Consequences
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'kalau' or 'jika' to set a condition, and the rest of the sentence naturally follows as the consequence.
- Use 'kalau' for everyday 'if' situations: 'Kalau hujan, saya di rumah.'
- Use 'jika' for more formal or written contexts: 'Jika Anda lapar, silakan makan.'
- Use 'seandainya' for imaginary or unlikely dreams: 'Seandainya aku kaya, aku akan keliling dunia.'
Meanings
The structure used to describe an action that will happen only if another action or state occurs first.
Real/Possible Conditions
Used for things that are likely to happen or are general truths.
“Kalau air dipanaskan, air mendidih.”
“Kalau dia datang, beri tahu saya.”
Hypothetical/Imaginary
Used for situations that are unlikely, impossible, or purely imaginary.
“Seandainya saya punya sayap, saya akan terbang.”
“Andaikata dia masih hidup, dia pasti bangga.”
Formal/Legal Requirements
Used in official documents, laws, or formal speeches to state conditions.
“Apabila terjadi pelanggaran, denda akan dikenakan.”
“Jika syarat terpenuhi, aplikasi akan disetujui.”
Conditional Permission
Expressing that something can happen only on one specific condition.
“Kamu boleh pergi asalkan tugasmu selesai.”
“Saya ikut asal kamu yang nyetir.”
Common Conditional Conjunctions
| Conjunction | Formality | Usage Type | English Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kalau | Informal/Neutral | General 'if' or 'when' | If / When |
| Jika | Neutral/Formal | Written or polite speech | If |
| Seandainya | Neutral | Hypothetical/Imaginary | If (unreal) |
| Apabila | Formal | Official/Legal | If / Upon |
| Asalkan | Neutral | Strict requirement | Provided that |
| Andaikata | Formal/Literary | Hypothetical/Imaginary | If (unreal) |
| Bilamana | Very Formal | Official/Instructional | Should / If |
| Kalau saja | Neutral | Regret/Wish | If only |
Casual Contractions
| Full Form | Short Form | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Kalau | Kalo | Texting/Casual speech |
| Asalkan | Asal | Casual speech |
| Jika | N/A | Rarely shortened |
| Seandainya | Andai | Poetic/Song lyrics |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Kalau + [S] + [V], [S] + [V] | Kalau kamu datang, aku senang. |
| Negative | Kalau [S] + tidak + [V], ... | Kalau dia tidak makan, dia lapar. |
| Question | Bagaimana kalau + [S] + [V]? | Bagaimana kalau kita pergi? |
| Hypothetical | Seandainya + [S] + [V], ... | Seandainya aku burung, aku terbang. |
| Requirement | [S] + [V] + asalkan + [S] + [V] | Aku ikut asalkan kamu bayar. |
| Formal Result | Jika [S] + [V], maka [S] + [V] | Jika hujan turun, maka jalan basah. |
| Short Answer | Kalau begitu... | Kalau begitu, ayo berangkat! |
| Reversed | [S] + [V] + kalau + [S] + [V] | Aku beli mobil kalau punya uang. |
Spectre de formalité
Jika Anda memiliki waktu luang, silakan berkunjung ke kediaman saya. (Invitation)
Jika ada waktu, silakan mampir ke rumah saya. (Invitation)
Kalo ada waktu, mampir ya ke rumah. (Invitation)
Kalo sempet, maen dong ke rumah gue. (Invitation)
The 'If' Spectrum in Indonesian
Real/Likely
- Kalau If/When
- Jika If (Formal)
Unreal/Imaginary
- Seandainya If only
- Andaikata Supposing
Strict Condition
- Asalkan Provided that
Informal vs Formal Conditionals
Which 'If' should I use?
Is it a real possibility?
Is it formal?
Conditional Keywords
Conjunctions
- • Kalau
- • Jika
- • Apabila
Hypotheticals
- • Seandainya
- • Andaikata
- • Umpamanya
Consequences
- • Maka
- • Akibatnya
- • Akan
Examples by Level
Kalau hujan, saya tidak pergi.
If it rains, I don't go.
Kalau kamu mau, ambil saja.
If you want, just take it.
Makan kalau lapar.
Eat if you are hungry.
Kalau ada uang, saya beli kopi.
If I have money, I buy coffee.
Jika Anda sibuk, kita bicara nanti.
If you are busy, we will talk later.
Kalau dia tidak datang, saya kecewa.
If he doesn't come, I will be disappointed.
