sulit dikatakan bahwa

It Is Difficult to Say That

Level 5

Sulit dikatakan bahwa is a formal way to say "It is difficult to say that..." or "It is hard to claim that..." It is used to cast doubt on a statement without directly calling it a lie.

How It Works

In formal Indonesian, sulit dikatakan bahwa is the standard way to express intellectual caution.

1. Structure:
The phrase is almost always followed by the conjunction bahwa (that), which introduces the specific claim being questioned.
Example: Sulit dikatakan bahwa [Claim X].

2. Register and Synonyms:
This expression suits formal academic, legal, and journalistic contexts, though its use is not confined to them. In high-formal or literary Indonesian, the word sulit is often replaced by its synonym sukar (sukar dikatakan bahwa), which carries an even more elevated tone.

3. Modifiers:
The intensity of the skepticism can be adjusted using adverbial modifiers. One can use agak (somewhat) to soften the doubt, or sangat (very) to strengthen the skepticism (e.g., sangat sulit dikatakan bahwa...).

4. Nuance:
Unlike a direct negation like tidak benar bahwa (it is not true that), this pattern withholds a firm conclusion. It can soften disagreement, but does not automatically make a statement polite or objective; the context and evidence still matter.

Examples (4)

  1. Berdasarkan data yang terbatas ini, sulit dikatakan bahwa program tersebut telah mencapai targetnya.

    Based on this limited data, it is difficult to say that the program has reached its targets.

    Word by Word: Based-on data which limited this, difficult said that program that already reach target-its.

    This example shows the pattern used in a research context to avoid making an overconfident claim.

  2. Dengan adanya berbagai pelanggaran, sulit dikatakan bahwa pemilu ini berlangsung secara jujur.

    Given the various violations, it is difficult to say that this election was held honestly.

    Word by Word: With existence-of various violations, difficult said that election this take-place in-a-way honest.

    Here, the pattern is used to cast doubt on the integrity of a process based on observed evidence.

  3. Meskipun ekonomi membaik, sulit dikatakan bahwa kesejahteraan rakyat sudah merata.

    Even though the economy is improving, it is difficult to say that the people's welfare is already equitable.

    Word by Word: Although economy improve, difficult said that welfare people already equitable.

    This uses the pattern to contrast a general trend (improving economy) with a specific, unproven claim (equitable welfare).

  4. Oleh karena itu, sulit dikatakan bahwa kebijakan baru ini akan efektif tanpa dukungan publik.

    Therefore, it is difficult to say that this new policy will be effective without public support.

    Word by Word: Because of that, difficult said that policy new this will effective without support public.

    The pattern is often preceded by logical connectors like oleh karena itu to summarize a skeptical argument.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving the clause link implicit when an explicit formal frame is intended.

    Sulit dikatakan program itu sukses.
    Sulit dikatakan bahwa program itu sukses.

    Retain bahwa to mark the following claim explicitly in this taught formal frame. The shorter version can be understood; the correction makes the clause boundary clear rather than imposing a ban on every omission in Indonesian.

  • Using dikatakan for physical difficulty in speaking when berbicara is intended.

    Tenggorokan saya sakit, jadi sulit dikatakan.
    Tenggorokan saya sakit, jadi sulit berbicara.

    'Sulit dikatakan' refers to the logical difficulty of making a claim. For the physical act of speaking, use 'berbicara' or 'bicara'.

  • Using 'susah' instead of 'sulit' in a formal document.

    Susah dikatakan bahwa data ini valid.
    Sulit dikatakan bahwa data ini valid.

    Sulit is a suitable neutral choice in academic or legal explanation. Sukar is also possible, as noted above. Susah may sound more conversational here, but sulit is not the only grammatical or appropriate word in all formal contexts.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

sulit dikatakan bahwaLevel 5It Is Difficult to Say That

Learn This First

To understand 'sulit dikatakan bahwa', a learner needs to be familiar with the passive voice (dikatakan) and how to use 'bahwa' to introduce a statement or fact. It also helps to understand the basic 'adjective + passive verb + bahwa' frame used for evaluative statements about information.

Words in This Pattern

sulitbahwa