Adjective + sekali
Post-adjective Intensifier Sekali
The word sekali is placed immediately after an adjective or adverb to amplify its meaning. It is the equivalent of 'very' or 'really' in English but follows a rigid word order: [Adjective] + sekali.
How It Works
1. Syntactic Position
In this intensifier use, sekali follows the word it modifies. It must follow the adjective or adverb it is intensifying. For example, 'very big' is besar sekali, never *sekali besar.
2. Nuance and Register
Sekali is often perceived as more emotional or exclamatory than sangat. It is the standard choice for spontaneous reactions (e.g., Panas sekali! - 'It's so hot!'). Despite its emphatic nature, it is perfectly acceptable in formal writing and academic contexts.
3. Distinguishing from 'Once'
The word sekali is a homonym. It can mean 'once' (one time) or 'very'.
- Intensifier: Follows an adjective (Indah sekali - Very beautiful).
- Frequency: Follows a verb or appears at the end of a clause (Saya makan sekali - I eat once).
4. Interaction with other Intensifiers
In colloquial or informal speech, you may hear sekali combined with sangat for extreme emphasis (e.g., sangat besar sekali). However, in formal or standard Indonesian, this 'sandwich' construction is considered redundant (pleonastic) and should be avoided. Similarly, it should not be used with the superlative paling, as that is also considered redundant.
Examples (5)
- Pemandangan di sini indah sekali.
The scenery here is very beautiful.
Word by Word: Scenery at here beautiful very.
Here, 'sekali' intensifies the adjective 'indah' (beautiful) to express a high degree of admiration.
- Mobil itu melaju cepat sekali.
That car drove very fast.
Word by Word: Car that drive fast very.
In this sentence, 'sekali' modifies the adverb 'cepat' (fast) to emphasize the speed.
- Aduh, panas sekali hari ini!
Gosh, it's so hot today!
Word by Word: Ouch, hot very day this!
This demonstrates the common use of 'sekali' in exclamations and spontaneous reactions.
- Rumah barunya besar sekali.
His/her new house is very big.
Word by Word: His/her new house big very.
The intensifier follows the adjective 'besar' to describe the impressive size of the house.
- Ujian itu sulit sekali bagi saya.
That exam was very difficult for me.
Word by Word: Exam that difficult very for me.
Even in longer sentences, 'sekali' remains immediately after the adjective it modifies.
Common Mistakes
Placing 'sekali' before the adjective.
Makanan ini sekali enak.Makanan ini enak sekali.Learners often place 'sekali' before the adjective because 'very' comes before the adjective in English. In Indonesian, 'sekali' must always follow the adjective.
Using 'sekali' to mean 'not at all' in negative sentences.
Saya tidak lapar sekali.Saya tidak lapar sama sekali.Saya tidak lapar sama sekali clearly means not hungry at all. Saya tidak lapar sekali can instead negate a high degree of hunger, giving not very hungry. Read the scope in context; bare sekali is not the same not-at-all expression.
Redundant use with the superlative 'paling'.
Dia adalah siswa yang paling pintar sekali.Dia adalah siswa yang paling pintar.For the intended superlative, use paling pintar without sekali. Paling chooses the highest degree in the relevant comparison group; sekali expresses a high degree, not the same grammatical meaning. Stacking them is not the basic standard model.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To use 'sekali' as an intensifier, learners must first be comfortable with basic adjective placement in Indonesian, which follows the noun. They should also understand that Indonesian adjectives can function as predicates without a verb like 'to be'. Knowing other degree markers like 'sangat' helps the learner distinguish between different word orders for intensification.
Related Patterns
- terlalu + AdjectiveExcessive Degree with Terlalu
Terlalu expresses an excessive degree ('too'), whereas sekali expresses a high but not necessarily negative degree ('very').
Level 1 - agak + AdjectiveModerate Degree with Agak
Agak is used for a moderate degree ('somewhat' or 'rather'), contrasting with the high intensity of sekali.
Level 1 - paling + AdjectiveSuperlative with Paling
Paling selects the highest degree within the relevant comparison group. Sekali expresses a high degree without ranking every member of a group.
Level 2 - bukan mainExtreme Degree with Bukan Main
Bukan main is an idiomatic way to express an extreme degree, similar to 'extraordinarily' or 'unbelievably'.
Level 4
Words in This Pattern
Practice Adjective + sekali in Bubblegum
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