berhatihati

Berhati-hati is an Indonesian expression meaning to exercise caution or to be careful in order to avoid danger or mistakes. It describes a cautious attitude or behavior and can be used as both a directive and a description. In everyday language, speakers often say Berhati-hatilah or Berhati-hati di jalan to emphasize the precaution, while the non-hyphenated form berhati-hati can appear in informal writing. The standard orthography generally uses berhati-hati with a hyphen.

Etymology and form: The word hati means heart or mind in Indonesian. The base noun hati-hati is a reduplication used to convey caution or care; the prefix ber- in berhati-hati marks the action of adopting that caution. The resulting phrase literally implies having a careful heart or being careful by disposition. It is cognate with Malay berhati-hati, with similar usage.

Usage and contexts: Berhati-hati is common in safety instructions, road and workplace signage, education materials, and everyday admonitions. It can describe a general temperament or prescribe caution in specific activities such as driving, handling tools, or evaluating information. The phrase appears in imperative forms (Berhati-hatilah) and can be combined with adverbs of degree, e.g., tetap berhati-hati, sangat berhati-hati.