Everyday Conversations
Master the art of Everyday Conversations
Module 2: Everyday Conversations
Skill 3: Talking About Jobs and Occupations
Jobs and occupations are another common small talk topic. In Indonesian, the sentence structure is simple and doesn't require a verb like "to be" when stating a profession.
In this lesson, you will learn:
- How to ask about someone's job.
- How to talk about your occupation.
- Common job-related vocabulary in both formal and informal contexts.
1. Key Vocabulary
| Indonesian | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Apa pekerjaan Anda? | What is your job? | Formal |
| Apa pekerjaanmu? | What is your job? | Informal |
| Anda bekerja di mana? | Where do you work? | Formal |
| Kamu kerja di mana? | Where do you work? | Informal |
| Saya … | I am … | No "am/is" in Indonesian |
| Bekerja | To work | Verb |
| Kantor | Office | Common workplace term |
| Guru | Teacher | Profession |
| Dokter | Doctor | Profession |
| Pegawai | Employee | General |
| Pengusaha | Businessperson | Formal |
| Mahasiswa | University student | Academic status |
| Polisi | Police officer | Profession |
2. Examples & Mini Dialogues
Dialogue 1 – Formal
A: Apa pekerjaan Anda, Pak?
B: Saya dokter.
A: Anda bekerja di rumah sakit mana?
B: Di Rumah Sakit Siloam.
Dialogue 2 – Informal
A: Kamu kerja di mana?
B: Aku kerja di kantor pusat.
Dialogue 3 – Talking about being a student
A: Apa pekerjaanmu?
B: Saya mahasiswa di Universitas Indonesia.
3. Practice
A. Fill in the blanks:
- Apa ______ Anda? (What is your job?)
- Saya ______ di sekolah. (I work at a school)
- Dia ______ polisi. (He is a police officer)
B. Translate to Indonesian:
- Where do you work? (informal)
- I am a businessperson.
- She works at the hospital.
4. Answer Key & Explanation
A. Fill in the blanks
- pekerjaan
- bekerja
- adalah / – (no verb needed, both acceptable)
B. Translation
- Kamu kerja di mana?
- Saya pengusaha.
- Dia bekerja di rumah sakit.
Explanation:
- Indonesian doesn't always use adalah (is/are) for jobs; simply saying Saya guru is correct.
- Use di to indicate the workplace location.
- Anda is formal, kamu is informal.