
/bulan/
Star
bintang
/bintaŋ/
Mother
meme
/meme/
Father
bapa
/bapa/
I
tiang
/tijaŋ/
You
cai
/tʃai/
Name
adan
/adan/
Eye
mata
/mata/
Hand
tangan
/taŋan/
Heart
manah
/manah/
Love
tresna
/tɾesna/
Tree
punyan
/puɲan/
House
umah
/umah/
Dog
cicing
/tʃitʃiŋ/
Cat
meong
/meoŋ/
Eat
ngajeng
/ŋadʒeŋ/
Drink
nginem
/ŋinem/
One
besik
/besik/
Two
dua
/dua/
Hello
om swastiastu
/om swastiastu/
Thank you
matur suksma
/matuɾ suksma/
Good
becik
/betʃik/
Cuckoo
kedasih
/kəˈdasih/
Woof
kong kong
/kɔŋ kɔŋ/
Computer
komputer
/kɔmˈputər/
Sushi
sushi
/ˈsuʃi/
Dopamine
dopamin
/dopaˈmin/
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian) languages
| Meaning | Balinese | North Moluccan Malay | Musi | Malay | Ambon Malay | Banjar | Indonesian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | yeh /jeh/ | aer /aer/ | ayek /ajek/ | air /ˈa.ir/ | aer /aer/ | banyu /baɲu/ | air /ˈa.ir/ |
| Fire | api /api/ | api /api/ | api /api/ | api /api/ | api /api/ | api /api/ | api /api/ |
| Sun | matanai /matanai/ | matahari /matahari/ | matahari /matahari/ | matahari /matahari/ | mata hari /mata hari/ | matahari /matahari/ | matahari /matahari/ |
| Moon | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ |
| Star | bintang /bintaŋ/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ |
| Mother | meme /meme/ | mama /mama/ | mak /mak/ | ibu /ibu/ | mama /mama/ | uma /uma/ | ibu /ibu/ |
| Father | bapa /bapa/ | papa /papa/ | bapak /bapak/ | ayah /ajah/ | papa /papa/ | abah /abah/ | ayah /ajah/ |
| I | tiang /tijaŋ/ | kita /kita/ | aku /aku/ | saya /saja/ | beta /beta/ | aku /aku/ | saya /saja/ |
| You | cai /tʃai/ | ngana /ŋana/ | kau /kau/ | awak /awaʔ/ | ose /ose/ | ikam /ikam/ | kamu /kamu/ |
| Name | adan /adan/ | nama /nama/ | namo /namo/ | nama /nama/ | nama /nama/ | ngaran /ŋaran/ | nama /nama/ |
| Eye | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mato /mato/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hand | tangan /taŋan/ | tangang /taŋaŋ/ | tangan /taŋan/ | tangan /taŋan/ | tangang /taŋaŋ/ | tangan /taŋan/ | tangan /taŋan/ |
| Heart | manah /manah/ | hati /hati/ | hati /hati/ | hati /hati/ | hati /hati/ | ati /ati/ | hati /hati/ |
| Love | tresna /tɾesna/ | cinta /tʃinta/ | sayang /sajaŋ/ | cinta /tʃinta/ | sayang /sajaŋ/ | sayang /sajaŋ/ | cinta /tʃinta/ |
| Tree | punyan /puɲan/ | pohong /pohoŋ/ | kayu /kaju/ | pokok /pokoʔ/ | pohon /pohon/ | batang /bataŋ/ | pohon /pohon/ |
| House | umah /umah/ | ruma /ruma/ | rumah /rumah/ | rumah /rumah/ | ruma /ruma/ | rumah /rumah/ | rumah /rumah/ |
| Dog | cicing /tʃitʃiŋ/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ |
| Cat | meong /meoŋ/ | ikung /ikuŋ/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ | pusa /pusa/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ |
| Eat | ngajeng /ŋadʒeŋ/ | makang /makaŋ/ | makan /makan/ | makan /makan/ | makang /makaŋ/ | makan /makan/ | makan /makan/ |
| Drink | nginem /ŋinem/ | minong /minoŋ/ | minum /minum/ | minum /minum/ | minong /minoŋ/ | nginum /ŋinum/ | minum /minum/ |
| One | besik /besik/ | satu /satu/ | siko /siko/ | satu /satu/ | satu /satu/ | asa /asa/ | satu /satu/ |
| Two | dua /dua/ | dua /dua/ | duo /duo/ | dua /dua/ | dua /dua/ | dua /dua/ | dua /dua/ |
| Hello | om swastiastu /om swastiastu/ | cerang /tʃeraŋ/ | halo /halo/ | hai /hai/ | hela /hela/ | salam /salam/ | halo /ˈhalo/ |
| Thank you | matur suksma /matuɾ suksma/ | tarima kase /tarima kase/ | terimo kasih /terimo kasih/ | terima kasih /tərima kasih/ | tarima kase /tarima kase/ | tarima kasih /tarima kasih/ | terima kasih /tərima kasih/ |
| Good | becik /betʃik/ | bae /bae/ | bagus /baɡus/ | baik /baiʔ/ | bagus /baɡus/ | bagus /baɡus/ | baik /baiʔ/ |
| Cuckoo | kedasih /kəˈdasih/ | — | — | sewah /ˈsewah/ | — | bubut /ˈbubut/ | kangkok /ˈkaŋkɔʔ/ |
| Woof | kong kong /kɔŋ kɔŋ/ | — | — | gonggong /ɡɔŋɡɔŋ/ | — | — | guk guk /ɡuk ɡuk/ |
| Computer | komputer /kɔmˈputər/ | komputer /komˈputər/ | komputer /komˈputər/ | komputer /kɔmˈpu.tə(r)/ | komputer /komˈputər/ | komputer /komˈputər/ | komputer /kɔmˈputər/ |
| Sushi | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | susyi /suʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | susyi /su.ʃi/ |
| Dopamine | dopamin /dopaˈmin/ | — | — | dopamin /dopaˈmin/ | — | — | dopamin /dopaˈmin/ |
Part of LangMap — a linguistic visualization project. This is a static, crawlable summary; the interactive maps offer pronunciation audio, filters, and a globe view.