kemungkinan bahwa
The Possibility That
Kemungkinan bahwa is a formal structure used to treat a whole idea or event as a single noun phrase ('the possibility that...'). It is primarily used in academic, legal, and journalistic Indonesian.
How It Works
In formal Indonesian, kemungkinan bahwa functions as a 'nominalizer.' While the adverb mungkin can modify a proposition to mean 'maybe,' kemungkinan bahwa packages the possibility of a proposition as a noun phrase.
Structure:
[Kemungkinan bahwa] + [Full Clause (Subject + Predicate)]
Key Characteristics:
- Register: It is a hallmark of Bahasa Baku (Standard/Formal Indonesian). You will see it in news reports, research papers, and formal speeches.
- Syntactic Role: Because it is a noun phrase, it can be the subject of a sentence (e.g., 'The possibility that X is small') or the object of a verb (e.g., 'We are considering the possibility that X').
- Presentation: A noun phrase lets the writer discuss and evaluate the possibility explicitly. Mungkin can also be used in neutral analysis; neither form guarantees objectivity.
Bahwa and Scope: Bahwa makes the clause boundary explicit, but omission is also attested in edited Indonesian, for example besar kemungkinan materi akan dipelajari siswa. Do not treat every omitted bahwa as a formal grammar error. Kemungkinan bahwa ia mungkin gagal can be wordy if both markers merely repeat the same uncertainty; nested possibility can also be meaningful, so clarify the intended scope rather than declaring all double modality ungrammatical.
Examples (4)
- Besar kemungkinan bahwa proyek ini akan selesai tepat waktu.
There is a high probability that this project will be completed on time.
Word by Word: Big possibility that project this will finish exact time.
The noun phrase kemungkinan bahwa proyek ini akan selesai tepat waktu follows its predicative adjective besar. This is a predicate-first order, not merely an attributive adjective inside the subject.
- Para ilmuwan tidak menutup kemungkinan bahwa virus tersebut bermutasi kembali.
Scientists do not rule out the possibility that the virus mutates again.
Word by Word: Plural scientists not close possibility that virus that mutate again.
In this sentence, the pattern is the object of the verb phrase 'tidak menutup' (do not close/rule out).
- Kemungkinan bahwa ia akan mengundurkan diri telah dibicarakan oleh dewan direksi.
The possibility that he/she will resign has been discussed by the board of directors.
Word by Word: Possibility that he/she will resign already discussed by board directors.
The possibility of the person's future resignation forms the complex subject of the passive dibicarakan.
- Kita harus mempertimbangkan kemungkinan bahwa data ini tidak akurat.
We must consider the possibility that this data is not accurate.
Word by Word: We must consider possibility that data this not accurate.
Used here in a formal analytical context to evaluate information.
Common Mistakes
Treating a nominal possibility phrase as a complete statement.
Kemungkinan bahwa dia lupa.Kemungkinan bahwa dia lupa cukup besar.In the standalone subject-predicate model, kemungkinan bahwa dia lupa is the subject phrase and cukup besar supplies its predicate. The shorter phrase can be a heading or contextual fragment, but it is not the complete statement intended here. Mungkin dia lupa is a different complete statement: perhaps he/she forgot.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand 'kemungkinan bahwa', a learner needs to know how abstract nouns are formed using the ke-...-an circumfix (specifically 'kemungkinan' from 'mungkin'). They also need to understand how 'bahwa' functions as a complementizer to introduce a full clause that describes the content of the possibility.
- ke-...-an (keadaan)Abstract States with Ke-...-an
The word 'kemungkinan' is an abstract noun formed from the root 'mungkin' using the ke-...-an circumfix, which the learner must understand to grasp the noun 'possibility'.
Level 3 - That-clause as an argument
This pattern is a specific application of using a 'bahwa' clause as a nominal argument, which is necessary for packaging a proposition as a possibility.
Level 5
Related Patterns
- bahwaContent Clauses with Bahwa
The core complementizer used to link 'kemungkinan' to the following clause.
Level 2 - mungkinPossibility with Mungkin
The adverbial root of 'kemungkinan', used for simple 'maybe' statements.
Level 3 - fakta bahwaThe Fact That
A similar formal structure used to nominalize a 'fact' rather than a 'possibility'.
Level 5 - boleh jadiIt May Be That
A formal alternative to express 'it may be that', often used in similar high-level registers.
Level 5
Words in This Pattern
Practice kemungkinan bahwa in Bubblegum
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