begitu + Adjective

So or Once with Begitu

Level 3

Begitu has three primary functions:
1. Intensifier: 'So' or 'very' before an adjective (e.g., begitu besar - so big).
2. Conjunction: 'As soon as' or 'once' before a verb or clause (e.g., begitu sampai - as soon as [he] arrived).
3. Demonstrative: 'Like that' or 'in that way' (e.g., jangan begitu - don't be like that).

How It Works

1. As an Intensifier ('So')
In this role, begitu functions similarly to sangat (very), but with a more emotive or demonstrative nuance. It is often used to lead into a result clause using sehingga (so... that...) in formal contexts, or sampai in everyday spoken Indonesian. Note that begitu and sangat are placed before the adjective, unlike other common intensifiers such as sekali (e.g., adjective + sekali) or the colloquial banget, which must come after the adjective (e.g., begitu mahal vs. mahal banget).

  • Structure: [Subject] + begitu + [Adjective]
  • Example: Dia begitu lelah sampai langsung tertidur. (He was so tired that he immediately fell asleep.)

2. As a Temporal Conjunction ('As soon as' / 'Once')
When placed at the start of a clause, begitu indicates that the main action happens immediately after the first action or event is realized. Using begitu as a temporal conjunction is standard and highly frequent in both speech and formal writing, including literature, news, and broadcasts. It typically introduces a verb or action clause.

  • Structure: Begitu + [Clause/Verb], [Main Clause]

3. As a Demonstrative Adverb ('Like that')
Begitu can stand alone or follow a verb to mean 'in that way' or 'like that'; its near-speaker counterpart is begini ('like this'). In casual speech, these are often shortened to gitu and gini. To describe 'a [noun] like that,' standard Indonesian uses [noun] seperti itu (e.g., orang seperti itu), while [noun] begitu is common colloquial speech.

  • Oh, begitu: A highly frequent phrase meaning "I see," "Is that so?" or "Oh, I get it."
  • Kalau begitu: A fundamental conversational connector meaning "if so," "in that case," or "then" (often shortened to kalau gitu).
  • Begitu saja: An idiomatic phrase meaning "just like that" or "abruptly/without reason."

4. The Negative Form ('Not very' / 'Not so')
A highly frequent use of this pattern is the negative form tidak begitu + [Adjective] or [Verb of state/emotion/cognition], which means "not very" or "not so".

  • Example: Film itu tidak begitu bagus. (That movie is not very good.)
  • Example: Saya tidak begitu tahu tentang hal itu. (I don't really know about that.)

5. Exclamatory Pattern
To express awe or amazement, begitu can be combined with an adjective and the suffix -nya.

  • Structure: Begitu + [Adjective] + -nya
  • Example: Begitu indahnya pemandangan ini! (How beautiful this scenery is!)

6. Register and Variations
In formal writing, sedemikian can replace begitu as an intensifier. However, when using this formal term, a common model places on the adjective the suffix -nya (e.g., sedemikian indahnya - so beautiful).

Examples (6)

  1. Pemandangan di sini begitu indah.

    The view here is so beautiful.

    Word by Word: View at here so beautiful.

    Here, 'begitu' acts as an intensifier for the adjective 'indah' (beautiful).

  2. Dia begitu lelah sampai langsung tertidur.

    He was so tired that he immediately fell asleep.

    Word by Word: He so tired until immediately fall-asleep.

    This shows the common 'so... that...' construction using 'begitu' and 'sampai', which is highly natural in everyday speech.

  3. Begitu dia datang, kami langsung makan.

    As soon as he arrived, we immediately ate.

    Word by Word: Once he come, we immediately eat.

    Here, 'begitu' is a temporal conjunction followed by an action clause, a standard pattern in both everyday speech and formal writing.

  4. Kalau begitu, mari kita berangkat sekarang.

    In that case, let's leave now.

    Word by Word: If like-that, let us leave now.

    'Kalau begitu' is a fundamental conversational connector meaning 'if so' or 'in that case'.

  5. Oh, begitu! Saya baru mengerti sekarang.

    Oh, I see! I just understood now.

    Word by Word: Oh, like-that! I just understand now.

    'Oh, begitu' is a very common idiomatic expression meaning 'I see', 'Is that so?', or 'Like that, then'.

  6. Dia pergi begitu saja tanpa pamit.

    He left just like that without saying goodbye.

    Word by Word: He go like-that just without say-goodbye.

    The phrase 'begitu saja' is a common idiom meaning 'just like that' or 'without further action'.

Common Mistakes

  • Joining the intensifier to the adjective.

    Dia begitupintar.
    Dia begitu pintar.

    Write begitu separately before pintar in this intensity model. Dia pintar begitu can have a context-dependent demonstrative reading; it is not automatically the same so-clever meaning.

  • Splitting begitu into two parts.

    Masalah ini be gitu rumit.
    Masalah ini begitu rumit.

    Write the full standard word begitu together. Gitu is a colloquial alternative, not an error in a conversational quotation or an informal exchange.

How It Connects

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

begitu + AdjectiveLevel 3So or Once with Begitu

Learn This First

To understand 'begitu + adjective', learners need to be comfortable with adjectives acting as predicates and how degree markers (like 'sangat') modify them. Since 'begitu' can also function as a temporal marker ('as soon as') or a demonstrative ('like that'), familiarity with basic demonstratives like 'itu' provides helpful context for its usage.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern