Hendak presents a purposeful intention or an action on the point of occurring. It remains fully current, but it sounds more deliberate and elevated than everyday mau. It is especially common in announcements, speeches, careful questions, and narrative prose (formal/literary), rather than as a neutral marker of every future event.
Compare the everyday desire and intention patterns on the mau page and personal desire on the ingin page.
Write hendak separately before the predicate. The related recommendation form hendaknya is one word because -nya is attached; its grammar and viewpoint are different.
Purposeful intention
With a person or institution as subject, hendak says that the subject purposes to carry out an action.
Saya hendak menyampaikan dua hal sebelum rapat dimulai.
I would like to convey two things before the meeting begins.
Kami hendak mengajukan keberatan secara tertulis.
We intend to submit an objection in writing.
Penulis hendak menunjukkan bahwa perubahan itu berlangsung bertahap.
The author seeks to show that the change occurred gradually.
The first two are deliberate intentions (formal). The third is common in analytic or academic prose (academic): hendak menunjukkan describes the author's communicative aim, not a future tense.
Dalam sambutannya, direktur mengatakan bahwa ia hendak memperkuat kerja sama antartim.
In the address, the director said that he/she intended to strengthen cooperation between teams.
Like akan, hendak does not change form when the intention is viewed from a past narrative.
Formal announcements and public language
A speaker can use hendak to frame the next purposeful act in a speech or official encounter (formal).
Pada kesempatan ini, kami hendak mengucapkan terima kasih kepada seluruh relawan.
On this occasion, we would like to thank all the volunteers.
Sebelum acara ditutup, saya hendak membacakan hasil keputusan panitia.
Before the event closes, I would like to read out the committee's decision.
Melalui surat ini, kami hendak meminta penjelasan lebih lanjut.
Through this letter, we wish to request further clarification.
In institutional writing, hendak can sound ceremonially purposeful. Akan would instead make a neutral projection or commitment:
Panitia akan mengumumkan hasil seleksi besok.
The committee will announce the selection results tomorrow.
Panitia hendak menjelaskan alasan perubahan jadwal.
The committee wishes/intends to explain the reason for the schedule change.
The first reports what will happen; the second foregrounds the committee's communicative purpose.
Imminent action in narrative
Hendak + verb can mean “was about to,” especially when another event interrupts or coincides with the intended action (literary/formal narrative).
Ketika ia hendak keluar, telepon di ruang tamu berdering.
As he/she was about to go out, the telephone in the living room rang.
Saya baru hendak tidur ketika listrik padam.
I was just about to go to sleep when the power went out.
Mereka hendak menyeberang saat hujan tiba-tiba turun deras.
They were about to cross when heavy rain suddenly began.
The action need not actually occur. Hendak keluar describes the intention immediately before the ringing; the narrative may leave the departure unrealized.
With nonhuman subjects, the same construction can personify or vividly anticipate an event (literary):
Matahari hendak tenggelam ketika perahu itu mencapai pantai.
The sun was about to set when the boat reached the shore.
Hujan tampaknya hendak turun dari arah gunung.
Rain seemed about to fall from the direction of the mountain.
Neutral conversation would more often use sebentar lagi or akan.
Polite and elevated questions
In service encounters or respectful conversation, hendak can ask about someone's destination or intended business (formal/polite).
Bapak hendak bertemu dengan siapa?
Whom would you like to meet, sir?
Hendak ke mana, Bu?
Where are you headed, ma'am?
Apa yang hendak Anda sampaikan kepada pimpinan?
What would you like to convey to the management?
Apakah Saudara hendak mengajukan pertanyaan?
Do you wish to ask a question?
Anda and Saudara belong to careful public or institutional interaction; Saudara is especially formal. In everyday talk among friends, mau is more natural:
Kamu mau ke mana?
Where are you going?
Hendak, ingin, mau, and akan
English want, intend, be going to, and will do not divide meaning exactly as Indonesian does.
| Form | Core viewpoint | Typical register |
|---|---|---|
| ingin | Personal desire | Neutral |
| mau | Desire, willingness, or everyday intention | Neutral/informal |
| hendak | Purposeful intention or imminence | Formal/literary |
| akan | Prospect, prediction, plan, or commitment | Neutral through formal |
Saya ingin belajar di luar negeri, tetapi belum membuat rencana.
