Practice a Indonesian Business Meeting
Business meetings in Indonesian require precision: agreeing, disagreeing, summarising, and proposing next steps without coming across too aggressive or too vague. This scenario rehearses the meeting verbs ('I propose', 'I disagree respectfully', 'Let's circle back', 'Action item:'), and the polite-but-firm register most Indonesian-speaking corporate cultures expect. You'll practise turn-taking, interrupting tactfully, and closing a meeting with clear ownership of next steps. By the end, you'll contribute meaningfully in a Indonesian meeting instead of staying silent.
Sample Indonesian conversation
Selamat pagi, semuanya. Mari kita mulai. Agenda pertama adalah hasil triwulan. Mau memulai?
Good morning, everyone. Let's get started. The first item on the agenda is the quarterly results. Would you like to begin?Tentu. Saya sudah siapkan ringkasan angka-angka utamanya.
Of course. I've prepared a summary of the key figures.Terima kasih atas ringkasannya. Pendapatan naik 12% kuartal ini. Menurut Anda apa yang berkontribusi pada pertumbuhan ini?
Thank you for the overview. Revenue is up 12% this quarter. What do you think contributed to this growth?Kita mendapatkan tiga klien besar baru kuartal ini.
We signed three new major clients this quarter.Bagus sekali. Apa target kuartal depan? Ada strategi baru yang perlu dipertimbangkan?
Excellent. What are the goals for next quarter? Any new strategies we should consider?Saya mengusulkan kita ekspansi ke dua pasar baru.
I propose we expand into two new markets.
What you'll learn
- Open and close a meeting with the right etiquette
- Agree, disagree, and propose alternatives politely
- Interrupt without being rude
- Summarise discussion and assign action items
- Take notes in Indonesian and follow up
Frequently asked questions
How do I disagree politely in a Indonesian meeting?
Use the formula 'I see your point, but I'd suggest…' — softer than the bare 'I disagree'. The scenario rehearses several variants.
What's the Indonesian for 'action item' or 'next steps'?
There's a specific business term in Indonesian — increasingly an English loanword in some countries. We include both forms.
How formal is Indonesian in business meetings?
Quite formal — formal 'you', complete sentences, avoid slang. The scenario uses corporate register throughout.
How do I close a Indonesian meeting cleanly?
Summarise decisions, assign owners, set a follow-up date. The scenario teaches the closing phrases for each step.