kian ... kian ...

Literary Linked Change

Level 6

kian ... kian ... is a formal, literary way to express that two changes are linked (proportional change). It is the elevated version of semakin ... semakin ....

How It Works

The construction kian ... kian ... is used to describe a steady, gradual progression where one change corresponds to another.

1. Syntax and Word Order
The pattern typically precedes adjectives or verbs. While it often shares a single subject, it can also link two clauses with different subjects in a correlative relationship:

  • Kian hari anak itu kian pintar. (The child is getting smarter by the day.)
  • Kian tinggi pohon itu, kian kencang angin menerpanya. (The taller the tree, the stronger the wind hits it.)

2. Register and Usage
Unlike makin ... makin ..., which is common in daily speech, kian often gives a more literary tone, including when deliberately used in conversation. It is frequently used in the fixed expression kian lama kian... (more and more as time goes by).

3. Morphological Notes
Kian is a base word and does not take prefixes like the 'se-' in semakin. However, the verbs it modifies usually retain their standard affixes, such as meN- or ber-.

Examples (4)

  1. Kian berat penderitaan orang, kian dekat ia pada Tuhan.

    The heavier a person's suffering, the closer they are to God.

    Word by Word: The-more heavy suffering person, the-more close he to God.

    This example shows the classic correlative structure linking two adjectives (berat and dekat) in a formal, philosophical context.

  2. Suasana di dalam ruangan itu kian lama kian mencekam.

    The atmosphere inside the room became increasingly tense as time went on.

    Word by Word: Atmosphere at inside room that the-more long the-more tense.

    Uses the common 'kian lama kian' phrase to show a progression over time.

  3. Kian banyak orang yang datang, kian ramai pula pesta itu.

    The more people who came, the livelier the party became.

    Word by Word: The-more many people who come, the-more crowded also party that.

    Demonstrates how 'kian' can be used with quantities (banyak) and resulting states (ramai).

  4. Hubungan kedua negara itu kian hari kian membaik.

    The relationship between the two countries is improving day by day.

    Word by Word: Relationship both country that the-more day the-more improve.

    Shows 'kian' used with a verb (membaik) to describe a gradual diplomatic shift.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'kian' in casual, everyday conversation.

    Kian hari kamu kian cantik, ya!
    Makin hari kamu makin cantik, ya!

    Makin or semakin offers a neutral everyday compliment. Kian is also grammatical and can give the compliment a literary tone; choose the intended style rather than treating speech as a prohibited context.

  • Redundant use of comparative markers like 'lebih'.

    Kian lebih besar tantangannya...
    Kian besar tantangannya...

    Kian besar already expresses increasing size, so omit lebih in this concise model. A sequence with lebih can occur when a separate comparison is intended; do not infer that every occurrence of kian lebih is ungrammatical.

How It Connects

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

kian ... kian ...Level 6Literary Linked Change

Learn This First

To understand 'kian ... kian ...', you must first be familiar with the standard way to express correlated changes using 'semakin ... semakin ...'. Since 'kian' is a more formal or literary variant, you should also understand how adjectives function as predicates without a copula, as this pattern usually links two adjectival phrases.