Academic Conventions
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Academic Indonesian prioritizes objectivity through passive voice, nominalization, and precise logical connectors to maintain a professional, scholarly distance.
- Use passive voice (di- / ter-) to focus on the action rather than the person.
- Transform verbs into nouns (nominalization) using pe-an or ke-an affixes.
- Avoid first-person pronouns like 'saya' or 'aku' in formal research papers.
Meanings
The set of linguistic standards used in Indonesian higher education and research to ensure clarity, objectivity, and professional credibility.
Objectivity & Depersonalization
Removing the 'self' from the text to focus on data and results.
“Ditemukan bahwa data tersebut valid.”
“Penulis berasumsi bahwa variabel X berpengaruh.”
Nominalization (Pembendaan)
Using noun forms to describe processes, making the text more dense and abstract.
“Peningkatan suhu global memicu pencairan es.”
“Keberhasilan program ini bergantung pada partisipasi warga.”
Logical Cohesion
Using specific transition words to link complex ideas logically.
“Oleh karena itu, kebijakan ini perlu ditinjau kembali.”
“Namun demikian, terdapat beberapa pengecualian.”
Formal Verb to Noun Transformation (Nominalization)
| Base Verb | Formal Active | Formal Passive | Nominalized Form | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tulis | Menulis | Ditulis | Penulisan | Writing (Process) |
| Bangun | Membangun | Dibangun | Pembangunan | Development |
| Analisis | Menganalisis | Dianalisis | Penganalisisan | Analyzing |
| Guna | Menggunakan | Digunakan | Penggunaan | Usage |
| Selesai | Menyelesaikan | Diselesaikan | Penyelesaian | Resolution |
| Tingkat | Meningkatkan | Ditingkatkan | Peningkatan | Increase |
| Kembang | Mengembangkan | Dikembangkan | Perkembangan | Development/Growth |
| Pimpin | Memimpin | Dipimpin | Kepemimpinan | Leadership |
Reference Table
| Function | Informal/Neutral | Academic/Formal |
|---|---|---|
| Contrast | Tapi | Namun / Akan tetapi |
| Cause/Effect | Jadi | Oleh karena itu / Maka dari itu |
| Addition | Terus / Dan lagi | Selain itu / Di samping itu |
| Example | Contohnya | Sebagai contoh / Misalnya |
| Opinion | Menurut saya | Menurut penulis / Berdasarkan pandangan |
| Conclusion | Pokoknya | Dapat disimpulkan bahwa |
| Frequency | Sering | Kerap kali / Sering kali |
| Possibility | Mungkin | Tampaknya / Diduga / Berpeluang |
طیف رسمیت
Saya ingin menanyakan perihal hasil tersebut. (Inquiry)
Saya mau tanya tentang hasilnya. (Inquiry)
Gue mau nanya soal hasilnya. (Inquiry)
Eh, gimana hasilnya? Spill dong. (Inquiry)
The 4 Pillars of Academic Indonesian
Objectivity
- Pasif (di-) Passive voice
Structure
- Nominalisasi Nominalization
Vocabulary
- Bahasa Baku Standard Lexicon
Cohesion
- Kata Transisi Transition Words
Informal vs. Academic Vocabulary
Choosing the Right Pronoun
Are you writing a research paper?
Is it a personal reflection?
Common Academic Affixes
Nouns
- • pe-an
- • ke-an
- • per-an
Verbs
- • me-kan
- • di-kan
- • ber-
Examples by Level
Saya tidak makan daging.
I do not eat meat.
Nama saya adalah Budi.
My name is Budi.
Ini adalah buku saya.
This is my book.
Saya pergi ke sekolah.
I go to school.
Saya belajar karena saya mau pintar.
I study because I want to be smart.
Buku itu dibaca oleh kakak.
That book is read by (my) older sibling.
Dia memberikan hadiah kepada saya.
He/she gave a gift to me.
Kami sedang melakukan diskusi.
We are having a discussion.
Pembangunan gedung itu sangat cepat.
The construction of that building was very fast.
Meskipun hujan, dia tetap datang.
Even though it rained, he still came.
Masalah ini harus segera diselesaikan.
This problem must be solved immediately.
Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk membantu warga.
This research aims to help the citizens.
Oleh karena itu, kita perlu waspada.
Therefore, we need to be vigilant.
Fenomena ini menunjukkan adanya perubahan sosial.
This phenomenon shows the existence of social change.
Data tersebut dianalisis menggunakan metode kualitatif.
The data was analyzed using qualitative methods.
Pemerintah memberikan bantuan secara merata.
The government provided aid evenly.
Berdasarkan analisis tersebut, dapat disimpulkan bahwa variabel X signifikan.
Based on that analysis, it can be concluded that variable X is significant.
Terdapat korelasi positif antara pendidikan dan kesejahteraan.
There is a positive correlation between education and welfare.
Penulis berasumsi bahwa kebijakan ini akan berdampak luas.
The author assumes that this policy will have a broad impact.
Hal ini selaras dengan teori yang dikemukakan oleh Smith (2020).
This is in line with the theory proposed by Smith (2020).
Manifestasi dari ketimpangan tersebut berakar pada struktur sejarah.
The manifestation of that inequality is rooted in historical structures.
Bahwasanya pendidikan merupakan pilar utama kemajuan bangsa.
That education is the main pillar of national progress.
Paradigma ini menuntut adanya reorientasi kebijakan publik.
This paradigm demands a reorientation of public policy.
Kendati demikian, signifikansi temuan ini masih perlu diuji lebih lanjut.
Nevertheless, the significance of these findings still needs further testing.
Easily Confused
Learners use 'di mana' as a relative pronoun like English 'where'.
Both mean 'is', but they have different formal constraints.
The root is 'pengaruh'. Does the 'p' stay or go?
اشتباهات رایج
Saya gak tau.
Saya tidak tahu.
Buku yg bagus.
Buku yang bagus.
Dia punya buku.
Itu bukunya.
Saya mau makan.
Saya ingin makan.
Saya kasih dia uang.
Saya memberikan dia uang.
Rumah dimana saya tinggal.
Rumah tempat saya tinggal.
Dia sangat besar banget.
Dia sangat besar.
Hasilnya adalah bagus.
Hasilnya bagus.
Membangunnya jembatan itu lama.
Pembangunan jembatan itu lama.
Kita harus bikin rencana.
Kita harus menyusun rencana.
Menurut saya, data ini salah.
Berdasarkan data tersebut, terdapat kekeliruan.
Penelitian dimana dilakukan di Jakarta.
Penelitian yang dilakukan di Jakarta.
Hal ini dikarenakan karena...
Hal ini disebabkan oleh...
Mempengaruhi hasil.
Memengaruhi hasil.
Sentence Patterns
Berdasarkan ___, dapat disimpulkan bahwa ___.
Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis ___.
Terdapat korelasi antara ___ dan ___.
Meskipun ___, namun ___ tetap menjadi faktor utama.
Real World Usage
Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif.
Saya memiliki pengalaman dalam manajemen risiko.
Mohon tindak lanjut atas laporan tersebut.
Izinkan saya memaparkan hasil temuan kami.
Data menunjukkan adanya anomali pada sampel.
Saya ingin menyampaikan keluhan terkait layanan Anda.
The 'Saya' Replacement
Avoid 'Dimana'
Nominalize for Density
Respect the Hierarchy
Smart Tips
Start with 'Berdasarkan temuan tersebut...' instead of 'Saya pikir...'.
Use 'merupakan' instead of 'adalah' to sound more sophisticated.
Use 'Namun demikian' at the start of a new sentence instead of 'tapi' in the middle.
Use the 'pe-an' form of the verb to make it the subject of the sentence.
تلفظ
Formal Intonation
In academic speech, intonation is flatter and more measured than in casual speech.
Glottal Stop
In formal Indonesian, the 'k' at the end of words like 'tidak' is often pronounced clearly, whereas in slang it is a glottal stop.
