Conjunction 'Sehingga'
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'sehingga' to link a cause to its direct result, showing that one event naturally led to another.
- Place 'sehingga' between the cause and the result (e.g., Dia sakit sehingga tidak masuk).
- Never start a sentence with 'sehingga' in formal writing; use 'Oleh karena itu' instead.
- Ensure the second clause is a factual consequence, not just a purpose or intent.
Meanings
A subordinating conjunction used to connect two clauses where the second clause is the result or consequence of the first clause.
Direct Consequence
Expressing a result that follows logically or physically from an action.
“Dia belajar keras sehingga lulus ujian.”
“Lampu mati sehingga kami tidak bisa membaca.”
Extent or Degree
Showing that an action reached a certain point or intensity that caused a result.
“Dia tertawa terbahak-bahak sehingga perutnya sakit.”
“Suaranya sangat keras sehingga terdengar sampai luar.”
Narrative Transition
Used in storytelling to move from one event to its immediate outcome.
“Pangeran itu datang sehingga suasana menjadi ramai.”
“Matahari terbit sehingga kegelapan pun hilang.”
Sentence Structure with 'Sehingga'
| Clause 1 (Cause) | Conjunction | Clause 2 (Result) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dia rajin belajar | sehingga | dia pintar | He studies diligently, so he is smart. |
| Hujan deras | sehingga | banjir | It rained heavily, so it flooded. |
| Saya capek | sehingga | ingin tidur | I am tired, so I want to sleep. |
| Makanannya enak | sehingga | habis | The food was delicious, so it's gone. |
| Dia marah | sehingga | pergi | He was angry, so he left. |
| Mobilnya rusak | sehingga | mogok | The car is broken, so it stalled. |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Cause + sehingga + Result | Dia lapar sehingga makan. |
| Negative Cause | Tidak + Cause + sehingga + Result | Dia tidak makan sehingga lemas. |
| Negative Result | Cause + sehingga + tidak + Result | Dia sibuk sehingga tidak datang. |
| With Adjectives | Sangat + Adj + sehingga + Result | Sangat panas sehingga es cair. |
| With 'Begitu' | Begitu + Adj + sehingga + Result | Begitu indah sehingga terpesona. |
| Formal | Clause A, sehingga Clause B | Data valid, sehingga hasil akurat. |
| Informal | Clause A sehingga Clause B (no comma) | Aku telat sehingga ditinggal. |
Formalitätsspektrum
Jalanan tergenang air sehingga saya tidak dapat hadir. (excuse for absence)
Jalanan banjir sehingga saya tidak bisa datang. (excuse for absence)
Jalanan banjir, jadi aku nggak bisa dateng. (excuse for absence)
Banjir nih, ampe nggak bisa cabut. (excuse for absence)
The Result Bridge
Cause (Sebab)
- Hujan Rain
- Lapar Hungry
Result (Akibat)
- Basah Wet
- Makan Eat
Result vs. Purpose
When to use 'sehingga'?
Is it a result?
Is it a reason?
Is it a purpose?
Common Result Scenarios
Weather
- • Banjir
- • Basah
- • Dingin
Health
- • Sakit
- • Lemas
- • Sembuh
Work
- • Sukses
- • Lelah
- • Terlambat
Examples by Level
Saya sakit sehingga tidak sekolah.
I am sick, so I am not going to school.
Dia lapar sehingga dia makan.
He is hungry, so he eats.
Hari hujan sehingga saya bawa payung.
It is raining, so I bring an umbrella.
Lampu mati sehingga gelap.
The light is off, so it is dark.
Dia lari sehingga capek.
He ran, so he is tired.
Jalanan macet sehingga saya terlambat.
The road was congested, so I was late.
Dia belajar rajin sehingga naik kelas.
She studied hard, so she moved up a grade.
Kopi ini pahit sehingga saya tambah gula.
This coffee is bitter, so I added sugar.
Dompetnya hilang sehingga dia sedih.
His wallet was lost, so he is sad.
Toko itu tutup sehingga kami pergi ke mall.
That shop was closed, so we went to the mall.
Perusahaan itu bangkrut sehingga banyak karyawan di-PHK.
The company went bankrupt, so many employees were laid off.
Dia bicara terlalu cepat sehingga saya tidak mengerti.
He spoke too fast, so I didn't understand.
Harga tiket naik sehingga kami batal liburan.
