ya, tolong
/ˈja ˈtɔlɔŋ/word by word
The English phrase "yes, please" is translated into Indonesian as ya, tolong.
ya, tolong is used as a polite way to accept an offer or to request something.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈja ˈtɔlɔŋ/
Did you know?
- The word ya appears in the Laguna Copperplate Inscription, which dates back to 900 AD, making it one of the oldest recorded words in the region.
- Because tolong means 'help', using it in the wrong context might sound like you are in an emergency rather than just being polite.
- The word tolong is a cognate of the Tagalog word tulong, showing a shared linguistic root across the Philippine and Indonesian archipelagos.
Example conversation
Budi offers to help Indah with her bags.
- IndahMau saya bantu bawa tasnya?Do you want me to help carry the bags?
- IndahYa, tolong bawa yang ini.Yes, please carry this one.
- IndahTentu, berikan saja pada saya.Sure, just give it to me.
- IndahTerima kasih banyak, Budi.Thank you very much, Budi.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (ya, tolong) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tolong, ya, CC BY-SA 4.0.
