Sasak: The language of Lombok

Lombok has its own languange called Sasak. The Sasaks are the people of Lombok, and speak Bahasa Indonesia as well as their local language.

Travelling in Lombok, you can communicate okay using Indonesian, and probably will never use Sasak, but here are some simple phrases.

•Where are you going (the most common greeting) – Ojok um bay?
•Just walking – Lampat-lampat
•I’m going to Senggigi – Senggigi wah mo ojok um bay
•Where is? – Um bay tao??
•How are you? – Berem bay khabar?
•I’m fine – Bagus / solah
•And you? – Berem bay seeda?
•How many children do you have? – Pira kanak de?
•See you – Yak la low
•No problem – Nday kambay kambay

The numbers have a similarity to Bahasa Indonesia:
•0 – Ndarak
•1 – Skek
•2 – Dua
•3 – Telu
•4 – Empat
•5 – Lima
•6 – Enam
•7 – Pitook
•8 – Baluk
•9 – Siwak
•10 – Sepulu

Sasak people are Muslim and therefore don’t eat pork. There’s no babi guling or lawar here. Sasak favourites include:

•Ayam taliwang – fried or grilled chicken with chili sauce.
•Geroan Ayam – chicken liver
•Lapis – Rice flour coconut milk and sugar dessert wrapped in a banana leaf.
•Cerorot – Rice flour, palm sugar and coconut milk dessert wrapped in a cone shape.
•Kelor – vegetable soup
•Hati – liver
•Beberuk – Raw eggplant and chili sauce
•Gule lemak – chicken curry
•Sayur Nanagka – young jackfruit curry
•Satay pusat – minced beef and coconut satay
•Olah olah – beans in coconut milk