selama

Selama is a temporal function word in Indonesian and Malay that marks the duration of an action or state. It is typically translated as "during" or "for the length of" and is used to indicate the time frame within which something occurs. In sentences, selama introduces the period over which something happens and can be followed by a time expression or by a clause.

In everyday usage, selama combines with time phrases such as selama dua jam, selama seminggu, or selama bertahun-tahun. It can also appear in phrases like selama liburan, kami ke pantai, meaning “during the holiday, we went to the beach.” Other common forms include selama ini (during these times / so far) and selama-lamanya (forever). The word functions in both formal writing and everyday speech.

Grammatically, selama can act as a preposition or a conjunction depending on the construction. It is not a noun and is not capitalized unless it begins a sentence. In contrast, words like sampai express an ending point, as in “until,” while selama marks the duration of a period. As a core element of time expression in Indonesian and Malay, selama is widely used across genres and registers.