berjanji

Berjanji is an Indonesian verb meaning to promise. It is formed from the noun janji (promise) with the prefix ber-, which often indicates an action or state undertaken by the subject. The word is intransitive and typically takes a prepositional complement to indicate the recipient or object of the promise, such as kepada, pada, or untuk.

In usage, berjanji describes the act of making a commitment, usually about future behavior. It is commonly followed by akan or untuk to specify what is promised, for example: dia berjanji akan datang tepat waktu, or saya berjanji untuk membantu. It can also introduce a clause with bahwa: dia berjanji bahwa ia akan membayar. The recipient of the promise is often expressed with kepada: dia berjanji kepada ibunya. The negative form is tidak berjanji.

Related verbs include menjanjikan, which is transitive and commonly means to promise something to someone or to offer in a future sense: dia menjanjikan hadiah. A common idiom is ingkari janji, meaning to break a promise.

In usage, berjanji appears in everyday speech, media, and literature to convey commitment, trust, or obligation, and it can carry nuances of sincerity or obligation depending on context. Examples include: dia berjanji akan datang tepat waktu; saya berjanji kepada orang tua saya untuk menjaga adik; mereka berjanji bahwa proyek itu rampung minggu depan. Overall, berjanji functions as a fundamental term for expressing commitments within Indonesian discourse.