Dutch was the language used by colonizers for centuries in theIndonesian Archipelago, both when it was still colonized or partially colonized by theNetherlands. This language was the official language in theDutch East Indies until World War II, as well as inDutch New Guinea until thetransfer of Western New Guinea to Indonesia in1963.
The general use of Dutch in Indonesia only started at the end of the colonial period. During theDutch East India Company (VOC) period, Dutch was hardly used, and many regions actually usedLow Malay as alingua franca and language of trade.[1] People who could speak Dutch had more rights. Only natives who could speak Dutch were allowed to wear hats, and native women were only allowed to marry Europeans if they could speak Dutch.[2] Dutch schools were established in Ambon andBatavia. However, not everyone could attend these schools: there were very few of them, and they were usually only accessible to the elite and aristocracy. At school people spoke Dutch, but at home they often spokeMalay orJavanese.
In 1641, the Dutch colonial fleet took control ofMalacca after seizing it from thePortuguese, making it an important port in the East Indies trade network. Until 1795, Malacca wasoccupied by the Dutch East India Company (VOC).[3] As a result, the Dutch language also influenced the Portuguese-based creole language that developed there, known asKristang, which later also evolved into theMardijker Creole in Batavia.[4]
The people of Ambon andMinahasa were known for their loyalty to the Dutch colonizers, with most of the men joining theRoyal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL) and also adopting Dutch lifestyles and language. This legacy continued, and by the time ofIndonesia's independence, these two ethnic groups were the most fluent—or at least somewhat able to speak Dutch—compared to other indigenous ethnic groups. Many of their communities now form a largeMoluccan diaspora in the Netherlands, particularly from the Ambonese and other Maluku peoples.[5]
Malay, like Dutch, became increasingly significant in the Dutch East Indies. However, beyond its role as a regional language, Malay was also widely used in British territories such asMalaya,Singapore, andBrunei, where it functioned as alingua franca.[6] Since the 20th century, the Dutch language gained formal recognition in Indonesia, and many Indonesians with Dutch ancestry continue to use it among family and friends. In 1942, following theJapanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies, the use of Dutch was banned, with only native Asian languages—such as Malay andJapanese—permitted for official and daily use.
After Indonesia'sindependence in 1945, which was formally recognized by the Netherlands in 1949, Dutch remained in use for an extended period, particularly among those with historical ties to the Netherlands. In some regions, Dutch proficiency continued to be regarded as a marker of a good education. Despite stronganti-Dutch sentiments following thepolice actions (agresi militer I danII) and theBersiap period, many Indonesians continued to respect the Dutch language.Sukarno, Indonesia’s first president and proclaimer of independence, regularly spoke Dutch and read Dutch books annually. The Dutch language persisted in the region, partly because the Netherlands retained control of its colony,Netherlands New Guinea (Nugini Belanda), after 1949. Sukarno claimed that the territory rightfully belonged to Indonesia and engaged in prolonged negotiations with the Dutch over its status. Meanwhile, through colonial schools in Netherlands New Guinea, manyindigenous Papuans were also introduced to the Dutch language, contributing to its continued presence in the region.
In Indonesia, individuals of Dutch orientation, mixedDutch-Indonesian heritage, or those with past romantic ties to the Dutch were sometimes referred to by the derogatory termLondo Ireng. This term originates from Javanese, whereLondo means Dutch andIreng means black. The term is associated with "Belanda Hitam" (Black Dutch), a designation historically used in Indonesia to describe individuals whose parents or grandparents had aligned with the Dutch colonial administration. The phrase carried negative connotations and was often used in a discriminatory or pejorative context.[7]
FollowingIndonesia's independence, the use of Dutch did not immediately disappear. Dutch remains a source language in Indonesia, and certain documents in Dutch have retained theirofficial status as government records.[8] Historically, Dutch also functioned as alanguage of trade in Indonesia. However, in modern times,English has become far more significant in this domain.[9] Fluency in Dutch today is primarily limited to elderly individuals and a portion of their younger relatives, particularly in major cities inJava,Minahasa,Maluku, and Papua.
