This is pretty much the best cheap, pocket-sized Indonesian dictionary you can find. Given the size, you obviously can't expect it to be truly comprehensive or to give exhaustive advice on when to use certain words or how to pronounce them (luckily, Indonesian is almost completely phonetically written so this is not a major issue), but it will give you the most reliable translation of most words you will need. It is also very accurate, free of the errors that abound in most of the cheap, locally published dictionaries you would find in Indonesia itself. I would definitely recommend it to travellers, though of course "serious" language learners will also need to have heavier dictionaries they would probably never lug around the archipelago. In fact I can share a tip with those headed for Indonesia: local editions of this dictionary (recognizable by having the same authors, a tiny size and a red plastic cover - also by checking the scanned image of it uploaded here) are readily available in Gramedia bookstores in major cities of Indonesia for a fraction of the price overseas.
great value, perfect size
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 22 years ago
I've been making fairly heavy use of this dictionary and find it indispensible. While there are some words missing (the most surprising being "tanpa", without!), it's quite complete for its size and price. You do need to know the root form of verbs to look some of them up, which requires a little knowledge of the language, but all in all it's a great buy.
ThriftBooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. We personally assess every book's quality and offer rare, out-of-print treasures. We deliver the joy of reading in recyclable packaging with free standard shipping on US orders over $15. ThriftBooks.com. Read more. Spend less.