Apa yang kamu lakukan kalau sakit?
What do you do if you are sick?
Kalau sudah sampai, telepon saya ya.
When you have arrived, call me okay.
Seandainya aku kaya, aku akan beli pulau.
If I were rich, I would buy an island.
Kamu boleh pinjam mobilku asalkan hati-hati.
You may borrow my car provided that you are careful.
Jika kita berangkat sekarang, kita tidak akan terlambat.
If we leave now, we won't be late.
Kalau saja dia mendengarkan saya, ini tidak akan terjadi.
If only he had listened to me, this wouldn't have happened.
Apabila syarat-syarat tersebut tidak dipenuhi, kontrak akan dibatalkan.
If those conditions are not met, the contract will be cancelled.
Seandainya pemerintah bertindak lebih cepat, krisis ini bisa dihindari.
If the government had acted faster, this crisis could have been avoided.
Asalkan ada kemauan, pasti ada jalan.
As long as there is a will, there is a way.
Bilamana Anda membutuhkan bantuan medis, segera hubungi nomor ini.
Should you require medical assistance, contact this number immediately.
Andaikata waktu bisa diputar kembali, aku akan memilih jalan yang berbeda.
If only time could be turned back, I would choose a different path.
Sekiranya ada hal yang kurang jelas, mohon jangan ragu untuk bertanya.
Should there be anything unclear, please do not hesitate to ask.
Kalau pun dia meminta maaf, saya tidak akan pernah melupakannya.
Even if he apologizes, I will never forget it.
Manakala fajar menyingsing, para nelayan pun pulang ke daratan.
When/If the dawn breaks, the fishermen return to land.
Jikalau memang demikian adanya, maka konsekuensi hukumnya sangatlah berat.
If that is indeed the case, then the legal consequences are very severe.
Bahwasanya perdamaian hanya akan tercapai apabila kedua belah pihak bersedia berkompromi.
That peace will only be achieved if both parties are willing to compromise.
Umpamanya kita harus memilih antara dua keburukan, mana yang lebih ringan?
Supposing we must choose between two evils, which is the lesser?
Bilamana terdapat perbedaan penafsiran, maka naskah asli yang akan dirujuk.
In the event of a difference in interpretation, the original text shall be referred to.
Easily Confused
Both can mean 'when' in English. Learners use 'kapan' for conditions.
Learners use 'kalau' for impossible things.
Learners use 'apabila' in casual chat.
Erreurs courantes
Kapan hujan, saya di rumah.
Kalau hujan, saya di rumah.
Kalau saya lapar, saya makan nasi.
Kalau lapar, saya makan nasi.
Kalau kamu mau?
Kamu mau?
Saya pergi kalau kamu pergi?
Apa kamu pergi kalau saya pergi?
Kalau saya punya uang, saya akan beli mobil.
Kalau punya uang, saya beli mobil.
Jika hujan, maka saya bawa payung.
Kalau hujan, saya bawa payung.
Kalau dia tidak datang, saya sedih.
Kalau dia tidak datang, saya sedih.
Kalau saya kamu, saya tidak pergi.
Seandainya saya jadi kamu, saya tidak pergi.
Saya akan bantu kamu kalau kamu bantu saya.
Saya akan bantu kamu asalkan kamu bantu saya.
Seandainya saya punya sayap, saya akan terbang.
Seandainya punya sayap, saya terbang.
Apabila kamu mau...
Kalau kamu mau...
Jikalau saya tahu...
Kalau saja saya tahu...
Maka jika...
Jika... maka...
Sentence Patterns
Kalau ___, saya ___.
Seandainya saya ___, saya akan ___.
Kamu boleh ___, asalkan ___.
Jika ___ terjadi, maka ___.
Real World Usage
Kalo udah nyampe, kabari ya!
Jika saya terpilih, saya siap berkontribusi.
Kalau tidak ada pedas, saya mau.
Apabila inflasi terus naik, daya beli akan turun.
Seandainya setiap hari adalah hari Minggu...
Jika penerbangan ditunda, silakan hubungi petugas.
The 'Kalo' Shortcut
Avoid 'Kapan'
Softening with 'Kalau'
Comma is Key
Smart Tips
Use 'kalo' instead of 'jika' and drop the subject if it's already obvious.
Start with 'Jika' and use 'maka' to clearly separate the condition from the result.
Always use 'Seandainya' to signal that you are talking about a fantasy.
