Pimsleur Indonesian is a good way to start speaking by ear, and it stops early. The course is a single level of 30 audio lessons of about half an hour each, roughly 15 hours in total, built on Pimsleur's prompt-and-respond method: a narrator sets up a situation, a native speaker says a line, you say it back before the answer comes. It teaches standard Indonesian as spoken in Jakarta, and it leaves you with a confident accent and a small, polite vocabulary. Then it ends, where Pimsleur's big languages carry on for five levels.
What Pimsleur Indonesian does well
It gets you talking from day one. Every lesson is spent saying sentences out loud under mild time pressure. By lesson 10 most learners can introduce themselves, ask where something is and order a drink without reading anything.
The spacing is built in. Pimsleur brings each phrase back at widening intervals inside and across lessons, so what you learn in week one is still there in week four without a flashcard app.
Pronunciation and rhythm. Because you only ever hear and speak, the stress and the vowels come out right. Learners who start with Pimsleur rarely have the English-stress accent that text-first learners pick up.
Hands-free. You can do a lesson walking, driving or cooking. For people who struggle to sit down with an app, that is the whole case for it.
Where Pimsleur Indonesian stops
After lesson 30. Pimsleur publishes one level of Indonesian. Spanish, French and the other flagship languages run to five levels and 150 lessons. Finishing Indonesian Level 1 leaves you at a solid survival level, roughly the first third of A1, with nowhere to go inside Pimsleur.
Little reading, no grammar. The method is deliberately audio only. You will not learn to read Indonesian, and the grammar, which is where the real work of Indonesian sits, is never explained. Our Indonesian grammar guide covers what Pimsleur leaves out: the affix system, -nya, and the three words for "not".
Formal register. Pimsleur teaches the standard, polite forms: tidak, sudah, bagaimana, saya. These are correct everywhere and they are not what you will hear back. In conversation Indonesians say nggak, udah, gimana, aku. A Pimsleur graduate can ask a perfect question and miss the reply. Our page on nggak is a good example of the gap.
Small vocabulary. Thirty lessons hold a few hundred words. Pimsleur's method is thorough, and thoroughness is slow.
Price per hour. At the time of writing Pimsleur sells by subscription (about $15 a month) or as a one-off level purchase (about $120). For 15 hours of material that is the most expensive option on our list; check Pimsleur's site, since prices vary by country and plan.
So is Pimsleur Indonesian worth it?
Yes, for a specific learner: someone who wants to speak from the first day, learns best by ear, and has dead time to fill. It is the best first two months of listening and speaking you can buy. It is not a course that takes you to conversation, because it ends before the grammar begins and never touches the spoken forms.
If you can only afford one thing, a structured course that includes audio gives you more hours and more range for the money. If you can afford two, Pimsleur plus a course is a strong pairing: Pimsleur for the mouth, the course for the rest.
What to add alongside or after Pimsleur
1. The spoken forms. From lesson one, learn the casual version of each word Pimsleur teaches. The 50 basic Indonesian phrases list gives both forms side by side.
2. Reading and grammar. Indonesian is spelled as it sounds, so reading comes quickly once you start. Pair the audio with any text course, and read the grammar guide once; it is short.
3. A course that continues past A1. JADI is built as a daily course that runs 132 lesson days from A1 to A2, written by Yohana, a native teacher, with the standard and spoken forms side by side and audio for every sentence. It picks up where Pimsleur leaves off, and it is what we would use after lesson 30. See the JADI Indonesian course.
4. Real listening. The JADI podcast is free and has Indonesian and English captions, so Pimsleur's slow, clear audio has somewhere to go next.
For how the other apps compare, see our best apps to learn Indonesian.
FAQ
How many levels does Pimsleur Indonesian have?
One. Level 1 has 30 lessons of about 30 minutes, around 15 hours in total. Pimsleur's major languages have five levels; Indonesian has not been extended.
What level does Pimsleur Indonesian get you to?
Survival level: greetings, introductions, directions, ordering and simple questions, spoken with a good accent. On the CEFR scale that is early A1.
Does Pimsleur teach formal or informal Indonesian?
Formal, standard Indonesian: tidak, sudah, saya. Everyday speech uses nggak, udah, aku, which the course does not cover.
How much does Pimsleur Indonesian cost?
At the time of writing, about $15 a month by subscription or about $120 to buy the level outright, with the first lesson free. Prices vary by country, so check Pimsleur's site.
Is Pimsleur good for Indonesian pronunciation?
Yes. It is the best of the apps on our list for accent and rhythm, because every minute is spent listening and repeating native audio.
What should I do after finishing Pimsleur Indonesian?
Add reading, grammar and the spoken forms, and move to a course that continues past beginner level. The JADI course is built for exactly that step.
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