Walaupun mereka putus, mereka tetap saling menghargai sebagai teman.

Although they broke up, they still respect each other as friends.

Breakdown of Walaupun mereka putus, mereka tetap saling menghargai sebagai teman.

• mereka: they
• teman: the friend
• walaupun: although
• tetap: still
• sebagai: as
• putus: to break up
• saling menghargai: to respect each other

Questions & Answers about Walaupun mereka putus, mereka tetap saling menghargai sebagai teman.

What does walaupun mean, and can I replace it with meskipun?

Walaupun means although or even though. It introduces a contrast between two clauses.

In this sentence:

• Walaupun mereka putus = Even though they broke up
• Main clause: mereka tetap saling menghargai sebagai teman = they still respect each other as friends

You can usually replace walaupun with meskipun; they are very close in meaning and both are natural here:

• Walaupun mereka putus, mereka tetap saling menghargai sebagai teman.
• Meskipun mereka putus, mereka tetap saling menghargai sebagai teman.

Both sound normal. In everyday speech, many speakers feel walaupun and meskipun are interchangeable. Any subtle differences are minor and mostly stylistic; you do not need to worry about them at your level.

Why is the walaupun clause at the beginning, and can I move it to the end?

Indonesian is flexible with clause order in sentences like this.

Current order:

• Walaupun mereka putus, mereka tetap saling menghargai sebagai teman.
  (Although they broke up, they still respect each other as friends.)

You can also say:

• Mereka tetap saling menghargai sebagai teman, walaupun mereka putus.

Both are correct. The difference is mostly in emphasis:

• Starting with walaupun puts more focus on the contrast right away.
• Putting walaupun at the end sounds slightly more conversational and puts the focus first on the positive result (they still respect each other).

What exactly does putus mean here? Is it only for romantic breakups?

In general, putus means broken, cut off, or disconnected.

In this context, mereka putus is shorthand for:

• mereka putus hubungan (pacaran) = they ended their romantic relationship

So here putus means to break up romantically. But putus can also be used in other contexts:

• tali itu putus = the rope broke
• hubungan mereka putus = their relationship is broken / ended
• putus asa = to lose hope

For romantic breakups, putus is very common in everyday speech. You might also hear berpisah (to separate) or, for married couples, cerai (to divorce).

What is the function of tetap in this sentence?

Tetap means still or remain in the sense of unchanged despite something.

Here:

• mereka tetap saling menghargai = they still / nevertheless / continue to respect each other

It emphasizes that their mutual respect did not change even though they broke up. Without tetap, the sentence is still grammatically correct, but it loses that clear contrastive nuance:

• Walaupun mereka putus, mereka saling menghargai sebagai teman.
  (Understood, but the idea of still is weaker.)

How does saling work, and why is it placed before menghargai?

Saling means each other or mutually and is used before a verb to show reciprocity.

Pattern:

• saling + verb

In this sentence:

• saling menghargai = to respect each other

Some key points:

• saling must come before the verb:
  ✓ saling menghargai
  ✗ menghargai saling

• It is used when the subject is plural and each one does the action to the other:

  • mereka saling membantu = they help each other
  • kami saling menyukai = we like each other

You can often paraphrase saling + verb as:

• verb + satu sama lain (one another)
  Example: mereka menghargai satu sama lain = they respect one another

In speech, saling + verb sounds very natural and compact.

What does menghargai literally mean, and what kind of object does it take?

Menghargai comes from the root harga (price, value) with the prefix meN-, which often makes a verb. Literally, menghargai is to give value to, so in practice it means:

• to appreciate
• to respect
• to value

It is normally a transitive verb (it takes an object):

• menghargai waktu = to value time
• menghargai pendapat orang lain = to appreciate / respect other people’s opinions
• menghargai orang tua = to respect one’s parents

In the sentence mereka tetap saling menghargai, the object is implied: they respect each other. The reciprocity marker saling makes the object understood, so you do not need to say it explicitly.

Why is teman singular when mereka is plural?

In Indonesian, role nouns after sebagai are often in the singular, even if the subject is plural. The focus is on the role, not on counting how many.

• sebagai teman = as friends (in the role of a friend)
• sebagai guru = as teachers (for multiple people)
• sebagai orang tua = as parents

So:

• mereka … sebagai teman does not mean there is only one friend; it means they relate to each other in the capacity of friends. English needs the plural (as friends), but Indonesian can keep it singular here.

You could say sebagai teman-teman, but here it would sound odd or unnecessary. The simple sebagai teman is the normal choice.

What does sebagai mean in sebagai teman? Is it like English “as”?

Yes. Sebagai means as in the sense of in the role of or functioning as.

• sebagai teman = as a friend / as friends
• bekerja sebagai dokter = to work as a doctor
• dia dikenal sebagai pemimpin yang baik = he is known as a good leader

So mereka tetap saling menghargai sebagai teman means they still respect each other in the capacity of friends, not as romantic partners anymore.

Do we really need to repeat mereka twice in this sentence?

No, you do not strictly need to repeat mereka, but repeating it is very natural and clear.

Current sentence:

• Walaupun mereka putus, mereka tetap saling menghargai sebagai teman.

Possible variant:

• Walaupun mereka putus, tetap saling menghargai sebagai teman.

The second version is still understandable, especially in casual conversation. However:

• Repeating mereka makes the sentence clearer and more complete, especially in writing.
• Without the second mereka, it can sound a bit like a reminder or command (even though they broke up, [they should] still respect each other as friends), depending on context.

So the original version with both mereka is safer and more neutral as a statement.

There is no past tense marker; how do we know this is about the past?

Indonesian usually does not mark tense (past, present, future) with verb changes. Time is understood from context and from time words if needed.

In this sentence, putus is understood as a completed event because:

• In real life, you typically talk about a breakup as something that has already happened.
• The presence of tetap (still) strongly suggests:
  past event (they broke up) → present situation (they still respect each other).

If you want to make the past even clearer, you can add sudah (already):

• Walaupun mereka sudah putus, mereka tetap saling menghargai sebagai teman.
  = Even though they have already broken up, they still respect each other as friends.

Is this sentence formal or informal? Can I use it in everyday speech?

The sentence is neutral and natural. It can be used in:

• Everyday speech (talking with friends)
• Informal writing (chat, social media)
• Semi-formal writing (articles, essays, etc.)

It is not slangy and not excessively formal; it is good standard Indonesian. If you were speaking very casually, you might shorten or change some parts, but as written, it fits most situations comfortably.

Can I say Walaupun mereka sudah putus instead? What does sudah add?

Yes, you can say:

• Walaupun mereka sudah putus, mereka tetap saling menghargai sebagai teman.

Sudah means already, so it emphasizes that the breakup is a completed event. Nuance:

• Walaupun mereka putus…
  Neutral statement: although they broke up…
• Walaupun mereka sudah putus…
  Emphasizes that this is something that has already happened and is no longer ongoing: although they have already broken up…

Both are correct; adding sudah just makes the completion more explicit.