Declarative Formal
Data ini valid. (Falling tone at the very end)
Conveys authority and certainty.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Remember 'P.O.N.T.I': Pasif (Passive), Objektif (Objective), Nominal (Nominalization), Transisi (Transition), Ilmiah (Scientific).
Visual Association
Imagine a scientist in a white lab coat looking through a microscope. They don't say 'I see a cell'; they write 'A cell is observed.' The lab coat represents the formal 'Bahasa Baku' you must wear.
Rhyme
Gunakan 'di-', jangan 'saya' lagi, agar tulisanmu tampak tinggi.
Story
A student named Budi wrote 'Saya pikir ini bagus' in his thesis. His professor turned into a giant red pen and crossed it out, shouting 'Objektivitas!'. Budi then changed it to 'Dapat disimpulkan bahwa hasil ini signifikan,' and the professor turned into a golden diploma.
Word Web
چالش
Take a simple sentence like 'I think social media is bad' and rewrite it in Indonesian using at least one nominalization and the passive voice.
نکات فرهنگی
In Indonesian universities, the 'Skripsi' (undergraduate thesis) is a rite of passage where students must demonstrate perfect mastery of 'Bahasa Baku'.
Official letters (Surat Dinas) use a very specific, almost archaic form of academic Indonesian to show hierarchy.
Modern intellectual media in Indonesia tries to bridge the gap between academic and public language while keeping formal standards.
Modern academic Indonesian evolved from 'High Malay' used in the Dutch colonial administration and later standardized by the 'Badan Bahasa'.
Conversation Starters
Bagaimana pendapat Anda mengenai fenomena perubahan iklim saat ini?
Dapatkah Anda menjelaskan metodologi penelitian yang Anda gunakan?
Apa kesimpulan utama dari diskusi kita hari ini?
Sejauh mana kebijakan ini berdampak pada masyarakat?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
Find and fix the mistake:
Hasil riset ini bagus banget.
Data sudah dikumpulkan, ___ analisis belum dilakukan.
Choose the most formal version:
Saya menemukan data baru.
Kota dimana saya tinggal sangat padat.
Identify the informal word:
Selamat pagi, ___ saya memaparkan hasil penelitian ini.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Score: /8
تمرینهای عملی
8 exercisesFind and fix the mistake:
Hasil riset ini bagus banget.
Data sudah dikumpulkan, ___ analisis belum dilakukan.
Choose the most formal version:
Saya menemukan data baru.
Kota dimana saya tinggal sangat padat.
Identify the informal word:
Selamat pagi, ___ saya memaparkan hasil penelitian ini.
1. Kasih, 2. Bikin, 3. Tapi
Score: /8
سوالات متداول (8)
In most Indonesian universities, 'Saya' is strictly forbidden. Use 'Penulis' or passive voice instead.
No. In Indonesian, you can often link a subject and predicate without 'adalah'. Use it only for formal definitions.
It stands for 'Pedoman Umum Ejaan Bahasa Indonesia', the official guide for Indonesian spelling and grammar.
Because it is a literal translation of the English 'where' used as a relative pronoun, which doesn't exist in standard Indonesian grammar.
Use the passive voice (di-) and focus on the data rather than your personal feelings.
It is the process of turning verbs into nouns (e.g., 'membangun' to 'pembangunan') to make writing more abstract.
Yes, academic style is more dense and cautious (hedging), while news is more direct and active.
No. Avoid 'yg', 'tdk', 'dlm'. Always write the full words.
In Other Languages
Passive voice and Nominalization
Indonesian avoids the copula 'is/are' in many academic structures where English requires it.
Voz pasiva con 'se'
Indonesian does not have grammatical gender, which simplifies academic agreement compared to Spanish.
Nominalstil
German sentence structure (verb at the end) is much more complex than Indonesian's SVO/VSO flexibility.
Keigo / De-aru style
Japanese academic style is less about affixes and more about specific sentence-ending particles.
Fusha (Modern Standard Arabic)
Arabic Fusha is based on classical religious texts, while Indonesian Baku is a modern construct.
Shūmiànyǔ (Written Language)
Indonesian is an agglutinative language; Chinese is isolating/analytic.
