Bahasa jawa

[Travellingchez]

Similar to bad azz request about b.sunda I'm looking for anything for learning Bahasa Jawa as I've moved to central java. Never found the need for it in Jakarta. Just want to learn a few of the basics, as I can already converse and understand bahasa indonesia very well , but all these bloody random Javanese words that are getting thrown in that I dont understand I know will start doing my head in (I hate not understanding). So any beginner Javanese books?

 

[El_Goretto]

Check out www.gospeaky.com! More info on this thread on how to learn Sundanese and Javanese.

 

[Alia]

Alon alon asal kelakon, mbak TC ..

I bet you'll find many of this slogan in the back of angkots in Smg ...

 

[Travellingchez]

Alon alon asal kelakon, mbak TC ..

I bet you'll find many of this slogan in the back of angkots in Smg ...

Which means what exactly?

 

[Alia]

Which means what exactly?

Something like : Doing it slowly but sure ...

I saw many angkots have this in their back windows as answer for those in the back who keep honking them. They can be really annoying with their slow speed !

 

[Travellingchez]

Something like : Doing it slowly but sure ...

I saw many angkots have this in their back windows as answer for those in the back who keep honking them. They can be really annoying with their slow speed !

I'll make sure I'll beep them more then ;p

 

[Nimbus]

Which means what exactly?

It's a very popular (and often abused) Javanese saying that literally means "slow but done". Apparently if you slow down you're bound to get it done right, which is often true but not always.

Public transport cars in Indo only have two speeds: maddeningly slow and frighteningly fast.

 

[Mas Mana]

If you are looking for a book on learning Javanese for English speakers, you might try getting a copy of Ward Keeler "Javanese - A Cultural Approach" (1984). As the title suggests, it is far more than the few basic words that you are looking for, giving detailed cultural backgrounds for the vocabulary and dialogues used in every chapter.
I also like it for giving all dialogues in two parallel versions, once in kromo and once in ngoko.

Some university libraries in Central Java should have it (like UGM in Yogya) - at least that is where my copy came from about 15 years ago.
While I gave up on learning Javanese after about 8 weeks or so back then, I still have a look at it every once in a while when "something Javanese" comes up in my work with bahasa Indonesia. It is definitely more than you are asking for above, but what you need should be in there if you can locate a copy.