Legal Indonesian is dense because ordinary reference and scope tools are used under unusually high stakes. Wajib, dilarang, berhak, dapat, definitions, numbered lists, exceptions, negation, and cross-references must identify exactly who bears a norm, when it applies, and what falls outside it. There is no separate legal tense or mysterious legal grammar.
This page teaches language analysis, not legal advice. Authentic provisions acquire meaning from the full instrument, governing doctrine, and authorized interpretation.
Start with normative force
| Predicate | Typical force | First parsing question |
|---|---|---|
| wajib / harus | duty or requirement | Who must do what? |
| dilarang / tidak boleh | prohibition | Which action is forbidden? |
| berhak | entitlement | Who may demand or receive what? |
| dapat | authorization, discretion, or possibility | Is power granted, or is mere possibility described? |
Pemegang Izin wajib melaporkan perubahan alamat paling lambat empat belas hari setelah perubahan terjadi.
A Permit Holder must report an address change no later than fourteen days after it occurs. (constructed legal duty)
Pengunjung dilarang membawa bahan mudah terbakar ke dalam ruang penyimpanan.
Visitors are prohibited from bringing flammable materials into the storage room. (constructed prohibition)
Setiap Pekerja berhak memperoleh informasi mengenai risiko keselamatan di tempat kerja.
Every Worker is entitled to receive information about workplace safety risks. (constructed entitlement)
Pejabat Pemeriksa dapat memperpanjang waktu pemeriksaan apabila diperlukan pengujian tambahan.
The Examining Official may extend the inspection period if additional testing is required. (constructed authorization)
Wajib and harus impose duties
Both wajib and harus can express legal necessity. Wajib strongly profiles a duty imposed on a participant; harus also marks a required condition or procedural necessity. The document's definitions and consequences determine the full legal effect.
Penyelenggara wajib menyediakan saluran pengaduan yang dapat diakses setiap hari.
An Operator must provide a complaint channel accessible every day. (constructed legal duty)
Surat permohonan harus memuat nama, alamat, dan tanda tangan pemohon.
An application letter must contain the applicant's name, address, and signature. (constructed document requirement)
Setiap perubahan tarif wajib diumumkan kepada Pengguna sebelum diberlakukan.
Every tariff change must be announced to Users before it is implemented. (constructed duty)
Bukti pembayaran harus masih berlaku pada tanggal permohonan diajukan.
Proof of payment must still be valid on the date the application is submitted. (constructed validity condition)
English legal shall has no automatic one-word equivalent. Translate the function: duty, future event, authorization, or condition.
Dilarang and berhak face opposite directions
Dilarang places an action outside the permitted set. Berhak assigns an entitlement to a holder. Both need an explicit or recoverable participant.
Penyedia dilarang menggunakan data pelanggan untuk tujuan di luar perjanjian.
A Provider is prohibited from using customer data for purposes outside the agreement. (constructed prohibition)
Petugas tidak boleh meminta pembayaran yang tidak tercantum dalam daftar biaya resmi.
An officer may not request a payment not listed in the official fee schedule. (constructed prohibition)
Pemohon berhak menerima tanda terima setelah menyerahkan dokumen.
An Applicant is entitled to receive a receipt after submitting the documents. (constructed entitlement)
Masyarakat berhak mengajukan keberatan atas penolakan informasi publik.
The public is entitled to object to a refusal of public information. (constructed entitlement)
An entitlement does not by itself identify the procedure for exercising it. A well-designed instrument cross-refers to the application channel, deadline, and deciding body.
Definitions create local reference
Legal definitions assign a document-specific scope. Defined terms may be capitalized consistently within the constructed instrument, but capitalization alone does not define them.
Dalam Peraturan ini, Pengelola adalah badan hukum yang mengoperasikan Fasilitas Umum.
In this Regulation, Operator means a legal entity operating a Public Facility. (constructed definition)
Yang dimaksud dengan Informasi Rahasia adalah informasi yang aksesnya dibatasi berdasarkan undang-undang.
Confidential Information means information whose access is restricted by statute. (constructed definition)
Istilah Hari Kerja tidak mencakup hari Sabtu, hari Minggu, dan hari libur nasional.