Ticket prices rose, so we cancelled our vacation.
Internetnya lambat sehingga video ini tidak bisa diputar.
The internet is slow, so this video cannot be played.
Dia lupa membawa kunci sehingga harus menunggu di luar.
He forgot to bring the key, so he had to wait outside.
Pemerintah mengubah kebijakan sehingga masyarakat merasa bingung.
The government changed the policy, so the public feels confused.
Data tersebut tidak valid sehingga penelitian harus diulang.
The data was invalid, so the research must be repeated.
Dia bekerja lembur setiap hari sehingga kesehatannya menurun.
He works overtime every day, so his health is declining.
Hutan ditebang secara liar sehingga terjadi bencana banjir.
Forests were cleared illegally, so flood disasters occurred.
Sistem keamanan diretas sehingga data pengguna bocor.
The security system was hacked, so user data was leaked.
Karya sastranya begitu mendalam sehingga menggugah perasaan pembaca.
His literary work is so profound that it evokes the readers' emotions.
Inflasi meningkat tajam sehingga daya beli masyarakat melemah.
Inflation rose sharply, so the public's purchasing power weakened.
Argumentasinya sangat logis sehingga sulit untuk dibantah.
His argumentation was very logical, so it was difficult to refute.
Fenomena ini terjadi secara alami sehingga tidak perlu dikhawatirkan.
This phenomenon occurs naturally, so there is no need to worry.
Struktur organisasinya sangat kaku sehingga menghambat inovasi.
The organizational structure is very rigid, so it hinders innovation.
Paradigma berpikirnya telah bergeser sehingga ia melihat dunia dengan cara berbeda.
His thinking paradigm has shifted, so he sees the world in a different way.
Ketimpangan sosial semakin lebar sehingga memicu gejolak di berbagai daerah.
Social inequality is widening, so it triggers unrest in various regions.
Evolusi bahasa terjadi secara perlahan sehingga sering kali tidak disadari.
Language evolution occurs slowly, so it is often not realized.
Visi pemimpin itu sangat visioner sehingga melampaui zamannya.
The leader's vision was so visionary that it surpassed his era.
Kompleksitas masalah ini sangat tinggi sehingga memerlukan solusi multidimensi.
The complexity of this problem is very high, so it requires a multidimensional solution.
Easily Confused
Both can be translated as 'so that' in English, but one is result and one is purpose.
They are two sides of the same coin (Cause vs. Result).
Both show results, but 'maka' is more formal or used in 'if-then' logic.
Häufige Fehler
Sehingga saya lapar, saya makan.
Saya lapar sehingga saya makan.
Saya makan sehingga kenyang.
Saya makan supaya kenyang.
Dia sakit sehingga.
Dia sakit sehingga tidak masuk.
Hujan sehingga basah.
Hari hujan sehingga saya basah.
Dia sangat marah sehingga.
Dia sangat marah sehingga dia pergi.
Saya belajar sehingga pintar.
Saya belajar supaya pintar.
Macet. Sehingga telat.
Macet sehingga telat.
Dia bekerja keras sehingga dia bisa kaya.
Dia bekerja keras supaya dia bisa kaya.
Sehingga terjadi banjir, hujan turun.
Hujan turun sehingga terjadi banjir.
Dia begitu lelah sehingga tidak bisa tidur.
Dia begitu lelah sehingga tidak bisa tidur.
Kebijakan itu dibuat sehingga rakyat makmur.
Kebijakan itu dibuat agar rakyat makmur.
Sehingga demikian, kita harus pergi.
Oleh karena itu, kita harus pergi.
Dia sangat pintar sehingga-nya lulus.
Dia sangat pintar sehingga lulus.
Sentence Patterns
Saya ___ sehingga ___.
Hari ini ___ sehingga saya ___.
Dia sangat ___ sehingga ___.
Karena ___, ___ sehingga ___.
Real World Usage
Gempa bumi terjadi sehingga warga mengungsi.
Aku ketiduran sehingga lupa balas chat.
Saya rajin sehingga pekerjaan selalu selesai tepat waktu.
Saya telat makan sehingga maag saya kambuh.
Awan tebal menyelimuti kota sehingga jarak pandang terbatas.
Kuenya enak banget sehingga mau nambah lagi.
Variabel X berpengaruh terhadap Y sehingga hipotesis diterima.
