pengalaman

Pengalaman is a noun in Indonesian and Malay meaning experience, the knowledge or skills gained through involvement in or exposure to events, activities, or people. It encompasses personal encounters as well as observed or second-hand knowledge, and can refer to a specific event or to a longer period of learning. The term is widely used in everyday speech, journalism, education, and business.

Linguistically, peng- is a productive Indonesian prefix used to form nouns from verbs, signaling an association with the activity or its result. The word is formed from this pattern and is common across Indonesian and Malay.

Common expressions include pengalaman kerja (work experience), pengalaman hidup (life experience), and berdasarkan pengalaman (based on experience). In professional and academic contexts, pengalaman is often evaluated together with pengetahuan (knowledge) and keterampilan (skills). It can be gained through work, travel, study, or caregiving, and may be personal, historical, or cultural.

Experiential learning, or pembelajaran berbasis pengalaman, is a related educational approach that emphasizes learning through reflection on doing. Narratives of pengalaman—such as biographies, memoirs, or case studies—are used to convey lessons and insights.

In summary, pengalaman denotes both the process of gaining knowledge through activity and the body of knowledge itself, with broad applicability in personal development, education, and professional life.