Hentikan

Hentikan is a verb used in Indonesian and Malay that means to bring to a stop, to halt, or to order someone to stop. It derives from the root henti, which denotes stopping or cessation.

Hentikan is a transitive form. The base henti can be intransitive, meaning “to stop (oneself)” in a general sense. By adding the suffix -kan, hentikan means “to stop something or someone” or “to cause to stop.” Related forms include menghentikan (present active: to stop something), dihentikan (passive: is/as has been stopped), and penghentian (noun: stoppage or cessation). The imperative form hentikan is used to issue a command, as in Hentikan sekarang.

Usage notes: berhenti generally means “to stop” in an intransitive sense, often referring to stopping oneself or ceasing activity. Hentikan emphasizes causing a stop or issuing an order and is common in formal, official, or directive contexts. In policy, law, and administration, you will encounter menghentikan and penghentian to describe halting actions, programs, or processes.

Etymology and related terms: hentikan comes from henti (stop) with the Indonesian/Malay affix -kan to form a causative or transitive verb. Dihentikan forms a passive voice equivalent, while penghentian functions as a noun for the act or result of stopping.

Examples: “Petugas menghentikan kendaraan yang melanggar” (The officer stopped the violating vehicle); “Hentikan tindakan itu!” (Stop that action!); “Produksi telah dihentikan” (Production has been stopped); “Penghentian sementara” (temporary cessation).