Sequencing: pertama, kemudian, lalu, akhirnya | Indonesian Grammar

Indonesian verbs do not change tense form to show whether one event happened before another. Sequencers such as pertama, kemudian, lalu, and akhirnya therefore do important architectural work: they turn clauses into an ordered procedure, story, or argument. The choice of marker also tells readers whether the next event follows closely, begins a looser new stage, or completes a developing process.

This page covers text-level sequence and punctuation. It does not provide a complete account of individual conjunction syntax or the interpersonal meanings of conversational particles.

The basic sequence map

Marker	Core contribution	Typical register
pertama, pertama-tama	opens the first step or point	neutral; pertama-tama is common in organized speech
kemudian	moves to a later event or stage; the interval may be loose	neutral to formal
lalu	presents the next event in a fairly direct succession	neutral, especially narrative and instructions
setelah itu	explicitly locates an event after the preceding one	neutral
selanjutnya	advances an organized procedure or exposition	neutral to formal
akhirnya	presents the eventual outcome after a process, delay, or difficulty	neutral
terakhir	labels the last item in an ordered list	neutral

Pertama, tentukan tujuan utama rapat ini.

First, determine the main purpose of this meeting.

Kemudian, kelompokkan usul-usul itu berdasarkan topik.

Then, group the proposals by topic.

Kami menyeberang jalan lalu masuk ke gang kecil di sebelah bank.

We crossed the road and then entered the small alley beside the bank.

Setelah itu, semua peserta kembali ke ruang utama.

After that, all participants returned to the main room.

Akhirnya, kedua pihak mencapai kesepakatan setelah berdiskusi selama tiga jam.

Eventually, both sides reached an agreement after discussing for three hours.

💡

Sequencers impose time order on clauses whose verbs do not carry tense endings. A sequence can therefore be perfectly clear without changing the form of any verb.

Pertama opens an ordered structure

Sentence-initial Pertama, labels the first step or point and normally takes a comma. Pertama-tama, strongly signals the opening of an organized explanation or speech. Neither necessarily means “for the first time,” which is untuk pertama kalinya.

Pertama-tama, saya akan menjelaskan latar belakang masalahnya.

First of all, I will explain the background to the problem.

Untuk pertama kalinya, Nisa bepergian sendirian ke luar negeri.

For the first time, Nisa traveled abroad alone.

Pertama, periksa apakah semua nama sudah tercantum dalam daftar.

First, check whether all the names are on the list.

Ada dua hal yang perlu dibahas. Pertama, biayanya terlalu tinggi.

There are two things we need to discuss. First, the cost is too high.

When enumerating arguments, continue with kedua, ketiga, and so on. In a narrative, the next stage is more naturally introduced by kemudian, lalu, or a time expression.

Kemudian, lalu, and setelah itu

All three can correspond to English “then,” but they organize events differently.

Lalu commonly links events in a direct chain. Inside one clause sequence it behaves like a connector and usually needs no comma immediately before it. Kemudian comfortably starts a new sentence or a looser stage; the next event need not be instantaneous. Setelah itu explicitly makes the preceding event the temporal reference point.

Dewi mematikan kompor lalu menutup jendela dapur.

Dewi turned off the stove and then closed the kitchen window.

Kami makan siang di pasar. Kemudian, kami berjalan ke museum.

We had lunch at the market. Later, we walked to the museum.

Dokumen itu ditandatangani pada hari Selasa. Setelah itu, salinannya dikirim kepada semua pihak.

The document was signed on Tuesday. After that, copies were sent to all parties.

Begitu bel berbunyi, para siswa berdiri lalu keluar dengan tertib.

As soon as the bell rang, the students stood up and then left in an orderly way.

Kami akan meninjau data awal terlebih dahulu. Kemudian, tim hukum akan memeriksa kontraknya.

We will review the initial data first. Then, the legal team will examine the contract. (formal)

Lalu does not itself guarantee “immediately.” Add langsung when the lack of delay matters.

Setelah menerima kabar itu, Arman lalu langsung menelepon keluarganya.

After receiving the news, Arman then immediately called his family.

Akhirnya is an outcome, not merely the last label

Akhirnya presents an event as the culmination of waiting, attempts, stages, or difficulty. English finally also works this way, but it can additionally introduce the last bullet in a presentation or signal impatience. Indonesian normally uses terakhir for a last point and makes impatience explicit through context or tone.

Setelah mencoba beberapa kali, kami akhirnya berhasil membuka pintunya.

After trying several times, we finally managed to open the door.

Kereta yang tertunda itu akhirnya tiba menjelang tengah malam.

The delayed train finally arrived close to midnight.

Pada akhirnya, keputusan itu berada di tangan warga.

Ultimately, the decision rests with the residents.

Terakhir, saya akan merangkum tiga rekomendasi utama.

Lastly, I will summarize the three main recommendations.

Akhirnya busnya datang juga setelah kami menunggu hampir satu jam!

The bus finally came after we had waited almost an hour!

The exclamation can express relief or irritation, but that feeling arises from the long wait and delivery. Akhirnya still identifies the eventual outcome.

A controlled recipe

In instructions, use the markers to reveal the structure instead of putting lalu between every sentence. This recipe distinguishes opening, intermediate, direct, and final steps.