Since 1971,Universitas Indonesia (UI) in Jakarta has been the only university in Indonesia with a Dutch Language Department. Interest in studying Dutch is driven by its historical influence onIndonesian law, as the country's legal system is partially based onDutch law, and many colonial-era texts remain relevant. Additionally, historical, linguistic, philological, and medical sources from earlier periods are often written in Dutch, making proficiency in the language valuable for research. Vocational education institutions offering Dutch language courses can also be found in cities such asSemarang,Bandung,Surabaya, andYogyakarta. These institutions often cater to a broader audience, including younger generations who wish to learn Dutch to understand their grandparents' language, study Indonesian history, or pursue tourism-related careers, such as becoming tour guides. Alongside English,Arabic, Japanese, andMandarin, Dutch remains a popular language of study in Indonesia. Each year, more than 10,000 Indonesians enroll in Dutch language programs offered by schools and private courses.[10]
FollowingIndonesia's independence, the use of Dutch did not immediately disappear. Dutch remains a source language in Indonesia, and certain documents in Dutch have retained theirofficial status as government records.[8] Historically, Dutch also functioned as alanguage of trade in Indonesia. However, in modern times,English has become far more significant in this domain.[9] Fluency in Dutch today is primarily limited to elderly individuals and a portion of their younger relatives, particularly in major cities onJava,Minahasa,Maluku, andWestern New Guinea (due to the Netherlands' presence in New Guinea until1963), who learned the language in school and still use it with each other, at reunions, or with foreigners. In Papua, the continued presence of Dutch speakers is attributed to the Netherlands' administration of the region until 1963. Those proficient in Dutch typically learned the language in school and still use it in conversations with one another, at reunions, or when interacting with foreigners. Dutch remains an important language in some areas, such asDepok (the old city), Ambon, andManado. In major cities across Indonesia, Dutch is primarily spoken byIndo-European communities and, to a lesser extent, by Western-orientedChinese minorities in cities such as Bandung, Malang, Semarang, Surabaya, and parts of Jakarta, where it is still occasionally used.[11]
Since 1971,Universitas Indonesia (UI) inDepok has been the only university in Indonesia with a Dutch Language Department. Interest in studying Dutch is driven by its historical influence onIndonesian law, as the country's legal system is partially based onDutch law, and many colonial-era texts remain relevant. Additionally, historical, linguistic, philological, and medical sources from earlier periods are often written in Dutch, making proficiency in the language valuable for research. Vocational education institutions offering Dutch language courses can also be found in cities such asSemarang,Bandung,Surabaya, andYogyakarta. These institutions often cater to a broader audience, including younger generations who wish to learn Dutch to understand their grandparents' language, study Indonesian history, or pursue tourism-related careers, such as becoming tour guides. Alongside English,Arabic, Japanese, andMandarin, Dutch remains a popular language of study in Indonesia. Each year, more than 10,000 Indonesians enroll in Dutch language programs offered by schools and private courses.[10]
The number of speakers was around 500,000 in1984.[12] Most of the speakers were elderly people who still had memories of the Dutch language. This number is speculative, and it is difficult to estimate—these speakers were a minority that could be ignored in a population of over 130 million people at that time. However, looking back further, especially at the early years ofWorld War II in the1940s, the number of speakers was not much different. Out of 400,000 people fluent in Dutch, most of them were of mixed descent or of Dutch origin, with another 200,000 possibly having at least some knowledge or being able to speak a little Dutch.[12]
The Dutch language has also had a significant influence and contributed a large number of vocabulary words to Indonesian, Javanese, and other languages in Indonesia. Approximately 10,000 Dutch words have been absorbed into Indonesian, such as:[14]
However, some of these words are no longer in use. For example,hutspot is no longer common, andsigaret has largely been replaced byrokok. The latter word essentially originates from the Dutch wordroken, which means "to smoke."
There are also words that are written differently but are often pronounced the same:
After Indonesia's independence, some of these loan words were deliberately changed to suit Indonesian pronunciation. For example,universitet andkwalitet were replaced withuniversitas andkualitas, which slightly reduced the Dutch character.
Other words appear to come from Dutch. For example, here are the Dutch equivalents:
However, many of the words mentioned above are also loanwords into Dutch from other languages, such asFrench.
On the other hand, Dutch andAfrikaans also have words borrowed from Indonesian/Malay. Some of them are related to dishes:
Other vocabulary includes, for example:
Some words in Afrikaans also come from Malay.
There are severalDutch-based creole languages, most of which are currently spoken by migrants to the Netherlands, and are slowly but surely dying out as the first generation of Indo-Dutch people disappears, such as thePetjo andJavindo languages that were originally spoken in Java.