semakin ... semakin ...

The More the More

Level 3

Use semakin ... semakin ... to relate two changing degrees, such as greater practice frequency and greater fluency. The construction does not itself prove causation or an exact mathematical proportion.

How It Works

The construction semakin ... semakin ... is essential for describing related changes in degree in Indonesian.

1. Structure and Word Order
This word can be used in two main ways:

  • Single Usage: Used once in a sentence to mean 'increasingly' or 'getting [adjective]' (e.g., Dia semakin pintar).
  • Double Usage: The proportional pattern Semakin [Adjective/Verb], semakin [Adjective/Verb] (The more... the more...). A key nuance in this structure is subject-predicate inversion; the subject often follows the adjective or verb (e.g., Semakin besar masalahnya...) rather than preceding it, though both are possible. Additionally, the two clauses can have completely different subjects (e.g., Semakin sering keluarga berolahraga, semakin sehat tubuh mereka). The connector maka may optionally introduce the second clause, especially for an explicitly logical result (e.g., Semakin tinggi pohon, maka semakin kencang anginnya).

2. What it Attaches To

  • Adjectives: The most common usage. Example: semakin tua (the older).
  • Action Verbs: Semakin can attach directly to action verbs (e.g., Semakin belajar, semakin merasa bodoh). However, it is also very common to pair them with an adverb of intensity or frequency, such as giat (diligently) or sering (often).
  • Verbs of Change/State: Verbs indicating a change in state (e.g., meningkat, berkurang, bertambah) also attach directly to semakin. Example: Jumlah peserta semakin bertambah.
  • Nouns: To express an increasing number of countable things, a clear model uses a quantity word such as banyak (many/much). To say 'the more people,' you say semakin banyak orang. However, there is a common idiomatic exception used in the first clause: semakin hari (day by day).
  • Prepositions of Direction: In conversational Indonesian, it frequently attaches to direction words, most notably the highly common idiomatic phrase semakin ke sini (lately / as time goes on).

3. Fixed Formula: Semakin lama semakin...
A core grammatical structure is the fixed phrase Semakin lama semakin [Adjective/Verb], which means 'getting increasingly [Adjective/Verb] over time'. Example: Semakin lama semakin sulit (It's getting harder over time).

4. Emphasis with 'Saja'
In conversational Indonesian, the particle saja is frequently added to emphasize a continuing or intensifying trend. This is most common in standalone statements where semakin means 'getting increasingly [adjective]' (e.g., Cuaca semakin panas saja), rather than just in the second half of a semakin... semakin... sentence.

5. Register Differences

  • Semakin: A standard form.
  • Makin: A standard alternative, also common as the conversational form.
  • Tambah: Another very common conversational alternative (e.g., tambah lama tambah sulit).
  • Kian: A literary or poetic version often used in formal writing or songs.

Examples (4)

  1. Semakin tua dia, semakin bijaksana.

    The older he gets, the wiser he becomes.

    Word by Word: Increasingly old he, increasingly wise.

    This example demonstrates subject-predicate inversion, where the subject 'dia' follows the adjective 'tua'.

  2. Semakin giat kita belajar, semakin pintar kita nanti.

    The more diligently we study, the smarter we will be later.

    Word by Word: Increasingly diligent we study, increasingly smart we later.

    When using action verbs like 'belajar', it is natural to include an adverb like 'giat' (diligently) to show intensity.

  3. Harga barang semakin lama semakin mahal saja.

    The price of goods just keeps getting more and more expensive over time.

    Word by Word: Price goods increasingly long increasingly expensive just.

    Saja emphasizes the continuing trend in this context; it does not make rising prices inevitable.

  4. Semakin cepat kamu lari, semakin lelah kamu nanti.

    The faster you run, the more tired you will be later.

    Word by Word: Increasingly fast you run, increasingly tired you later.

    The speaker links running faster with becoming more tired. The construction expresses that relationship without independently establishing a causal law.

Common Mistakes

  • Omitting the second degree marker when the intended message is the faster, the more tired.

    Semakin cepat kamu lari, kamu lelah.
    Semakin cepat kamu lari, semakin lelah kamu.

    Use semakin in both parts to make both changing degrees explicit in this model. A sentence simply asserting tiredness would convey a different relationship; not every sentence containing one semakin must repeat it.

  • Attaching 'semakin' directly to a noun.

    Semakin orang, semakin berisik.
    Semakin banyak orang, semakin berisik.

    For an increasing number of people, use banyak: semakin banyak orang. This is the quantity model taught here, not a universal claim that no nominal or idiomatic phrase can ever follow semakin.

How It Connects

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

semakin ... semakin ...Level 3The More the More

Learn This First

To understand the 'semakin ... semakin ...' construction, you first need to know the basic use of 'semakin' to indicate an increasing degree. Since this pattern usually links two changing qualities or states, you should also be comfortable with how adjectives function as predicates in Indonesian and have a basic grasp of comparative logic.

Words in This Pattern

semakin