How to Answer 'Apa Kabar?' Like a Local (Hint: Not 'Baik')

You learned the phrase in lesson one. Someone says "Apa kabar?" and you say "Baik, terima kasih." Fine, thank you.

Clean. Polite. Perfectly grammatical.

And the Indonesian person across from you? They're smiling, but inside they're thinking.. this person learned from a textbook.

Because nobody actually says that. Not really. Not in the way your course taught you.

What people actually say

Let's break down the real responses you'll hear on the street, at the warung, or in a WhatsApp voice note from your Indonesian friend.

"Baik-baik aja" - Just fine. This is the chill, everyday version. It's got that casual aja (just) tacked on, which softens everything. Think of it as the difference between "I'm well, thank you" and "yeah I'm good."

"Luar biasa!" - Amazing! This one is huge. And textbooks never teach it. 🤯

Seriously. "Luar biasa" is the go-to enthusiastic response across Indonesia. Your boss says it. Your Gojek driver says it. The guy selling nasi goreng at 2am says it. It literally means "extraordinary" but people use it the way Americans say "great!" without really thinking about it.

If you want to instantly sound less like a textbook and more like a person, try "Luar biasa" next time someone asks how you're doing. Watch their face light up.

"Alhamdulillah" - Thank God. You'll hear this constantly. From everyone. Religious or not, Muslim or not. It's become a cultural response more than a strictly religious one. It carries this feeling of gratitude, of things are okay and I'm not going to complain about it.

"Biasa aja" - Nothing special. Just normal. A little flat, a little honest. Very common.

"Gitu-gitu aja" - Same old same old. When nothing has changed and you're not pretending otherwise. There's something kind of beautiful about a language that has a dedicated phrase for my life is exactly the same as last time you asked. 🙈

"Lumayan" - Not bad. This is the Indonesian "can't complain." Versatile. Works for how you're feeling, how your food tastes, how your day went. Learn this word. Use it constantly.

"Capek!" - Tired! This one surprised me. Among friends, just straight-up saying "tired!" is a totally normal answer. No sugar-coating. No "I'm fine but a little tired." Just.. capek. Indonesians can be refreshingly blunt with people they're comfortable around. 😬

The real secret: they might skip the question entirely

Here's what took me the longest to figure out. Among close friends, "Apa kabar?" often doesn't happen at all.

People just.. start talking.

Or they'll hit you with "Gimana?" (how's it going?) which is way more casual. Or "Ngapain?" (whatcha doing?) which isn't even asking how you are. It's asking what you're up to. Different vibe entirely.

"Apa kabar?" is actually kind of formal. It's what you say to someone you haven't seen in a while, or someone you're not super close with. If an Indonesian friend greets you with "Apa kabar?" every single time, you might still be in the polite zone.

But when they start hitting you with "Gimana?" or just launch straight into a story? You're in.

Try it this week

Next time someone asks "Apa kabar?" - whether it's your tutor, your language partner, or someone in Jakarta - skip the "Baik, terima kasih." Try a "Luar biasa!" or an honest "Lumayan" or even a tired "Capek!" and see how they react.

What's your go-to response when someone asks how you're doing in Indonesian?