Currency and Prices
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
To state prices in Indonesian, simply place the number before the currency unit 'Rupiah' (Rp).
- Use standard numbers: 'sepuluh' (10), 'seratus' (100), 'seribu' (1000).
- Add 'Rupiah' after the amount: 'Lima ribu Rupiah' (5,000 IDR).
- Use 'Berapa harganya?' to ask for the price of an item.
Meanings
The system used to express monetary values and ask for prices in Indonesian transactions.
Stating prices
Expressing the cost of goods or services.
“Buku ini lima puluh ribu Rupiah.”
“Harganya dua ribu Rupiah.”
Asking for prices
Inquiring about the cost of an item.
“Berapa harganya?”
“Ini berapa?”
Indonesian Number Denominations
| Number | Indonesian | Currency Unit |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | Seribu | Rupiah |
| 5,000 | Lima ribu | Rupiah |
| 10,000 | Sepuluh ribu | Rupiah |
| 50,000 | Lima puluh ribu | Rupiah |
| 100,000 | Seratus ribu | Rupiah |
| 1,000,000 | Satu juta | Rupiah |
Common Abbreviations
| Full Term | Abbreviation | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Ribu | rb | Texting/Casual |
| Juta | jt | Texting/Casual |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Number + Rupiah | Lima ribu Rupiah |
| Negative | Bukan + Number + Rupiah | Bukan lima ribu Rupiah |
| Question | Berapa + harganya? | Berapa harganya? |
| Short Answer | Number + Rupiah | Sepuluh ribu Rupiah |
| Total | Totalnya + Number | Totalnya seratus ribu |
| Discount | Harga + setelah + diskon | Harga setelah diskon |
Formality Spectrum
Harganya adalah lima puluh ribu Rupiah. (Retail)
Harganya lima puluh ribu Rupiah. (Retail)
Lima puluh ribu. (Retail)
50rb (Retail)
Money in Indonesia
Small
- Seribu 1,000
Medium
- Sepuluh ribu 10,000
Large
- Satu juta 1,000,000
Examples by Level
Harganya lima ribu Rupiah.
The price is five thousand Rupiah.
Berapa harganya?
How much is it?
Ini sepuluh ribu Rupiah.
This is ten thousand Rupiah.
Dua ribu Rupiah saja.
Only two thousand Rupiah.
Totalnya lima puluh ribu Rupiah.
The total is fifty thousand Rupiah.
Berapa harga nasi goreng ini?
How much is this fried rice?
Saya mau bayar dua puluh ribu.
I want to pay twenty thousand.
Harganya tidak mahal, cuma tiga ribu.
The price is not expensive, only three thousand.
Bisa kurang harganya jadi seratus ribu?
Can the price be reduced to one hundred thousand?
Harga barang ini mencapai satu juta Rupiah.
The price of this item reaches one million Rupiah.
Total belanjaan saya dua ratus lima puluh ribu.
My total shopping is two hundred fifty thousand.
Apakah harga ini sudah termasuk pajak?
Does this price include tax?
Totalnya menjadi lima ratus ribu Rupiah setelah diskon.
The total becomes five hundred thousand Rupiah after the discount.
Mohon bayar sebesar dua juta Rupiah.
Please pay the amount of two million Rupiah.
Harga tersebut sangat kompetitif di pasar.
That price is very competitive in the market.
Kita harus membayar biaya tambahan sebesar lima puluh ribu.
We must pay an additional fee of fifty thousand.
Estimasi biaya proyek ini adalah sepuluh juta Rupiah.
The estimated cost of this project is ten million Rupiah.
Harga yang ditawarkan sangat masuk akal.
The price offered is very reasonable.
Kami menyepakati harga lima ratus ribu Rupiah per unit.
We agreed on a price of five hundred thousand Rupiah per unit.
Fluktuasi harga sangat mempengaruhi daya beli.
Price fluctuations greatly affect purchasing power.
Nilai nominal transaksi tersebut mencapai lima miliar Rupiah.
The nominal value of the transaction reached five billion Rupiah.
Harga yang dipatok sudah mencakup seluruh layanan.
The price set already covers all services.
Dalam konteks ekonomi, harga ini dianggap sangat terjangkau.
In an economic context, this price is considered very affordable.
Pemerintah menetapkan harga eceran tertinggi.
