Indonesian · C1 · Unit 4
Diplomacy
Diplomasi
By the end you can
- Give bad news tactfully
- Disagree and criticise diplomatically
- Understand what indirect language really means
Words and phrases
| Indonesian | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| dengan berat hati | with regret, reluctantly | Dengan berat hati kami sampaikan bahwa proyek ini akan terlambat. |
| mohon pengertiannya | we ask for your understanding | Atas keterlambatan ini, kami mohon pengertiannya. |
| kurang tepat | not quite right (a soft 'wrong') | Mungkin istilah itu kurang tepat. |
| akan kami pertimbangkan | we'll consider it (often a polite no) | Usulan Bapak akan kami pertimbangkan. |
| mungkin ada baiknya | it might be worth | Mungkin ada baiknya kita tinjau ulang jadwalnya. |
| di luar kendali kami | beyond our control | Keterlambatan ini di luar kendali kami. |
| kami sangat memahami | we fully understand | Kami sangat memahami kekecewaan Ibu. |
| secara halus | tactfully, gently | Kritik itu bisa disampaikan secara halus. |
| ewuh pakewuh | reluctance to contradict someone senior (from Javanese) | Karena ewuh pakewuh, tidak ada yang berani mengkritik direktur. |
| iya, nanti | yes, later (often means no) | Kalau dia bilang “iya, nanti”, belum tentu jadi. |
| menjaga perasaan | spare someone's feelings | Dia selalu menjaga perasaan orang lain. |
| sebagai jalan keluar | as a way forward | Sebagai jalan keluar, kami tawarkan potongan harga. |
Then talk it through
Telling a client their project will be late. In the app you have this conversation out loud or typed, with the unit's goals to tick off and corrections at the end.