I want to study abroad, but I have not made a plan yet.
Aku mau daftar minggu ini kalau sempat.
I want/intend to apply this week if I have time.
Saya hendak mendaftar setelah seluruh dokumen disahkan.
I intend to apply after all the documents have been certified.
Pendaftaran akan ditutup pada hari Jumat.
Registration will close on Friday.
The distinctions are not mathematical. Mau can express a firm plan, and hendak can politely soften an immediate wish. The reliable differences are the viewpoint highlighted and the social style selected.
Negation and ordering
Tidak hendak + verb denies intention and can imply deliberate refusal (formal).
Kami tidak hendak mencampuri urusan pribadi mereka.
We do not intend to interfere in their private affairs.
Ia tidak hendak menyerah meskipun menghadapi banyak tekanan.
He/She had no intention of giving up despite facing great pressure.
Belum hendak means that the intention has not arisen or will not be acted on yet; a later change remains possible.
Pemerintah belum hendak mengubah kebijakan tersebut.
The government does not yet intend to change that policy.
Saya belum hendak pulang; masih ada yang perlu dibicarakan.
I don't intend to go home yet; there is still something to discuss.
Aspect words can precede hendak and take scope over the intended action:
Saya baru hendak menjawab ketika dia memotong pembicaraan.
I was just about to answer when he/she interrupted.
Setelah mendengar keberatan itu, mereka masih hendak melanjutkan proyek.
After hearing the objection, they still intended to continue the project.
The neutral order is baru/masih/tidak/belum + hendak + predicate. Reversing it usually changes the structure or produces unnatural Indonesian.
Hendaknya: a formal recommendation
Hendaknya means “should/ideally ought to” and presents a recommendation (formal). The suffix -nya is attached, and the expression is not simply hendak plus a third-person object.
Peserta hendaknya hadir tiga puluh menit sebelum acara dimulai.
Participants should ideally arrive thirty minutes before the event begins.
Perbedaan pendapat hendaknya diselesaikan melalui musyawarah.
Differences of opinion should be resolved through deliberation.
Kita hendaknya tidak menarik kesimpulan sebelum datanya lengkap.
We should not draw a conclusion before the data is complete.
Hendaknya often sounds advisory and elevated. Everyday instructions favor sebaiknya or direct imperatives.
Common Mistakes
Confusing hendaknya with a weather prediction
❌ Besok hujan hendaknya turun menurut prakiraan cuaca.
Wrong meaning — hendaknya presents an advisable outcome, not a forecast.
✅ Besok hujan akan turun menurut prakiraan resmi.
Rain will fall tomorrow according to the official forecast.
Confusing desire with an established intention
❌ Saya hendak tinggal di Mars suatu hari nanti, tetapi itu hanya angan-angan.
Misleading choice — hendak presents purposeful intention, while the context explicitly says this is only a fantasy.
✅ Saya ingin tinggal di Mars suatu hari nanti, tetapi itu hanya angan-angan.
I want to live on Mars someday, but it is only a fantasy.
Putting negation after hendak
❌ Kami hendak tidak mengomentari perkara itu.
Non-neutral order for denying intention — place tidak before hendak.
✅ Kami tidak hendak mengomentari perkara itu.
We do not intend to comment on that matter.
Separating the suffix in hendaknya
❌ Peserta hendak nya datang tepat waktu.
Incorrect spelling — the recommendation form hendaknya is one word.
✅ Peserta hendaknya datang tepat waktu.
Participants should arrive on time.
Treating hendaknya as personal intention
❌ Kalimat “Saya hendaknya menelepon Anda besok” berarti bahwa saya berniat menelepon.
Incorrect interpretation — hendaknya evaluates the call as advisable, not as the speaker's intention.
✅ Saya hendak menelepon Anda besok untuk membahas hasilnya.
I intend to call you tomorrow to discuss the result.
Key Takeaways
- Hendak foregrounds purposeful intention and belongs especially to formal, polite, academic, or literary settings.
- In narrative, hendak + verb can mean “be about to,” whether or not the action is completed.
- Use ingin for desire, everyday mau for desire/willingness/intention, and akan for neutral prospect or prediction.
- Tidak hendak rejects an intention; belum hendak postpones or withholds it.
- Attached hendaknya gives an impersonal recommendation and must not be confused with personal hendak.
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