mencobacoba

Mencobacoba is an informal Indonesian verb that describes dabbling or trying something in a casual, exploratory way, often without a clear goal or long-term commitment. The term conveys a sense of trial and error rather than focused, deliberate effort, and is commonly used in everyday speech and online discourse.

Etymology and usage notes: Mencobacoba is formed by reduplication of the root words mencoba and coba, emphasizing the act of trying multiple things in a light or casual manner. It can be written as mencobacoba or as trying forms like mencoba-coba in dialogue. The expression is generally considered informal and is less common in formal writing.

Nuance and context: The phrase can carry slightly negative connotations of indecision or lack of seriousness, but it can also simply describe harmless experimentation or exploration of options. Depending on tone, it may imply prudent testing or playful curiosity. In many contexts, mencobacoba corresponds to the idea of “trying things out” without committing to a particular path.

Examples:

- Dia hanya mencobacoba beberapa ide untuk proyek itu.

- Kita tidak bisa hanya mencobacoba terus; perlu rencana yang lebih terperinci.

See also: mencoba-coba, main-main, iseng.