Balinese Language Guide: Where It's Spoken, Script, Grammar & Etiquette

Where it's spoken

Balinese is the native language of the people of Bali, and it is also spoken in the western part of the neighboring island of Lombok. In Bali, Indonesian is the official language in schools, government offices and other formal institutions, but for native Balinese the Balinese language is still popular to use in daily life. Balinese is a compulsory local-content subject in primary and secondary education.

This app's sign cards show the Indonesian wording, as in MASUK ("Entrance"), rather than Balinese.

Sources

Script & pronunciation

Balinese is commonly written in two scripts: the Balinese script and the Latin script. In Denpasar, most street names are written in both Latin and Balinese script, and temple announcements are traditionally in Balinese script, often without any Latin script at all.

All of this app's Balinese cards are written in Latin letters. A Balinese-language academic paper writes some words with é, as in Baliné, but this app's cards write a plain e throughout.

Sources

Sudewa, Ida Bagus Adi (2003). "Contemporary Use of The Balinese Script", version 0.2, Unicode document L2/03-118 — p. 1; "Public Places"
Suwija, I Nyoman; Mulyawan, I Nyoman Rajeg; Adhiti, Ida Ayu Iran (2019). "Tingkat-Tingkatan Bicara Bahasa Bali (Dampak Anggah-Ungguh Kruna)." Sosiohumaniora 21(1): 90–97 — Quotation of Suwija 2014, p. 91

Grammar essentials

Balinese canonically has subject–verb–object order, and the order is strict when the arguments of a transitive verb are indefinite. A definite noun carries a suffix, as in the low-register example nasi-ne ("the rice").

Balinese transitive verbs have two voices: an active voice, marked by a nasal prefix on the verb, and a morphologically unmarked form.

In this app's card Titiang nenten uning ("I don't understand"), the subject Titiang comes first and the negator nenten comes before the verb uning; the card's note says nenten is a negator placed before a verb or adjective.

Sources

Arka, I Wayan; Wechsler, Stephen (1996). "Argument Structure and Linear Order in Balinese Binding." Proceedings of the LFG96 Conference — §1; §3

Politeness & etiquette

Balinese has speech levels, called anggah-ungguhing basa. How a person speaks Balinese depends on the participants: who is speaking, who is being spoken to and who is being spoken about. The system exists because of differences in social position in Balinese society. Sources classify the levels differently: one divides them into basa kasar, basa andap, basa madia and basa alus, with alus further divided into alus singgih, alus sor and alus mider, while another lists alus singgih, alus madia, alus sor, alus mider, andap and kasar.

The alus (refined) language is used by people of lower status when speaking to or about people of higher status or people who are respected. Basa alus singgih is described as used when speaking with or about the triwangsa group and high officials, and basa alus sor as used when talking with respected people or when referring to oneself and family. Basa andap is used in daily conversation between people of equal social status. Basa madia is often used by Balinese people who do not yet know each other. Basa kasar is used when angry and is generally used in emotional situations or to show disrespect.

Using andap words to someone who should be addressed in refined language is called basa kasar jabag, and the source says this is not good.

This app's card for Titiang ("I / me") gives it as the polite, humble "I" to use with strangers and elders, and notes that Tiang is also common while Cang and Icang are casual and best avoided with strangers. Its card for Ragane ("You") gives it as a polite "you" that is safe with people you have just met, and notes that Cai, Nyai and Iba are rude. The card for Nenten ("No") gives it as the polite "no", to be used rather than Sing or Tusing with people you do not know. The card for Ragane ngarsayang lunga sareng titiang? ("Would you like to go out with me?") says that ngarsayang and lunga are honorific forms for the other person, never for yourself.