Food & Drinks

22 phrases · Balinese with romanization, English and audio

  1. Puniki be napi?

    What kind of meat or fish is this?

    Usage

    Asks what kind of meat or fish a dish contains, handy if you avoid certain foods. A sentence built from dictionary-checked words, not a quoted example.

    Grammar Note

    Be mainly means fish but also meat or eggs when combined with another word. The question word napi goes at the end.

  2. Jaen sajan

    Very delicious

    Usage

    A standard way to praise food; it is a dictionary headword. Jaen is an everyday (andap) word, so add Matur suksma when speaking to elders.

    Grammar Note

    Adjective + sajan means very; the dictionary lists sajan as the andap word for very.

  3. Titiang nenten ngajeng daging

    I do not eat meat

    Usage

    For vegetarians or religious dietary rules. Ngajeng is the humble word for your own eating.

    Grammar Note

    Ngajeng is the humble verb for your own eating; for the other person use ngrayunang, never for yourself.

  4. Titiang nunas nasi malih

    Could I have more rice, please?

    Usage

    A polite request for a second helping; nunas is the humble verb for asking.

    Grammar Note

    Nunas + noun means please give me; malih means more or again. Nasi is the same at every speech level.

  5. Titiang nunas nasi goreng

    I would like nasi goreng

    Usage

    A polite way to order. Nasi goreng is the same name as in Indonesian and is a dictionary headword; nunas can also mean to eat or drink.

    Grammar Note

    Nunas + dish name orders it; swap in any dish on the menu.

  6. Wenten ajengan napi?

    What food do you have?

    Usage

    Asks what is on offer; wenten is the polite word for there is.

    Grammar Note

    Wenten + noun + napi? means what ... is there; ajengan is the general word for food.

  7. Sampunang lalahang, nggih

    Please do not make it spicy

    Usage

    For people who cannot take heat. Lalah is chili heat; this combines the dictionary words lalahang (make spicy) and sampunang (do not).

    Grammar Note

    Sampunang + verb-ang is a polite prohibition (casual: Eda). Do not use pedas, which means clear or vivid in the dictionary.

  8. Titiang sampun wareg

    I am already full

    Usage

    Used to decline more food. Wareg is an everyday (andap) word with no polite form in the dictionary, so titiang and sampun supply the politeness.

    Grammar Note

    Sampun + state means already; follow with Matur suksma to sound warm.

  9. Titiang seduk

    I am hungry

    Usage

    A casual way to say you are hungry. Seduk is an everyday (andap) word and the dictionary lists no humble form, so titiang adds politeness.

    Grammar Note

    Lue is the honorific word for someone else's hunger, so do not use it for yourself.

  10. Titiang nunas toya

    I would like some water

    Usage

    A polite request for water. Yeh is the everyday word and toya the polite one; toya also means holy water.

    Grammar Note

    In the dictionary table the andap word is yeh and the alus mider word is toya.

  11. Nasi

    Cooked rice

    Usage

    Cooked rice, the same form at every speech level (the honorific for someone else's meal is ajengan).

    Grammar Note

    A noun; it appears in many compounds such as nasi goreng.

  12. Jukut

    Vegetables

    Usage

    Vegetables or a vegetable dish. The polite word is jangan; jukut also begins dish names such as jukut ares.

    Grammar Note

    A noun; placed before another word it names a vegetable dish.

  13. Taluh

    Egg

    Usage

    Egg. The polite word is endog. Useful when explaining an allergy.

    Grammar Note

    A noun; adding -e gives taluhe, the egg.

  14. Siap

    Chicken

    Usage

    Chicken. Do not confuse it with Indonesian siap, which means ready; the polite word is ayam.

    Grammar Note

    A noun; in menus it is often seen as be siap.

  15. Be guling

    Roast pig

    Usage

    A famous Balinese dish listed in the dictionary. It is pork, so mention it to Muslim or vegetarian companions.

    Grammar Note

    Be + cooking method forms a dish name; in Indonesian it is babi guling.

  16. Sambel

    Chili sauce (sambal)

    Usage

    A hot condiment served with meals. The polite word is pedesan; it may be raw or cooked and is often very hot.

    Grammar Note

    A noun; to ask whether it is hot, say Lalah?

  17. Lalah

    Spicy hot (chili heat)

    Usage

    The burning heat of chili. Do not use Indonesian pedas, which means clear in the dictionary.

    Grammar Note

    An adjective; lalahang means make spicy and palalah is a spicy seasoning.

  18. Manis

    Sweet

    Usage

    Sweet taste; the opposite is pait (bitter).

    Grammar Note

    An adjective, same form as in Indonesian.

  19. Pait

    Bitter

    Usage

    Bitter taste, as in bitter melon; also linked with medicine.

    Grammar Note

    An adjective; the opposite is manis.

  20. Kopi

    Coffee

    Usage

    Balinese coffee is often served as grounds with sugar. The word is used as is at all levels.

    Grammar Note

    A loanword noun; kopine means the coffee.

  21. Teh

    Tea

    Usage

    Tea; the dictionary marks it as level-neutral (mider).

    Grammar Note

    A loanword noun.

  22. Bir

    Beer

    Usage

    Beer; a loanword that has a dictionary headword.

    Grammar Note

    A noun; order with Titiang nunas bir.

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