The term Working Day does not include Saturdays, Sundays, or national holidays. (constructed exclusionary definition)
Untuk tujuan Pasal 8, Kendaraan Darurat mencakup ambulans, mobil pemadam kebakaran, dan kendaraan penyelamatan.
For the purposes of Article 8, Emergency Vehicle includes ambulances, fire engines, and rescue vehicles. (constructed local definition)
Do not silently switch from a defined term to a near-synonym. Pemohon, Pengguna, and Penerima can denote different legal classes even if one person fills all three roles.
Enumeration controls coordination
Numbered items expose structure, but syntax still determines whether the items are cumulative, alternative, or governed by an initial condition.
Pemohon wajib melampirkan dokumen berikut: a. salinan identitas; b. bukti domisili; dan c. surat pernyataan.
An Applicant must attach the following documents: (a) a copy of identification; (b) proof of domicile; and (c) a declaration. (constructed cumulative list)
Pemberitahuan dapat disampaikan melalui salah satu sarana berikut: a. surat elektronik; b. pesan singkat; atau c. portal layanan.
Notice may be delivered through one of the following channels: (a) email; (b) text message; or (c) the service portal. (constructed alternatives)
Apabila terjadi keadaan darurat, Pengelola wajib melakukan tindakan berikut: a. menghentikan kegiatan; b. mengevakuasi Pengunjung; dan c. melaporkan kejadian kepada instansi berwenang.
If an emergency occurs, the Operator must take the following actions: (a) stop activities; (b) evacuate Visitors; and (c) report the incident to the competent authority. (condition governing all items)
Larangan sebagaimana dimaksud pada ayat (1) berlaku terhadap penyimpanan, penggunaan, dan pengalihan data.
The prohibition referred to in paragraph (1) applies to the storage, use, and transfer of data. (cross-referenced coordinated scope)
Final dan normally indicates cumulative items; final atau indicates alternatives. Specialized definitions or interpretive rules can modify that default.
Exceptions must attach to a rule
Kecuali, kecuali jika, and selain remove a class or condition from a stated rule. An exception grants nothing beyond that rule.
Setiap orang dilarang memasuki ruang arsip, kecuali Petugas Arsip yang sedang bertugas.
Everyone is prohibited from entering the archive room, except Archive Officers on duty. (constructed class exception)
Izin tidak dapat dialihkan, kecuali jika pengalihan disetujui secara tertulis oleh Menteri.
A permit may not be transferred unless the transfer is approved in writing by the Minister. (constructed conditional exception)
Selain dokumen sebagaimana dimaksud pada ayat (2), Pemohon dapat menyerahkan bukti pendukung lain.
In addition to the documents referred to in paragraph (2), an Applicant may submit other supporting evidence. (addition, not exception)
Kewajiban pelaporan tidak berlaku bagi usaha yang berhenti beroperasi sebelum tahun pajak dimulai.
The reporting duty does not apply to businesses that cease operating before the tax year begins. (explicit exemption)
An exception at the end of a long sentence can be ambiguous about which clause it modifies. Repeat the rule or split the sentence if two attachments are plausible.
Negation scope changes legal effect
Compare the position of tidak relative to the modal.
Pemohon tidak wajib hadir dalam pemeriksaan dokumen.
An Applicant is not required to attend the document review. (absence of duty)
Pemohon dilarang hadir tanpa undangan tertulis.
An Applicant is prohibited from attending without a written invitation. (prohibition under a condition)
Pejabat tidak dapat menolak permohonan hanya karena dokumen diajukan secara elektronik.
An Official may not reject an application solely because the documents were submitted electronically. (restriction on power)
Tidak semua pelanggaran mengakibatkan pencabutan izin.
Not every violation results in permit revocation. (negation scopes over universal quantification)
Tidak wajib removes an obligation; it does not prohibit the act. Tidak semua means some may, not none. For systematic contrasts, see negation scope.
Cross-reference keeps reference stable
Legal prose uses sebagaimana dimaksud dalam, berdasarkan, sesuai dengan, and explicit article/paragraph/item references to avoid repeating an entire rule.
Persyaratan sebagaimana dimaksud dalam Pasal 6 ayat (2) harus dipenuhi sebelum izin diterbitkan.
The requirements referred to in Article 6 paragraph (2) must be met before a permit is issued. (constructed cross-reference)
Sanksi administratif dikenakan sesuai dengan ketentuan dalam Pasal 14.
