Indonesia Fun Fact

When someone says yes, does he or she mean yes or no. Indonesia is a gracious culture that is polite. Wanting to be agreeable and never wanting to embarrass another, the native language Bahasa Indonesia has 12 words that "say yes but really mean no. Unless you are fluent in Bahasa Indonesia, using English or another language will not convey the correct message. Even with a correct translation, though the literal translation for these 12 words would be yes, the culture requires a polite, agreeable response. Since saying no to someone is impolite, don't assume a positive response means you have agreement.