Good morning in Indonesian is selamat pagi (suh-LAH-mat PAH-gee). It runs from sunrise until about 10 or 11, when it becomes selamat siang (good midday, until about 3) and then selamat sore (good afternoon, until sunset). After dark it is selamat malam. In conversation Indonesians usually drop the selamat and just say Pagi!, and you answer Pagi! back.
Here is the quick version, then the details.
- Selamat pagi: good morning. About 5 am to 10 or 11.
- Selamat siang (see-AHNG): good midday. About 11 to 3. English has no word for this slot.
- Selamat sore (SO-ray): good afternoon, late afternoon. About 3 to 6.
- Pagi! Siang! Sore!: the spoken forms, selamat dropped.
- Selamat malam: good evening, after dark. Its own page: good evening in Indonesian.
1. Selamat pagi and what to say back
Selamat means safe or blessed and is the word in front of most Indonesian well-wishes (selamat datang, welcome; selamat makan, enjoy your meal; selamat ulang tahun, happy birthday). Pagi is morning. The reply to selamat pagi is selamat pagi, or just pagi. If you want to add something, apa kabar? (how are you?) follows naturally; our page on apa kabar has the replies.
- Selamat pagi, Bu. Pagi. Good morning, ma'am. Morning.
- Pagi, Pak! Udah sarapan? Morning, sir! Had breakfast yet?
- Selamat pagi semuanya. Good morning, everyone. (A teacher, a meeting.)
2. The clock: pagi, siang, sore, malam
Indonesia sits on the equator, so the day is divided by the sun rather than by lunch. The boundaries are soft and vary by region, but this is the usual map:
| Word | Roughly | Greeting |
|---|---|---|
| pagi | sunrise to 10 or 11 | selamat pagi |
| siang | 11 to 3, the hot part | selamat siang |
| sore | 3 to sunset, around 6 | selamat sore |
| malam | after dark | selamat malam |
Two words catch learners out. Siang is the high-sun part of the day, and there is no English equivalent; in the early afternoon say siang, not sore. And sore is the pleasant late afternoon, the time for a walk; in Jakarta you will hear people say "see you sore" meaning after work.
3. Pagi on its own
In speech, selamat goes. A greeting between neighbours is Pagi! with a nod. The one-word form is not rude; it is simply how the greeting sounds in everyday life, and using the full selamat pagi every time marks you as a learner. Keep the full form for formal openings: a speech, an email, a hotel reception.
4. Good morning in a text
In a morning message, pagi or selamat pagi is normal, often with an emoji. Met pagi (met for selamat) is a texting shortcut you will see from younger Indonesians. The reply is the same word back.
Common mistakes
Selamat siang at 8 am. Before about 10 it is still pagi.
Selamat sore at 1 pm. That is siang. Sore starts mid-afternoon.
Selamat pagi as "good night". It happens in jet lag. Sleep is selamat tidur.
Saying it with English stress. The stress is on the second-last syllable of each word: se-LA-mat PA-gi, not SE-lamat pa-GI.
FAQ
How do you say good morning in Indonesian?
Selamat pagi, pronounced suh-LAH-mat PAH-gee. In conversation, just pagi.
How do you say good morning in Bahasa Indonesia?
Bahasa Indonesia is the Indonesian name for Indonesian, so it is the same: selamat pagi.
How do you say good afternoon in Indonesian?
Selamat siang for midday to about 3 pm, then selamat sore for the late afternoon until sunset.
Until what time do you say selamat pagi?
Until about 10 or 11 in the morning. After that, selamat siang.
What is the reply to selamat pagi?
Selamat pagi or simply pagi, then apa kabar? if you want to carry on.
Learn the greeting the way it is said
Selamat pagi is in every phrasebook. Pagi! with a nod is what you will hear, and it is the first of many places where spoken Indonesian is shorter than the book. Our list of 50 basic Indonesian phrases gives both forms for each, and how to say hello in Indonesian covers the greetings that are not tied to the clock.
JADI teaches the spoken forms from the first lesson: every one is written by Yohana, a native Indonesian teacher, with audio for every sentence and spaced repetition so it stays. The first 6 lesson days are free.
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