Administrative sanctions are imposed in accordance with the provisions of Article 14. (constructed cross-reference)
Permohonan sebagaimana dimaksud pada ayat (1) diajukan oleh kuasa yang memiliki surat kuasa khusus.
The application referred to in paragraph (1) is submitted by a representative holding a special power of attorney. (constructed anaphoric cross-reference)
Ketentuan lebih lanjut mengenai tata cara pemeriksaan diatur dengan Peraturan Menteri.
Further provisions concerning inspection procedures are regulated by a Ministerial Regulation. (constructed delegated cross-reference)
A cross-reference must identify the correct unit and relation. Pasal, ayat, and huruf are not interchangeable levels.
Annotated regulation clause
Setiap Pengelola wajib menyampaikan laporan keselamatan kepada Dinas paling lambat sepuluh Hari Kerja setelah pemeriksaan selesai, kecuali jika Dinas menetapkan perpanjangan waktu berdasarkan keadaan darurat.
Every Operator must submit a safety report to the Office no later than ten Working Days after the inspection is completed, unless the Office grants an extension on the basis of an emergency. (constructed regulation)
Parse its scope:
Pemegang kewajiban dalam ketentuan tersebut adalah setiap Pengelola.
The obligation holder in that provision is every Operator. (annotation: duty holder)
Tindakan yang diwajibkan ialah menyampaikan laporan keselamatan kepada Dinas.
The required action is submitting a safety report to the Office. (annotation: action and recipient)
Batas waktunya adalah sepuluh Hari Kerja yang dihitung setelah pemeriksaan selesai.
The deadline is ten Working Days counted after the inspection is completed. (annotation: temporal condition)
Pengecualian hanya berlaku jika Dinas menetapkan perpanjangan berdasarkan keadaan darurat.
The exception applies only if the Office grants an extension on the basis of an emergency. (annotation: exception and authorizer)
The clause gains precision from ordinary quantification (setiap), modality (wajib), argument structure, a time phrase, a subordinate boundary, and a narrowly attached exception.
Common Mistakes
1. Translating shall as future akan
❌ Pemegang Izin akan menjaga kerahasiaan data.
Wrong normative force if the provision intends to impose a duty—akan primarily marks future reference.
✅ Pemegang Izin wajib menjaga kerahasiaan seluruh data Pengguna.
A Permit Holder must maintain the confidentiality of all User data. (constructed duty)
2. Reading tidak wajib as forbidden
❌ Karena saksi tidak wajib hadir, saksi dilarang memasuki ruang sidang.
Invalid inference—absence of duty does not create a prohibition.
✅ Saksi tidak wajib hadir, tetapi tetap boleh mengikuti sidang.
A witness is not required to attend but may still participate in the hearing.
3. Letting an exception float
❌ Kecuali dalam keadaan darurat.
Free-standing fragment—the reader cannot know which rule is being limited.
✅ Pengelola dilarang menutup akses utama, kecuali dalam keadaan darurat.
An Operator is prohibited from closing the main access point except in an emergency.
4. Treating list layout as sufficient scope
❌ Syarat sebelum titik dua hanya berlaku pada butir pertama karena letaknya paling dekat.
Incorrect parsing—the introductory syntax can govern every coordinated item.
✅ Frasa “Pemohon wajib melampirkan dokumen berikut” berlaku untuk seluruh butir yang diperkenalkan oleh titik dua.
The phrase ‘An Applicant must attach the following documents’ applies to every item introduced by the colon.
5. Using a vague cross-reference
❌ Persyaratan tersebut harus dipenuhi sesuai dengan pasal di atas.
Unstable legal reference—‘the article above’ can change under amendment or reformatting.
✅ Persyaratan tersebut harus dipenuhi sesuai dengan Pasal 9 ayat (3).
Those requirements must be met in accordance with Article 9 paragraph (3).
Key Takeaways
- Legal precision intensifies ordinary modality, scope, coordination, and reference.
- Identify the norm holder, action, object, conditions, deadline, and exception.
- Tidak wajib removes duty; dilarang imposes prohibition; berhak grants entitlement.
- Definitions, enumeration, and cross-references stabilize scope only when used consistently.
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