sehubungan dengan
In Connection with
Sehubungan dengan is a formal expression meaning in connection with or regarding. It is a common opening in professional letters and official announcements.
How It Works
In Indonesian administrative and professional writing, sehubungan dengan can establish a link between a situation and a response.
Key characteristics include:
- Formal Register: It is common in business emails, government letters (surat dinas), and academic reports, and can also occur in official speech. It is not incorrect merely because it appears in conversation.
- Grammatical Structure: The basic model takes a noun or noun phrase. To refer clearly to an event in formal writing, common options include the peN-...-an pattern, the ke-...-an pattern, or the common Verb + -nya construction (e.g., meningkatnya).
- Sentence-Initial Usage: When used to refer back to a previously mentioned point at the start of a new sentence, the standard phrase is Sehubungan dengan itu, (In connection with that,) which must be followed by a comma.
- Mandatory Preposition: The standard formal Indonesian model taught here includes dengan: sehubungan dengan itu. Retain it when using this idiomatic frame.
- Causative Nuance: While similar to karena (because), it presents a connection to relevant circumstances. It can supply a reason, but does not itself guarantee causation or a professional relationship.
Examples (5)
- Sehubungan dengan surat Saudara, kami ingin mengonfirmasi kehadiran kami.
In connection with your letter, we wish to confirm our attendance.
Word by Word: In-connection with letter your, we want confirm attendance our.
This is a classic opening for a formal reply to a letter.
- Kegiatan belajar akan diliburkan sehubungan dengan hari raya nasional.
Learning activities will be suspended in connection with the national holiday.
Word by Word: Activity learning will be-vacationed in-connection with day great national.
Here, the phrase provides the formal reason for the suspension of activities.
- Sehubungan dengan itu, kami mohon kerja sama Bapak.
In connection with that, we request your cooperation.
Word by Word: In-connection with that, we request work same Mr.
When referring back to a previous point at the start of a sentence, 'Sehubungan dengan itu,' is used, followed by a comma.
- Sehubungan dengan meningkatnya biaya operasional, harga produk akan disesuaikan.
In connection with the increasing operational costs, product prices will be adjusted.
Word by Word: In-connection with increasing-nya cost operational, price product will be-adjusted.
This demonstrates the common 'Verb + -nya' nominalization pattern used with this expression.
- Sehubungan dengan rencana renovasi, kantor akan ditutup sementara.
In connection with the renovation plan, the office will be closed temporarily.
Word by Word: In-connection with plan renovation, office will be-closed temporary.
The phrase links the 'renovation plan' (noun phrase) to the resulting action (office closure).
Common Mistakes
Omitting the mandatory preposition 'dengan'.
Sehubungan itu, kami akan datang.Sehubungan dengan itu, kami akan datang.The standard Indonesian idiomatic frame taught here is sehubungan dengan itu. Keep dengan in this expression; sehubungan itu omits part of that standard model.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand 'sehubungan dengan', learners need to be familiar with the equative prefix 'se-', the formation of nouns using the '-hubungan' structure, and how the preposition 'dengan' functions to connect ideas.
- se-As ... as with Se-
The prefix 'se-' in 'sehubungan' indicates a relationship of equality or correspondence, which is a core function of this prefix.
Level 3 - per-...-anPer-...-an Nouns
Understanding how nouns are formed from roots (like 'hubung' becoming 'hubungan') is necessary to parse the middle component of this formal phrase.
Level 3
Related Patterns
- denganWith with Dengan
The preposition 'dengan' is a core component of this phrase, indicating the link or accompaniment.
Level 1 - tentang / mengenaiTopic Prepositions
Tentang and mengenai introduce a topic. Sehubungan dengan has a formal connective sense and is common in administration, without necessarily referring to an administrative relationship.
Level 3 - karenaReason Clause with Karena
Karena explicitly gives a reason and can introduce a clause or nominal expression. Sehubungan dengan links a relevant circumstance, commonly phrased as a noun phrase or nominalized event; context can give it a causal interpretation.
Level 1 - berkenaan denganConcerning with Berkenaan Dengan
A direct formal synonym often used interchangeably in legal and official documents.
Level 5 - oleh karena ituTherefore with Oleh Karena Itu
Often used in the same formal documents to transition from the 'connection' to the 'result'.
Level 4
Words in This Pattern
Practice sehubungan dengan in Bubblegum
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