walaupun, meskipun, biarpun, and kendati | Indonesian Grammar

A concession presents a fact or possibility that would normally favor one outcome, then asserts that a different outcome holds. Indonesian walaupun, meskipun, biarpun, and kendati all express this “although/even though” relation, but they differ in register. Sekalipun adds the stronger sense “even though/even if,” while optional tetap in the main clause highlights that the outcome resists the obstacle.

Several of these words historically contain pun, but current EYD spelling treats them as fixed conjunctions written solid. This page teaches their choice and spelling. The broader logic of factual and hypothetical concessions appears in Concessive Clauses and Defeated Expectations.

The same logic across different registers

Linker	Typical tone	Register
walaupun	broad, natural in speech and prose	neutral
meskipun	slightly more measured or written	neutral-formal
biarpun	personal, determined, conversational	informal-neutral
kendati	compressed and elevated	formal or literary
sekalipun	emphatic extreme case	neutral-formal

Walaupun jalanan macet, kami tiba sebelum loket tutup.

Although the roads were congested, we arrived before the counter closed. (neutral)

Meskipun lalu lintas sangat padat, rombongan tiba sesuai jadwal.

Although traffic was very heavy, the group arrived on schedule. (neutral-formal)

Biarpun macet, aku tetap datang ke acara kelulusanmu.

Even though traffic is bad, I'm still coming to your graduation. (conversational)

Kendati akses menuju lokasi terbatas, seluruh bantuan tiba tepat waktu.

Although access to the location was limited, all aid arrived on time. (formal)

The expectation is consistent: congestion or limited access should cause delay, yet punctual arrival defeats that expectation. The linker's register changes how the statement sounds, not its basic logic.

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A concession has two layers: obstacle X activates an expectation, but outcome Y survives it. If Y is simply caused by X, you need a result linker rather than a concessive one.

walaupun: the broad neutral choice

Walaupun is natural in conversation, news, personal writing, and general prose (neutral). It can introduce a full clause or a reduced predicate with an understood subject.

Walaupun hujan belum reda, para pedagang mulai membuka kiosnya.

Although the rain had not stopped, the vendors began opening their stalls.

Kami tetap memilih kereta walaupun waktu tempuhnya sedikit lebih lama.

We still chose the train even though its travel time was slightly longer.

Walaupun gugup, Dimas menjawab semua pertanyaan dengan jelas.

Although nervous, Dimas answered every question clearly.

In the reduced clause walaupun gugup, Dimas is understood to be nervous. Indonesian needs no copula equivalent to English “was.”

The shorter walau is also common (neutral), but this page uses walaupun to make the fixed -pun spelling visible.

meskipun: measured neutral-formal concession

Meskipun works throughout neutral writing and careful speech and is particularly common in reasoned or report-like prose (neutral-formal).

Meskipun biaya bahan baku meningkat, perusahaan tidak menaikkan harga bulan ini.

Although raw-material costs increased, the company did not raise prices this month. (neutral-formal)

Rencana itu disetujui meskipun dua anggota dewan menyampaikan keberatan.

The plan was approved although two council members raised objections. (formal)

Meskipun belum sempurna, prototipe tersebut sudah dapat diuji oleh pengguna.

Although not yet perfect, the prototype can already be tested by users. (formal)

Meski is a frequent shorter variant (neutral, especially concise writing and speech). Meski and meskipun differ mainly in form and rhythm, not in concession strength.

biarpun: personal resolve and conversational contrast

Biarpun is especially natural in conversation, dialogue, song-like language, and statements of determination (informal-neutral).

Biarpun capek, aku mau menemani Ayah kontrol ke rumah sakit.

Even though I'm tired, I want to accompany Dad to his hospital checkup. (conversational)

Biarpun warungnya kecil, sambalnya selalu bikin kami kembali.

Although the food stall is small, its chili sauce always brings us back. (conversational)

Aku tidak akan menjual gitar ini biarpun ada yang menawar mahal.

I won't sell this guitar even if someone offers a high price. (conversational)

The third example can be hypothetical: no offer need have occurred. This “even if” edge is especially natural when biarpun accompanies a firm decision. Full hypothetical concession belongs with the larger conditional system; the essential point here is the conversational, resolute tone.

kendati: formal and literary compression

Kendati appears mainly in journalism, academic prose, formal statements, and literature (formal; literary). It often accompanies dense noun phrases and passive clauses.

Kendati tingkat partisipasi meningkat, kesenjangan antardaerah masih cukup besar.

Although participation increased, disparities between regions remain substantial. (academic)

Kendati permohonan telah diajukan tepat waktu, persetujuan akhir belum diterbitkan.

Although the application was submitted on time, final approval has not yet been issued. (formal)

Kendati malam kian larut, suara gamelan dari pendapa belum juga berhenti.

Although the night grew ever later, the sound of the gamelan from the pavilion still did not cease. (literary)

Kendatipun is a longer fixed form with essentially the same concessive function (formal/literary) and is also written solid.

Kendatipun bukti yang tersedia terbatas, peneliti tetap mencatat pola awal tersebut.

Although the available evidence was limited, the researchers still recorded that initial pattern. (academic)

sekalipun: even the strongest obstacle fails

Sekalipun raises the concessive scale to an extreme: “even though” or “even if” (neutral-formal; emphatic).

Sekalipun listrik padam, lemari pendingin vaksin harus tetap beroperasi dengan daya cadangan.

