membiarkan + Clause
Permissive Causative
The pattern membiarkan + [object] + [predicate] is the standard way to say 'to let' or 'to leave [something] as it is' in Indonesian. It is an analytical permissive causative.
How It Works
In Indonesian, membiarkan functions as a transitive verb that takes an object followed by a predicate (a 'small clause' structure).
1. Structure:
The typical sentence order is: [Subject] + membiarkan + [Object] + [Predicate].
The predicate can be a verb, an adjective, or a prepositional phrase.
- Saya membiarkan dia pergi. (I let him go.)
- Jangan biarkan lampu menyala. (Don't let the light stay on.)
2. Nuance vs. Permission:
Unlike boleh (may/can) or mengizinkan (to permit), membiarkan often implies a lack of action. It suggests the subject is 'leaving things be' rather than actively granting a request. In some contexts, it can imply neglect or 'ignoring' a situation.
3. Commands and Register:
While membiarkan is the standard form in writing and speech, the meN- prefix is typically dropped in imperatives. Using Jangan biarkan sounds more natural for direct instructions than Jangan membiarkan. In casual conversation, it is often shortened to the colloquial biarin.
4. Passive Form:
This construction is frequently used in the passive voice as dibiarkan. This shifts the focus to the person or thing being 'left' or 'allowed' to remain in a certain state (e.g., Dia dibiarkan sendiri - He was left alone).
Letting Versus Granting Permission: Jangan membiarkan air tumpah is a clear ordinary way to say not to let water spill. Mengizinkan emphasizes permission, but does not require a prior request and is not universally restricted to animate objects; institutional, technical or personified contexts can extend its use. The contrast here concerns the intended non-interference meaning.
Examples (5)
- Ibu membiarkan adik tidur di sofa.
Mother let my younger sibling sleep on the sofa.
Word by Word: Mother let younger-sibling sleep at sofa.
Here, 'membiarkan' shows the mother is not disturbing the sibling's sleep.
- Jangan biarkan pintu itu terbuka malam-malam.
Don't let that door stay open at night.
Word by Word: Don't let door that open night-night.
Biarkan keeps -kan but omits meN- in this direct command. It is a derived imperative stem, not the bare root biar.
- Pemerintah tidak boleh membiarkan masalah ini berlarut-larut.
The government must not allow this problem to drag on.
Word by Word: Government not may let problem this drag-on.
In a formal context, 'membiarkan' implies failing to take necessary action.
- Dia dibiarkan masuk tanpa pemeriksaan.
He/she was allowed to enter without an inspection.
Word by Word: He/she was-let enter without inspection.
This demonstrates the passive form 'dibiarkan', where the object of the permission becomes the subject.
- Dia membiarkan air keran mengalir.
He/she let the tap water flow.
Word by Word: He/she let water tap flow.
This demonstrates the use of 'membiarkan' with inanimate objects and natural processes.
Common Mistakes
Using 'untuk' before the following verb.
Saya membiarkan dia untuk pergi.Saya membiarkan dia pergi.The direct model is membiarkan dia pergi, without a linker. English let also normally takes a bare infinitive (let someone go), so let someone to go is not the contrast to teach. Untuk can mark purpose elsewhere; do not insert it mechanically into the displayed direct-complement model.
Using 'biar' as a standalone verb in formal writing.
Saya biar dia masuk.Saya membiarkan dia masuk.For a standard declarative with an explicit subject, use Saya membiarkan dia masuk. Biar also has conjunction and conversational uses, and biarkan is the imperative stem; this does not mean every occurrence of biar must be replaced by membiarkan.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand 'membiarkan + clause', a learner needs to recognize the morphological structure of the verb (mem- + biar + -kan) and be familiar with analytic causative constructions where one verb triggers a secondary action or state described in a following clause.
- -kanBasic -kan Valency Change
The verb 'membiarkan' uses the -kan suffix, which is essential for understanding its valency and how it interacts with objects.
Level 2 - membuat + ClauseAnalytic Causative with Membuat
Understanding analytic causatives where a verb is followed by a clause (subject + predicate) is a direct functional precursor to using 'membiarkan' in the same structure.
Level 4
Related Patterns
- menyuruh + VerbDirective Causative
Another causative verb used for 'ordering' or 'telling' someone to do something.
Level 4 - meN-...-kanCausative MeN-...-kan
The morphological category that 'membiarkan' belongs to, involving the -kan suffix to create causative meanings.
Level 3 - boleh + VerbPermission with Boleh
Used to express permission ('may'), whereas 'membiarkan' focuses on the act of not stopping something.
Level 1 - agar / supayaPurpose with Agar or Supaya
Biar can also introduce an informal purpose clause meaning so that. That conjunction use is distinct from the transitive verb membiarkan.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice membiarkan + Clause in Bubblegum
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