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What do you think about connecting words?
Just like in the English language, connecting words or conjunctions are so important in sentences because they help combining two words, phrases, clauses, or even sentences. They can simplify a text to make it easier to read and understand as well as help readers connect cause and effect in a story or conversation.
Indonesian Connecting Words
To start, here are some basic Indonesian connecting words.
- Dan : and
- Atau : or
- Dengan / sama : with
- Tetapi (tapi) : but
- Juga : also
- Ini : this
- Itu : that
- Sini : here
- Situ : there
- Banyak : a lot
- Sedikit : few
- Mungkin : maybe
- Semua : all
- Lebih : more
- Kurang : less
- Nanti : after
- Kemarin : yesterday
- Besok : tomorrow
- Masih : still
- Belum : not yet
- Kalau : if
Read more explanation about Indonesian conjunctions.
Indonesian Connecting Words Explanations
Let’s check out some examples for the most widely used Indonesian connecting words.
1. Dan – And
Saya dan Budi makan roti dan pisang-pisang – Budi and I eat bread and bananas
2. Atau – Or
- Kamu suka yang biru atau yang kuning? – Do you like the blue one or the yellow one?
3. Tapi – But
- Tapi: Dia mau makan, tapi harus roti – S/he wants to eat, but it has to be bread
- Tetapi: Dia mau makan, tetapi Anna tidak mau – S/he wants to eat, but Anna doesn’t want to
- Akan tetapi: Dia mau makan, akan tetapi ia tidak punya uang untuk makan – S/he wants to eat, but s/he doesn’t have money for eating.
Learn more about Indonesian verbs other than makan.
4. Kalau / Jika – If / When
- Kalau kamu mau makan, makanlah – If you want to eat, go ahead and eat
- Kalau sudah selesai makan, bereskanlah – When you finished eating, clean it up
The words Kalau and Jika can be used interchangeably
5. Karena – Because
- Ia tidak masuk kerja karena sakit – S/he doesn’t come for work because s/he is sick
6. Walau / Walaupun – Although / Even Though
- Walaupun makanmu banyak, kamu tetap kurus – Even though you eat a lot, you’re still thin
- Walau malam telah larut, Joni masih mencari makan keluar – Although it was late at night, Joni still went out to look for food
7. Meski / Meskipun – Although
This has the same meaning and usage with walau and walaupun.
8. Juga – Also
- Saya juga mau makan di kantin – I also want to eat at the canteen.
9. Bahkan – Even/Even more so
- Ia bahkan pergi tanpa sempat makan – S/he is even went out without having a meal first
10. Jadi / Maka – So/Therefore
- Jadi, setelah ini kita mau makan kemana? – So, where do we want to eat after this?
- Saya makan maka saya kenyang – I ate therefore I’m full
- Makanan disini murah, maka dari itu pengunjungnya banyak – The food here is cheap, therefore it has a lot of visitors
The phrase maka dari itu is very often used to mean therefore.
11. Sehingga – And so / Resulting that
- Makanku empat kali sehari, sehingga pengeluaranku bertambah – I eat four times a day, as a result my expenses have increased.
12. Supaya – So that
- Mari pulang sekarang, supaya tidak kena macet – Let’s go home now so we don’t get caught up in traffic jam.
13. Agar – So that / In order to
Synonymous with supaya.
14. Hanya – Only
Silakan makan sepuasnya, hanya jangan dibawa pulang – Please eat all you can, only don’t bring any home
15. Saja – Only / Just
Synonymous with hanya. However, if both are being used together as one phrase (i.e. in hanya saja), it means however, or rather “the catch is”.
16. Lagi – Again
- Kami pergi makan di tempat yang sama lagi – We are going to eat at the same place again
If it is used in the front of the sentence, we should use the phrase sekali lagi or lagi-lagi to mean again, or rather one more time.
- Sekali lagi, mereka makan di restoran Italia yang sama itu – Once again, they eat at the same Italian restaurant
17. Lagipula – Moreover
- Sayangnya saya tidak bisa makan lagi, lagipula makanannya sudah habis semua – It’s a pity that I can eat no more, moreover, the food is all gone already
Hopefully this article helps you to understand about Indonesian connecting words! Also learn about: