How to Express Purpose and Reason in Indonesian for English Speakers

Understanding Purpose and Reason in Indonesian

When learning Indonesian, expressing purpose and reason is essential for clear communication. Unlike English, Indonesian uses specific words and structures to indicate why something is done or the goal behind an action.

Key Words for Expressing Purpose

In Indonesian, the most common words to express purpose include untuk (for/to), supaya (so that), and agar (so that). These words help link actions to their intended outcomes.

For example, untuk is often used before a verb or noun to indicate purpose:
Saya belajar bahasa Indonesia untuk bekerja di sana. (I study Indonesian to work there.)

Expressing Reason or Cause

To express reason or cause, Indonesian commonly uses karena (because), sebab (because), and oleh karena itu (therefore). These words explain why something happens.

Example:
Saya terlambat karena macet. (I am late because of traffic.)

Sentence Structures for Purpose and Reason

Understanding how to structure sentences with these words is important. Here are some common patterns:

• Subject + verb + untuk + verb/noun (expressing purpose)
• Subject + verb + karena + reason (expressing reason)
• Subject + verb + supaya/agar + verb (expressing purpose with a clause)

Example with supaya:
Saya belajar keras supaya lulus ujian. (I study hard so that I pass the exam.)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

English speakers sometimes confuse untuk and karena. Remember, untuk indicates purpose (the goal), while karena indicates reason (the cause).

Also, supaya and agar are interchangeable but usually followed by a verb clause, not a noun.

Practice Examples