Use 'asalkan' to show that the result depends entirely on that one condition.
Prononciation
The 'Kalau' Pause
When starting with 'Kalau', there is a slight rising intonation at the end of the first clause, followed by a brief pause.
Kalo vs Kalau
In casual speech, the 'au' in 'Kalau' is often pronounced as a flat 'o'.
Conditional Rise-Fall
Jika Anda mau (↑), silakan ambil (↓).
The rise indicates the condition is being set, the fall indicates the result/consequence.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
K-J-S: Kalau (Casual), Jika (Just formal), Seandainya (Secret dreams).
Visual Association
Imagine a fork in the road. One path has a sign 'Kalau' (the normal path), the other is a floating cloud with 'Seandainya' (the dream path).
Rhyme
Kalau, jika, asalkan... semua janji kita lakukan!
Story
A boy wants to buy a toy. He says 'Kalau' I have money, I buy it. His mom says 'Asalkan' you clean your room. He sighs, 'Seandainya' I was a king, I wouldn't have to clean!
Word Web
Défi
Write 3 sentences: one thing you'll do if it rains tomorrow, one thing you'll do if you win the lottery, and one thing you'll do as long as your friend helps you.
Notes culturelles
Conditionals are often used to soften requests or refusals. Instead of saying 'No', an Indonesian might say 'Kalau ada waktu...' (If there's time...), which often implies they might not be able to do it.
The phrase 'Insya Allah' (If God wills) is the ultimate conditional in Indonesia. It is used for any future consequence to acknowledge that humans plan, but God decides.
In Java, using formal conditionals like 'menawi' (in Javanese) or 'jika' (in Indonesian) is a sign of 'unggah-ungguh' (etiquette) when speaking to elders.
The word 'Jika' is derived from the Sanskrit 'yadyapi' (although/if). 'Kalau' is a native Austronesian construction.
Conversation Starters
Apa yang akan kamu lakukan kalau menang lotre?
Kalau kamu bisa tinggal di mana saja, kamu mau tinggal di mana?
Bagaimana kalau besok kita pergi ke pantai?
Apa akibatnya jika orang tidak menjaga kebersihan lingkungan?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
___ saya punya sayap, saya akan terbang ke bulan.
Which one is correct for a business email?
Find and fix the mistake:
Kapan kamu lapar, kamu bisa makan di sini.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
In Indonesian, you must change the verb form when using 'Seandainya'.
A: Kamu mau ikut ke Bali? B: Mau, ___ tiketnya gratis.
Combine these words.
Score: /8
Exercices pratiques
8 exercises___ saya punya sayap, saya akan terbang ke bulan.
Which one is correct for a business email?
Find and fix the mistake:
Kapan kamu lapar, kamu bisa makan di sini.
hujan - kalau - tidak - pergi - saya
1. Kalau haus... 2. Kalau ngantuk... 3. Kalau lapar...
In Indonesian, you must change the verb form when using 'Seandainya'.
A: Kamu mau ikut ke Bali? B: Mau, ___ tiketnya gratis.
Combine these words.
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
They both mean 'if', but 'Kalau' is used in daily conversation and 'Jika' is used in formal writing or polite speech.
Technically yes, but it sounds very formal. In normal speech, we usually omit 'maka'.
You say 'Seandainya saya jadi kamu' or 'Kalau saya jadi kamu'.
Yes, we use 'Kalau saja saya tahu' or 'Seandainya saya tahu'. No special past tense verb is needed.
It's the informal, spoken version of 'Kalau'. You'll see it in texts and social media, but don't use it in essays!
It means 'provided that' or 'as long as'. it sets a strict condition.
Yes! 'Saya makan kalau lapar' is just as correct as 'Kalau lapar, saya makan'.
Use 'Kalau pun' or 'Meskipun'. For example: 'Kalau pun hujan, saya tetap pergi.'
In Other Languages
Si + Subjunctive
Indonesian has no subjunctive verb forms.
Si + Imperfect/Conditional
No tense shifting in Indonesian conditionals.
Wenn + Konjunktiv II
Indonesian uses lexical markers instead of grammatical mood.
~tara, ~ba, ~nara, ~to
Japanese 'if' is a suffix; Indonesian 'if' is a separate word (conjunction).
In (إن) / Law (لو)
Arabic has specific verb forms for the result clause (e.g., adding 'la-').
Rúguǒ (如果) ... jiù (就)
Indonesian can reverse the clause order more easily than Chinese.