The government set the highest retail price.
Easily Confused
Learners mix up thousands and millions.
Using 'banyak' when asking for price.
Using the code instead of the word.
Common Mistakes
Rupiah lima ribu
Lima ribu Rupiah
Lima ribu
Lima ribu Rupiah
Lima lima nol nol
Lima ribu
Berapa harga?
Berapa harganya?
Lima puluh
Lima puluh ribu
Satu juta Rupiahs
Satu juta Rupiah
Berapa ini harga?
Berapa harga ini?
Seribu Rupiahs
Seribu Rupiah
Harga adalah lima ribu
Harganya lima ribu
Bisa murah?
Bisa kurang?
Harga tersebut adalah mahal
Harga tersebut mahal
Membayar lima juta Rupiahs
Membayar lima juta Rupiah
Harga itu tinggi sekali
Harganya sangat tinggi
Sentence Patterns
Harganya ___ Rupiah.
Berapa harga ___ ini?
Totalnya menjadi ___ Rupiah.
Apakah harga ini sudah termasuk ___?
Real World Usage
Berapa harganya?
Totalnya lima puluh ribu.
Saya ingin menabung satu juta Rupiah.
Harganya 50rb.
Gaji yang diharapkan adalah sepuluh juta.
Total: 25rb.
Use 'rb'
No Plurals
Haggling
Politeness
Smart Tips
Read the number and add 'Rupiah' immediately.
Use 'rb' instead of 'ribu'.
Always start with 'Bisa kurang?'.
Use 'Totalnya' to confirm the amount.
Pronunciation
Rupiah
Pronounced roo-pee-ah. Emphasize the 'pee'.
Question
Berapa harganya? ↗
Rising intonation at the end for questions.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Remember 'Rupiah' is the 'Rupee' of Indonesia, always place it after the number like a price tag.
Visual Association
Imagine a giant price tag hanging on a coconut with the number '5.000' and the word 'Rupiah' written in bold.
Rhyme
For prices in the land of the sun, say the number then Rupiah for everyone.
Story
Budi goes to the market. He sees a mango. He asks 'Berapa harganya?'. The seller says 'Lima ribu'. Budi hands over five thousand Rupiah.
Word Web
Challenge
Look at 5 items in your room and write down their 'price' in Indonesian using the [Number] + Rupiah format.
Cultural Notes
Haggling is common in traditional markets but not in modern malls.
People often use 'cepek' for 100 and 'gocap' for 50 in very informal settings.
Prices are often quoted in thousands, so 'lima' might mean 5,000.
The word 'Rupiah' comes from the Sanskrit word 'rupya', meaning silver.
Conversation Starters
Berapa harga kopi ini?
Berapa total belanjaan saya?
Menurut Anda, apakah harga ini mahal?
Bagaimana cara menegosiasikan harga di pasar?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
Harganya lima ___ Rupiah.
How do you say 10,000 Rupiah?
Find and fix the mistake:
Rupiah lima puluh ribu.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
The price is one million.
Answer starts with: Har...
Buyer: Berapa harganya? Seller: ___
Use: totalnya, dua, juta, Rupiah
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Score: /8
Practice Exercises
8 exercisesHarganya lima ___ Rupiah.
How do you say 10,000 Rupiah?
Find and fix the mistake:
Rupiah lima puluh ribu.
harganya / lima / Rupiah / ribu
The price is one million.
Buyer: Berapa harganya? Seller: ___
Use: totalnya, dua, juta, Rupiah
1,000 = ?
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
In casual settings, you can omit it if the context is clear.
It is 'seratus ribu'.
No, Indonesian does not use plurals like English.
It is an abbreviation for 'ribu' (thousand).
Say 'Bisa kurang?'
'Ribu' is thousand, 'juta' is million.
It is optional and often omitted for natural flow.
Due to the currency value, numbers look high but are relative to the economy.
Scaffolded Practice
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2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Cinco mil pesos
Spanish has plural forms (pesos), Indonesian does not.
Cinq mille euros
French uses decimal subunits (cents), Indonesian does not.
Fünftausend Euro
German has complex compound words for numbers.
Go-sen en
Japanese puts the currency unit at the end as a particle.
Khamsat alaf riyal
Arabic has complex gender and case agreements.
Wu qian yuan
Chinese uses measure words which Indonesian lacks.
