SUNDANESE FOR COMPLETE BEGINNERSLearn the seven vowels
Sundanese has seven vowels: a, é, i, o, u, e, and eu. The é in méja and the e in genep are different sounds, and eu has no close English match, so listen for it in words like geus.
AbapaÉméjaIisukOkopiUbukuEgenepEUgeus
SUNDANESE FOR COMPLETE BEGINNERSLearn Sundanese,
Learn Sundanese,
one real phrase at a time.
Learn Sundanese (Basa Sunda) with useful phrases, clear pronunciation, and short lessons made for everyday conversation. Follow a practical path from your first word to confident exchanges.
- ✓ Beginner friendly
- ✓ Real-life vocabulary
- ✓ Five-minute practice
YOUR FIRST PHRASEGood morningWilujeng énjing
wee-loo-jeng en-jing
♫EVERYDAY SUNDANESEHatur nuhunThank you
⚡ Day 1Your Sundanese journey starts here
WEST JAVA AND BANTEN
A regional language with more than 30 million speakers.
Sundanese (Basa Sunda) is spoken mainly in West Java and Banten, in the western part of Java, Indonesia. Most learning materials follow the Priangan dialect of the Bandung highlands, which is also the variety taught in West Java and Banten schools.
People learn Sundanese to connect with family, build relationships, travel more confidently, understand local culture, or reconnect with their heritage. Whatever your reason, conversation is the most useful place to begin. If you already know Indonesian, start with our guide on Sundanese vs Indonesian.
SUNDANESE LEARNING LIBRARY
Build your skills one focused guide at a time.
Wondering how to learn Sundanese? Start with the step-by-step plan, then choose a focused guide for the phrases, sounds, speech levels, or situation you need next. Every guide links back into the wider Sundanese learning path.
00533 WORDS · 25 TOPICS
Sundanese dictionary
Search Sundanese or English, browse by topic and first letter, and save useful words for later practice.
Open dictionary →🎮PLAY & LEARNSundanese games
Play Tebak and other quick vocabulary games built from the Sundanese dictionary.
Browse games →01BEGINNER ROADMAPHow to learn Sundanese
Follow a realistic beginner plan for learning Sundanese pronunciation, polite and casual phrases, grammar patterns, listening, and conversation.
Read guide →02START SPEAKINGBasic Sundanese phrases
Learn useful Sundanese phrases for introductions, food, family, questions, polite requests, and everyday conversation.
Read guide →03EVERYDAY CONNECTIONSundanese greetings
Learn natural Sundanese greetings, including sampurasun and rampés, time-of-day greetings, introductions, and farewells with English meanings.
Read guide →04SOUND CLEARSundanese pronunciation
Learn the seven Sundanese vowels, the tricky eu sound, ng and ny, é versus e, and practical ways to improve your pronunciation.
Read guide →05COUNT WITH CONFIDENCENumbers in Sundanese
Learn Sundanese numbers from one to a million, including the sa- forms, traditional counting words, and how to ask prices and time.
Read guide →06SEE THE PATTERNSSundanese grammar basics
Understand foundational Sundanese patterns: di, ka, and ti, negation with teu and lain, di- passives with ku, nasal verbs, and the ar plural infix.
Read guide →07TRAVEL WITH WARMTHSundanese travel phrases
Use practical Sundanese travel phrases for directions, transport, restaurants, shopping, and emergencies in West Java and Banten.
Read guide →08LANGUAGE CONTEXTLanguages of Java
See where Sundanese is spoken in West Java and Banten, how it relates to Javanese and Indonesian, its dialects, and the scripts used to write it.
Read guide →09SHOW GRATITUDEThank you in Sundanese
Learn how to say thank you in Sundanese with hatur nuhun and nuhun, make gratitude stronger with pisan, and reply with sami-sami.
Read guide →10SPEAK WITH AFFECTIONI love you in Sundanese
Learn how to say I love you in Sundanese with bogoh and nyaah, and use affectionate phrases for partners, family, and close friends.
Read guide →11REALISTIC EXPECTATIONSIs Sundanese hard to learn?
Understand what English-speaking beginners often find easy or difficult in Sundanese and how to plan around the challenging parts.
Read guide →12CHOOSE YOUR TOOLKITBest Sundanese apps and tools
Compare the features that matter in Sundanese apps, courses, dictionaries, tutors, audio, and conversation tools.
Read guide →13COURSE ALTERNATIVESDuolingo Sundanese alternatives
Find a practical alternative learning stack for Sundanese with structured lessons, review, audio, dictionaries, and conversation.
