walaupun ... masih ...

Concession with Continuing State

Level 4

Use walaupun ... masih ... to say "Although [X], [Y] is still happening." It emphasizes that an expected change did not occur.

How It Works

The construction walaupun ... masih ... is a powerful way to express contrast and continuity in Malay.

1. Structure:
The sentence typically begins with the subordinate clause introduced by walaupun, followed by a comma, and then the main clause containing masih.
Example: Walaupun hujan, dia masih mahu keluar. (Although it is raining, he still wants to go out.)

2. The Role of 'Masih':
While walaupun can function alone to mean "although," adding masih in the second clause specifically signals that the state is ongoing. It tells the listener that the obstacle mentioned in the first clause failed to stop the action in the second.

3. Register and Usage:
This pattern is universal. It is used in formal writing, news reports, and daily conversation. Note that walaupun is always written as one word; writing it as walau pun is a common spelling error.

4. Flexibility:
The clauses can be swapped. You can say: Dia masih kuat bekerja walaupun sudah tua. (He is still strong enough to work although he is already old.) When the walaupun clause comes second, the comma is usually omitted.

Examples (4)

  1. Walaupun dia sudah tua, dia masih kuat bekerja.

    Although he is already old, he is still strong enough to work.

    Word by Word: Although he already old, he still strong work.

    This shows a contrast between the subject's age (the obstacle) and his continued physical strength (the persisting state).

  2. Walaupun pasukan itu kalah, peminat masih memberi sokongan padu.

    Although the team lost, fans still gave solid support.

    Word by Word: Although team that lose, fans still give support solid.

    Here, 'masih' emphasizes that the fans' loyalty did not end despite the team's defeat.

  3. Walaupun harga barang meningkat, orang ramai masih berbelanja di pasar raya itu.

    Although prices have increased, the public still shops at that supermarket.

    Word by Word: Although price goods increase, people many still shop at supermarket that.

    This highlights the persistence of the shoppers' behavior despite the negative condition of rising prices.

  4. Saya masih mencintainya walaupun kami sudah berpisah.

    I still love her although we have already separated.

    Word by Word: I still love-her although we already separate.

    This example shows the 'walaupun' clause at the end of the sentence, which is a common variation.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'tetapi' (but) together with 'walaupun' in the same sentence.

    Walaupun dia kaya, tetapi dia kedekut.
    Walaupun dia kaya, dia masih kedekut.

    In Malay grammar, using both 'walaupun' and 'tetapi' in one sentence is redundant (kelewahan). Use a comma or 'masih' to bridge the clauses instead.

  • Writing 'walaupun' as two separate words.

    Walau pun hari hujan, dia tetap pergi.
    Walaupun hari hujan, dia tetap pergi.

    In Standard Malay, 'walaupun' is a fixed compound and must be written as a single word without a space.

How It Connects

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

walaupun ... masih ...Level 4Concession with Continuing State

Learn This First

The pattern 'walaupun ... masih ...' is a correlative construction that combines a concessive clause with a main clause describing a continuing state. Learners must first understand how to use 'walaupun' to introduce a concession and how 'masih' functions as an aspectual marker for ongoing actions or states.

Words in This Pattern

walaupunmasih