Ngoko vs Krama in Real Life—What to Say to Grandma vs Friends

Ngoko vs Krama Javanese speech levels illustration.

By Ky Tutur, Javanese Culturalist • Last Updated: 2025-09-26 If you’re learning Javanese, you’ll quickly discover a fascinating challenge: it’s not just about what you say, but how you say it. The same simple question, “Are you hungry?” can be said in two completely different ways depending on whether you’re talking to your best friend… Baca selengkapnya: Ngoko vs Krama in Real Life—What to Say to Grandma vs Friends