secara + Adjective

The word secara functions as an adverbial marker. Many uses can be paraphrased with dengan cara, meaning in a particular way or manner. When placed before an adjective, a noun, or certain derived verbs, it transforms the word into a description of manner, category, or perspective.

Key characteristics include:

• Formal Manner vs. Dengan: Dengan is standard for physical and emotional manner (e.g., dengan cepat 'quickly', dengan gembira 'happily'). Secara often carries a more formal, analytical, categorical, or procedural tone, but it is not the only grammatical choice for every abstract description.
• Word Compatibility: For simultaneous eating, use sambil makan; secara makan does not express that intended relation. It is standard with adjectives and derived stative verbs, such as those with the ber- prefix (e.g., secara bertahap 'gradually') or the ter- prefix (e.g., secara teratur 'regularly').
• With Nouns (Perspective or Manner): With nouns, secara can mean 'according to' or 'from the perspective of' (e.g., secara hukum 'legally', secara teori 'theoretically') or describe a culturally defined manner (e.g., secara kekeluargaan 'in a familial way', secara adat 'according to custom').
• Loanwords, Medium, or Format: With loanwords, secara often corresponds to English '-ally' or 'in ... terms' (e.g., secara teknis 'technically', secara finansial 'financially'). It also marks medium or format (e.g., secara online, secara lisan, secara tertulis, secara langsung).
• With Reduplication: It is commonly used with reduplicated words to emphasize the manner of an action (e.g., secara diam-diam 'secretly', secara perlahan-lahan 'slowly').
• Negation: You can form negative adverbs by using the pattern secara tidak + adjective (e.g., secara tidak sengaja 'accidentally').
• High-Frequency Phrases: A very common and essential set phrase is secara keseluruhan, which means 'as a whole' or 'overall'.

Note on Register: In colloquial Jakarta slang, secara is sometimes used to mean 'because'. For a cause clause in formal standard writing, use karena rather than this colloquial connective use.

Formal Cause Clauses: Saya terlambat karena macet sekali is a clear formal model. Conversational secara meaning because belongs to a different register, not the manner pattern taught here. TBBI also contrasts valid dengan kemauan besar with unsuitable secara kemauan besar, so the two manner markers are not universally interchangeable.