Even if the power fails, the vaccine refrigerator must remain operational on backup power. (formal)

Saya tidak akan membagikan rekaman itu sekalipun nama saya disamarkan.

I will not share that recording even if my name is concealed.

Sekalipun kecewa, Ratih tidak menyalahkan anggota timnya di depan umum.

Even though disappointed, Ratih did not blame her team members in public.

Context distinguishes factual “even though” from hypothetical “even if.” Indonesian does not change the verb to make that distinction.

Do not confuse fused sekalipun with sekali pun “even once,” in which productive pun is separate.

Dia belum sekali pun terlambat sejak bekerja di sini.

She has not been late even once since working here.

Optional tetap in the main clause

Tetap explicitly says that the main outcome holds despite pressure to change it (neutral). It is common but not obligatory.

Walaupun udara sangat dingin, para relawan tetap membagikan makanan di luar gedung.

Although the air was very cold, the volunteers continued distributing food outside the building.

Walaupun udara sangat dingin, para relawan membagikan makanan di luar gedung.

Although the air was very cold, the volunteers distributed food outside the building.

Both sentences are grammatical. The first makes persistence explicit; the second lets the concessive linker and context carry the defeated expectation.

Other main-clause markers create related viewpoints:

Meskipun hari sudah malam, bengkel itu masih menerima pelanggan.

Although it was already night, the repair shop was still accepting customers.

Walaupun tidak diundang, Tono datang juga ke acara perpisahan itu.

Although he was not invited, Tono came to the farewell event anyway.

Masih highlights continuation; final juga means “anyway” in this setting. Neither changes the conjunction's register.

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Meskipun X, tetap Y is not meaningless repetition. The conjunction labels X as an obstacle; tetap marks Y as resistant to it.

Formal and conversational pairs

The following pairs preserve the relation while changing voice and vocabulary to match the linker.

Biarpun tempatnya jauh, kami tetap mau datang naik motor.

Even though the place is far away, we still want to come by motorcycle. (conversational)

Kendati lokasi penyelenggaraan cukup jauh, para peserta tetap menyatakan kesediaan untuk hadir.

Although the venue is quite distant, the participants still expressed willingness to attend. (formal)

Walaupun hasilnya belum bagus, kita coba lagi minggu depan.

Although the result isn't good yet, let's try again next week. (conversational-neutral)

Meskipun hasil evaluasi belum memuaskan, pengujian akan dilanjutkan pada pekan berikutnya.

Although the evaluation results are not yet satisfactory, testing will continue the following week. (formal)

The social packaging changes alongside the conjunction. A page that lists biarpun and kendati as interchangeable without register labels would mislead learners.

Fixed spelling and punctuation

Under current EYD rules, walaupun, meskipun, biarpun, sekalipun, kendatipun are established conjunctions written as one word. Productive pun remains separate elsewhere; see Writing pun Separately and in Fixed Conjunctions.

An initial concessive clause is closed with a comma. A final integrated concession normally has no preceding comma.

Meskipun kereta terlambat, para penumpang menunggu dengan tertib.

Although the train was delayed, the passengers waited in an orderly manner.

Para penumpang menunggu dengan tertib meskipun kereta terlambat hampir satu jam.

The passengers waited in an orderly manner although the train was almost an hour late.

Edited Indonesian does not require tetapi after an initial concessive clause. Use the subordinate pattern meskipun X, Y or coordinate X, tetapi Y according to the structure intended.

Common Mistakes

1. Separating a fixed pun conjunction

❌ Walau pun jadwal berubah, kami tetap berangkat pagi-pagi.

Incorrect spelling — walaupun is a fixed conjunction written solid.

✅ Walaupun jadwal berubah, kami tetap berangkat sebelum matahari terbit.

Although the schedule changed, we still left before sunrise.

2. Confusing sekalipun with sekali pun

❌ Saya tidak pernah sekalipun membuka pesan pribadi pelanggan.

Incorrect for “even once” — this requires separate sekali pun.

✅ Saya belum pernah sekali pun membuka pesan pribadi pelanggan.

I have never once opened a customer's private message.

3. Making tetapi obligatory after meskipun

❌ Meskipun baterainya baru, tetapi ponsel itu cepat sekali habis daya.

Overloaded edited structure — tetapi is not required after a subordinate concession.

✅ Meskipun baterainya baru, ponsel itu cepat sekali kehabisan daya.

Although its battery is new, the phone runs out of power very quickly.

4. Mixing kendati with highly casual diction

❌ Kendati aku lagi capek banget, kita nongkrong, yuk.

✅ Biarpun aku capek, aku masih mau nongkrong sebentar.

Even though I'm tired, I still want to hang out for a bit. (conversational)

5. Forgetting the comma after an initial concession

❌ Biarpun uangnya pas-pasan mereka selalu menyisihkan sedikit untuk orang tuanya.

Incorrect punctuation — close the initial concessive clause with a comma.

✅ Biarpun penghasilannya pas-pasan, mereka selalu menyisihkan sedikit uang untuk orang tuanya.

Although their income is modest, they always set aside a little money for their parents. (conversational)

Key Takeaways

Walaupun is broad and neutral; meskipun is neutral-formal; biarpun conversational; kendati formal or literary.
Sekalipun emphatically tests an extreme obstacle and can mean “even though” or “even if.”
Optional tetap marks the main outcome as persisting despite the obstacle.
Fixed conjunctions containing historical pun are written solid; productive sekali pun remains separate.
Close an initial concession with a comma; normally do not place a comma before a final integrated concessive clause.

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