Read guide →14COMPARE THE LANGUAGESSundanese vs Indonesian
Understand how Sundanese and Indonesian differ in geography, vocabulary, grammar, and speech levels, with side-by-side question words and examples.
Read guide →15SOUND CONVERSATIONALSundanese slang
Understand common Sundanese everyday expressions, the particles mah and téh, rough forms like aing and sia, and context-sensitive slang.
Read guide →16SOUND RESPECTFULSundanese speech levels
Understand tatakrama basa Sunda: the casual loma and respectful hormat registers, polite and casual word pairs, pronouns, and how to choose a level.
Read guide →QUICK START PHRASEBOOK
10 useful Sundanese phrases for beginners
Read each phrase aloud. Focus first on being understood, then refine your rhythm as you hear more native speech. For a deeper phrase list, see basic Sundanese phrases and Sundanese greetings, or look up individual words in the Sundanese dictionary.
01SampurasunHello (traditional greeting)
02Wilujeng énjingGood morning
03Kumaha damang?How are you?
04Hatur nuhunThank you
05PuntenExcuse me; sorry
06ManggaPlease; go ahead
07Muhun / HenteuYes / No
08Dupi jamban palih mana?Where is the toilet?
09Ieu téh sabaraha?How much is this?
10Raos pisanVery delicious
A CLEAR BEGINNER ROADMAP
How to learn Sundanese without getting lost.
The fastest-feeling progress comes from combining listening, useful vocabulary, speech levels, and frequent retrieval.
- 01
Choose your learning plan
Set a real conversation goal and follow a simple daily routine for listening, recall, useful phrases, and speaking practice.
Read the beginner plan → - 02
Use everyday phrases
Learn greetings, questions, food words, directions, and polite replies you can use with people immediately.
Read the basic phrases guide → - 03
Choose the right speech level
Notice which words are polite and which are casual, then match them to the person you are speaking with.
Read the speech levels guide → - 04
Practice real situations
Rehearse family conversations, market visits, travel, and daily routines until the words become easier to retrieve.
Read the travel phrases guide →
KNOW THE PATTERNS
Sundanese pronunciation and grammar basics
You do not need to master every rule before speaking. These patterns simply help you notice what is happening in the phrases you practice. Go deeper in our pronunciation guide and grammar basics articles.
Learn phrases as patterns
Instead of memorizing isolated words, reuse complete frames such as Di mana…? (“Where is…?”) with new places and objects.
Choose a speech level
Many everyday words come in a polite form and a casual form, such as hatur nuhun and nuhun. When you are unsure, start polite, and read our speech levels guide.
Watch the small words
Small words such as di, ka, ti, and ku organize sentences, and verbs often take nasal prefixes in speech. Notice them inside complete sentences before you study the rules.
MAKE IT PERSONAL
Learn the Sundanese you will actually use.
Family & relationships
Join family conversations, understand everyday jokes, and show the people close to you that their language matters.
Heritage & identity
Reconnect with words you heard growing up and build confidence speaking with relatives across generations.
Travel & daily life
Ask directions, order food, shop at a market, and greet people with more warmth while visiting West Java and Banten. See our travel phrases guide.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Learning Sundanese FAQ
Where is Sundanese spoken?
Sundanese is spoken mainly in West Java and Banten, in the western part of the island of Java. It is also spoken in the western part of Central Java, and Sundanese speakers live in Lampung, South Sumatra, and other parts of Indonesia.
Is Sundanese difficult for English speakers to learn?
Spelling is fairly regular, but the seven vowels (including the eu sound) and the polite and casual speech levels take practice. Short, repeated practice with complete phrases makes both easier to absorb.
Is Sundanese the same as Indonesian?
No. Indonesian is the national language used across Indonesia, while Sundanese is a regional language spoken mainly in West Java and Banten. Virtually all native Sundanese speakers also speak Indonesian, and the two languages share some vocabulary.
Should I learn polite or casual Sundanese first?
Start with polite forms such as hatur nuhun and punten, which suit elders, strangers, and formal settings. Then add casual forms for friends and younger people. Our speech levels guide shows which words are which.
Can I learn Sundanese online?
Yes. A structured online path can help you build vocabulary, listening, and sentence patterns. Regular conversation with proficient speakers is the best complement to app-based practice.
Your first Sundanese conversation starts with one phrase.
Practice for a few minutes today, return tomorrow, and let consistency do the heavy lifting.
Start learning Sundanese