Signification
Strongly agreeing with a statement
Contexte culturel
Indonesians often use 'Benar sekali' to avoid 'Tidak' (No). If they disagree, they might say 'Benar sekali, tapi...' to be polite. In Javanese-influenced Indonesian, showing strong agreement is a sign of 'Andhap Ashor' (humility) and respect for the speaker's wisdom. On Indonesian WhatsApp groups, 'Benar sekali' is often replaced by the '100' emoji or the 'folded hands' emoji to show agreement. In Indonesian debates, 'Benar sekali' is used to acknowledge an opponent's valid point before pivoting to a counter-point, maintaining a civil tone.
The Nod Factor
Always accompany 'Benar sekali' with a firm nod. In Indonesia, non-verbal cues are just as important as the words.
Avoid Redundancy
Don't say 'Sangat benar sekali.' Pick one intensifier and stick to it!
Signification
Strongly agreeing with a statement
The Nod Factor
Always accompany 'Benar sekali' with a firm nod. In Indonesia, non-verbal cues are just as important as the words.
Avoid Redundancy
Don't say 'Sangat benar sekali.' Pick one intensifier and stick to it!
Polite Disagreement
Use 'Benar sekali' as a 'buffer' before you disagree to keep the conversation polite.
Teste-toi
Fill in the blank to complete the agreement.
A: Film ini sangat bagus. B: _____ sekali!
To agree that a film is good, you use 'Benar sekali'.
Which is the most natural way to agree with a boss in a meeting?
Boss: 'Kita butuh strategi baru.' You: ...
'Benar sekali' is polite and professional, and 'Pak' is the correct honorific.
Complete the dialogue.
Siti: 'Belajar bahasa Indonesia itu menyenangkan, ya?' John: '_____, saya sangat suka.'
John likes the language, so he is agreeing with Siti's statement.
Match the phrase to the situation.
Situation: Someone says 'It's raining' and you see the rain.
You are confirming a factual observation.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesA: Film ini sangat bagus. B: _____ sekali!
To agree that a film is good, you use 'Benar sekali'.
Boss: 'Kita butuh strategi baru.' You: ...
'Benar sekali' is polite and professional, and 'Pak' is the correct honorific.
Siti: 'Belajar bahasa Indonesia itu menyenangkan, ya?' John: '_____, saya sangat suka.'
John likes the language, so he is agreeing with Siti's statement.
Situation: Someone says 'It's raining' and you see the rain.
You are confirming a factual observation.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsNot at all! It's very common among friends. If you want to sound even more casual, you can say 'Bener banget.'
Yes, 'Benar sekali' works perfectly here to confirm a direction.
'Benar' is often about 'truth' while 'Betul' is about 'correctness,' but in 'Benar sekali' vs 'Betul sekali,' they are 100% interchangeable.
No, that is grammatically incorrect. The word 'sekali' must follow the adjective.
No, it can mean 'once' (e.g., 'Saya makan sekali sehari' - I eat once a day). But after an adjective, it always means 'very'.
You would say 'Tidak benar sama sekali.' Here, 'sama sekali' means 'at all'.
Yes, it is very common in both formal writing (essays, news) and informal writing (chats, social media).
Yes, it's an excellent way to show you agree with the interviewer's points about the company or the role.
'Bener' is the informal pronunciation. In Jakarta and casual settings, 'a' often shifts toward an 'e' sound in certain words.
Yes, 'Bener bgt' (short for 'Bener banget') is the most common slang version used in texting.
Expressions liées
Betul sekali
synonymVery correct
Tepat sekali
specialized formExactly right
Setuju
similarI agree
Memang
builds onIndeed
