Mengimbau

Mengimbau is an Indonesian verb that means to issue an appeal or exhortation to take a particular action. It signals urging or advising with the aim of voluntary compliance rather than issuing a formal command. The related noun is imbauan, referring to the advisory or exhortation itself. The word is formed with the prefix meng- and suffix -kan, and is used transitively with an object such as a person or group, commonly introduced by kepadasi or kepada, or followed by agar or untuk.

In usage, mengimbau is frequent in official or formal communications from government bodies, agencies, and organizations. It is employed to guide public behavior, often in contexts such as public health, safety, environmental protection, or policy compliance. Examples include statements like mengimbau warga agar mematuhi protokol kesehatan or mengimbau perusahaan untuk meningkatkan standar keselamatan kerja. The tone is persuasive rather than coercive, aiming to foster voluntary adherence rather than imposing a legal obligation.

Nuance and related terms: mengimbau differs from mengingatkan (to remind) or menganjurkan (to recommend) in that it emphasizes urging action for the common good. It also sits between a suggestion (an invitation to act) and a directive, typically preserving a respectful, non-punitive tone. The noun imbauan is commonly used in media and official documents to describe such public calls to action.

In practice, imbauan should be clear, specific about the desired action, and supported by relevant information to be effective, while maintaining neutrality in tone.