semakin

Semakin is a degree adverb used in Indonesian and Malay to express increasing intensity or quantity, roughly translating to “more and more” or “increasingly.” It functions to modify adjectives, verbs, or phrases, signaling that a quality or action is intensifying over time or across comparisons.

In Indonesian grammar, semakin typically appears before the word it modifies, and it can form constructions such as semakin ... semakin ... to describe parallel increases. For example, semakin tinggi suhu, semakin besar risiko dampaknya; atau semakin banyak orang yang menggunakan teknologi digital. Semakin is often preferred in formal writing, journalism, and academic contexts, though it also appears in everyday speech.

Semakin can be used with a wide range of modifiers, including adjectives (semakin cepat, semakin besar), adverbs, and participles. It commonly appears with time expressions to indicate progression, such as semakin lama or semakin cepat, highlighting a trend rather than a single occurrence. The word can also convey contrast or progression in hypothetical or conditional statements, as in semakin kalau keadaan berubah.

Variant form mak in, or makin, is commonly used in informal speech and can function similarly to semakin, though semakin tends to appear more in formal contexts. In addition to Indonesian, semakin is used in Malay with the same meaning and usage.

Etymology traces Indonesian and Malay usage to a combination involving makin (more) and a prefix-like intensifier, resulting in a fixed expression that denotes gradual escalation.