Pertama, cuci dua cangkir beras sampai airnya cukup jernih.

First, wash two cups of rice until the water is fairly clear.

Kemudian, masukkan beras dan air ke dalam panci.

Then, put the rice and water into the pot.

Nyalakan api sedang lalu tutup pancinya rapat-rapat.

Turn on medium heat, then cover the pot tightly.

Setelah itu, kecilkan api dan tunggu sekitar lima belas menit.

After that, lower the heat and wait about fifteen minutes.

Terakhir, matikan api dan diamkan nasi sebelum disajikan.

Lastly, turn off the heat and let the rice rest before serving.

Terakhir labels the final instruction. If the recipe instead reported the resulting state, akhirnya would be natural: Setelah didiamkan sepuluh menit, nasi akhirnya siap disajikan.

A controlled travel story

Narrative sequencing combines explicit time expressions with discourse markers. This prevents an exhausting chain of lalu ... lalu ... lalu.

Pagi itu, kami ketinggalan bus pertama menuju terminal.

That morning, we missed the first bus to the terminal.

Kami lalu naik ojek agar tidak tiba terlalu terlambat.

We then took motorcycle taxis so we wouldn’t arrive too late.

Sesampainya di terminal, kami membeli tiket kereta berikutnya.

On arriving at the terminal, we bought tickets for the next train.

Kemudian, hujan deras memperlambat perjalanan kami selama hampir satu jam.

Later, heavy rain slowed our journey for nearly an hour.

Menjelang sore, kami akhirnya tiba di kota tujuan dengan selamat.

Toward evening, we finally arrived safely in our destination city.

The morning, arrival, and late-afternoon phrases independently anchor the story. The sequencers explain how the events form a path through those times.

A controlled presentation outline

Presentations are conceptual sequences rather than stories. Use enumeration and selanjutnya; reserve akhirnya for an actual result.

Pertama, saya akan memaparkan masalah yang dihadapi pelanggan.

First, I will present the problem customers face.

Selanjutnya, saya akan membandingkan tiga pilihan yang tersedia.

Next, I will compare the three available options.

Kemudian, rekan saya akan menjelaskan perkiraan biayanya.

Then, my colleague will explain the estimated cost.

Terakhir, kami akan membuka sesi tanya jawab selama sepuluh menit.

Lastly, we will open a ten-minute question-and-answer session.

Jika rencana ini diterapkan, perusahaan akhirnya dapat mengurangi waktu tunggu.

If this plan is implemented, the company can ultimately reduce waiting time.

Punctuation and spacing

Sentence-initial text organizers normally take a comma: Pertama, ... Kemudian, ... Setelah itu, ... Akhirnya, ... Capitalize them after a period. Multiword setelah itu stays separate. A connector inside a tightly joined clause does not automatically take a comma. See Indonesian punctuation for the broader sentence-boundary system.

Mira membaca petunjuknya lalu memasang rak itu sendiri.

Mira read the instructions and then assembled the shelf herself.

Setelah itu, Mira memeriksa apakah raknya sudah stabil.

After that, Mira checked whether the shelf was stable.

Common Mistakes

1. Using lalu between every sentence

❌ Kami tiba di stasiun. Lalu kami membeli tiket. Lalu kami menunggu. Lalu keretanya datang.

Poor style — repeated lalu hides the larger stages of the story.

✅ Kami tiba di stasiun dan membeli tiket. Setelah menunggu setengah jam, kami akhirnya naik kereta.

We arrived at the station and bought tickets. After waiting half an hour, we finally boarded the train.

2. Using akhirnya for the last item in an outline

❌ Akhirnya, topik ketiga presentasi ini adalah anggaran.

Wrong organizer if this merely labels the final topic; akhirnya suggests an eventual outcome.

✅ Terakhir, saya akan membahas anggaran proyek.

Lastly, I will discuss the project budget.

3. Omitting the comma after an initial organizer

❌ Kemudian kami memeriksa hasil pengukurannya.

Nonstandard punctuation when kemudian functions as a sentence-initial text organizer.

✅ Kemudian, kami memeriksa hasil pengukurannya.

Then, we checked the measurement results.

4. Writing a multiword marker together

❌ Setelahitu, mereka kembali ke hotel.

Incorrect spelling — setelah itu is two words.

✅ Setelah itu, mereka kembali ke hotel untuk beristirahat.

After that, they returned to the hotel to rest.

5. Treating sequence as cause

❌ Kalimat “Harga naik lalu permintaan turun” membuktikan bahwa lalu sendiri menyatakan hubungan sebab.

Incorrect analysis — lalu orders events but does not itself assert causation.

✅ Karena harga naik, permintaan pun turun pada bulan berikutnya.

Because prices rose, demand consequently fell the following month.

Key Takeaways

Pertama opens an ordered structure; terakhir labels its last item.
Lalu favors direct succession, while kemudian can introduce a looser later stage.
Setelah itu explicitly anchors the next event after the preceding one.
Akhirnya marks an eventual outcome, not just the last sentence in a list.
Put a comma after sentence-initial organizers, but do not insert one mechanically before medial lalu.

Now practice Indonesian

Reading grammar gets you part of the way. The exercises are where it sticks — free, no signup needed.

Start learning Indonesian →