membaik

Membaik is an Indonesian verb meaning to improve or to get better. It describes a change toward a more favorable state, such as health, conditions, or circumstances. The term derives from the adjective baik (good) with the prefix me-, producing an intransitive verb that does not usually take a direct object. Examples include a condition or situation improving: “kondisi pasien membaik” and “ekonomi membaik.”

A related verb, membaiki, uses the same root with the suffix -i and has a causative sense: to repair or fix something. For instance, “saya membaiki mobil yang rusak” means I repair the broken car. The two forms are distinguished by meaning and context: membaik focuses on improvement, while membaiki refers to repair.

Usage notes: membaik is commonly used with time expressions such as sudah membaik, mulai membaik, or perlahan-lahan membaik to indicate gradual improvement. The word has a natural pair in memburuk, which means to worsen. In some contexts, membaik can be substituted with lebih baik or pulih to convey similar ideas of recovery or restoration.

See also: baik, memperbaiki, pulih. While membaik and membaiki share a root, they serve different functions in Indonesian grammar: membaik for change toward goodness, membaiki for making something good again through repair.