namun

Sentence-level Contrast with Namun

Level 4

Use namun at the beginning of a sentence to contrast it with the previous one. It is the formal equivalent of 'however' and must be followed by a comma.

How It Works

Namun is a staple of formal Indonesian writing, such as news reports, academic essays, and official speeches. It signals a strong contrast or a counter-expectation.

Key Rules:

  • Placement: According to formal grammar (TBBBI), namun is an inter-sentential conjunction (konjungsi antarkalimat) and must appear at the beginning of a sentence.
  • Punctuation: In standard Indonesian (EYD), it must be followed by a comma.
  • Register: It is highly formal. In casual conversation, speakers prefer tapi.
  • Structure: The standard pattern is: [Sentence A]. Namun, [Sentence B].

Formal Synonyms:
The phrase akan tetapi functions identically to namun in formal registers, appearing at the start of a sentence followed by a comma to provide contrast. Some editors prefer the shorter namun as economical wording. Namun demikian is also attested in Badan Bahasa prose; do not present that editing preference as a universal grammatical prohibition.

Examples (4)

  1. Rencana itu sudah disusun dengan matang. Namun, pelaksanaannya menghadapi banyak kendala.

    The plan was carefully prepared. However, its implementation faced many obstacles.

    Word by Word: Plan that already arranged with mature. However, implementation-its face many obstacles.

    This shows the standard formal usage where 'namun' starts a new sentence to contrast with the previous success of the planning phase.

  2. Tim itu bermain sangat bagus. Namun, mereka gagal mencetak gol.

    The team played very well. Nevertheless, they failed to score a goal.

    Word by Word: Team that play very good. However, they fail score goal.

    Here, 'namun' introduces a result that is contrary to the expectation set by the team playing well.

  3. Obat ini sangat efektif. Namun, pasien harus memperhatikan efek sampingnya.

    This medicine is very effective. However, patients must pay attention to its side effects.

    Word by Word: Medicine this very effective. However, patient must pay-attention-to effect side-its.

    In a medical or technical context, 'namun' is used to introduce necessary caveats or warnings.

  4. Cuaca hari ini sangat buruk. Namun, acara tetap dilanjutkan.

    The weather today is very bad. However, the event is still being continued.

    Word by Word: Weather day this very bad. However, event stay continued.

    This demonstrates 'namun' used to show that an action persists despite unfavorable conditions.

Common Mistakes

  • Joining two clauses with namun and no comma before it.

    Saya ingin pergi namun hujan sangat deras.
    Saya ingin pergi, namun hujan sangat deras.

    Namun can join two clauses in one sentence when a comma comes before it, as in Saya ingin pergi, namun hujan sangat deras. It can also start a new sentence: Saya ingin pergi. Namun, hujan sangat deras.

  • Forgetting the comma after 'namun'.

    Namun mereka tetap datang.
    Namun, mereka tetap datang.

    Standard Indonesian punctuation requires a comma after inter-sentential conjunctions like 'namun'.

How It Connects

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namunLevel 4Sentence-level Contrast with Namun

Learn This First

Namun is a formal contrastive conjunction used primarily at the beginning of a sentence or clause. To use it correctly, learners should already be familiar with basic contrastive markers like tetapi and understand how formal Indonesian uses sentence-initial connectors to transition between ideas.

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Words in This Pattern

namun