The Comma Rule
Don't Start Sentences
Pair with 'Begitu'
Sampai vs Sehingga
Smart Tips
Ask yourself: Is this a goal (purpose) or a result? If it's a result, use 'sehingga'.
Use a comma before 'sehingga' to make your complex sentences easier to read.
Expect 'sehingga' to follow later in the sentence to complete the 'so... that' structure.
Replace 'sehingga' with 'sampai' or 'jadi' to sound more like a local.
Aussprache
Stress on the second syllable
In 'se-HING-ga', the stress is lightly on the 'hing'.
The 'ng' sound
The 'ng' is a single nasal sound, like in 'sing'.
The 'h' is voiced
Unlike some Indonesian words where 'h' is silent, in 'sehingga', the 'h' should be clearly heard.
Rising-Falling
Hujan deras (rise) sehingga (neutral) banjir (fall).
Standard declarative sentence showing cause and effect.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
S-E-H-I-N-G-G-A: 'So Every Happening Is Now Greatly Generating Action.'
Visual Association
Imagine a bridge connecting two islands. Island A is the 'Cause' (a storm) and Island B is the 'Result' (a puddle). The bridge is labeled 'SEHINGGA'.
Rhyme
Hujan turun, jalanan basah, Pakai 'sehingga', janganlah susah.
Story
Budi was so hungry (Cause) that he ate five plates of rice. As a result (Sehingga), his stomach got very big. He couldn't walk, so (Sehingga) he stayed on the couch all day.
Word Web
Herausforderung
Write three sentences about your day today using 'sehingga' to explain why you did certain things.
Kulturelle Hinweise
Indonesians value indirectness, but 'sehingga' is a very clear way to explain reasons for things like being late, which is culturally important to explain (even if 'jam karet' or rubber time is common).
In Indonesian academic culture, using 'sehingga' correctly shows a high level of education and logical thinking.
Speakers from Java might use 'sampai' more often than 'sehingga' in casual speech to show result, reflecting the Javanese word 'nganti'.
Derived from the root word 'hingga' which means 'limit' or 'until'.
Conversation Starters
Kenapa kamu tidak datang ke pesta kemarin?
Apa yang terjadi kalau kita tidak minum air?
Bagaimana pendapatmu tentang polusi di Jakarta?
Kenapa harga barang-barang sekarang naik?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
Dia belajar keras ___ lulus ujian.
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Saya sangat lelah. Sehingga saya tidur.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
It was very cold, so the water froze.
Answer starts with: a...
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Synonym for 'sehingga'?
Dia bicara terlalu pelan ___.
Score: /8
Ubungsaufgaben
8 exercisesDia belajar keras ___ lulus ujian.
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Saya sangat lelah. Sehingga saya tidur.
macet / saya / sehingga / jalanan / terlambat
It was very cold, so the water froze.
1. Lapar, 2. Hujan, 3. Belajar
Synonym for 'sehingga'?
Dia bicara terlalu pelan ___.
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
No, in formal Indonesian, 'sehingga' is an intrasentential conjunction. Use 'Oleh karena itu' to start a new sentence.
'Sehingga' is standard and formal. 'Sampai' is more casual and can also mean 'until'.
Yes, but only when 'so' means 'as a result'. It is not used like 'So, what's up?'
It is optional but recommended in long, formal sentences to help the reader.
Yes, if the future event is a guaranteed result of a current action.
'Hingga' usually means 'until' (time/limit), while 'sehingga' means 'so that' (result).
Yes, it is often used to show the dramatic consequence of an emotion or natural event.
Confusing it with 'supaya' (purpose). Remember: 'sehingga' is for what *is*, 'supaya' is for what you *want*.
In Other Languages
so / so that
Indonesian 'sehingga' is strictly for results, never for goals.
de modo que / así que
Spanish often uses the subjunctive after 'de modo que' if the result is intended, whereas Indonesian uses a different word entirely ('supaya').
si bien que / de sorte que
Indonesian never changes the verb form; the distinction is purely lexical.
sodass
German word order changes (verb at the end), while Indonesian word order remains SVO.
~node / ~kara
Indonesian 'sehingga' is a conjunction placed between clauses, not a particle attached to the first one.
li-dhalika / hatta
Arabic 'hatta' is more versatile and can start sentences, which 'sehingga' cannot.
yǐzhìyú / suǒyǐ
Chinese 'suǒyǐ' can start a new sentence, but 'sehingga' is strictly intrasentential.
