sembari

Sembari is a conjunction used in Indonesian and Malay meaning “while” or “at the same time.” It introduces a subordinate clause that describes an action or condition occurring concurrently with the action in the main clause.

In usage, sembari typically precedes the verb phrase of the subordinate clause, as in "Sembari menunggu, ia membaca koran" (While waiting, he reads the newspaper). It can also appear after the main clause, but the initial form is more common. The construction usually involves simple verb phrases and expresses simultaneity rather than sequence. Indonesian has no tense inflection, so the time frame is understood from context and auxiliary words if present.

Sembari is used in formal, neutral, and standard Indonesian as well as in Malay. In everyday speech, speakers often use the synonym sambil, which carries a similar meaning and function. Sambil is generally more common in colloquial language, while sembari may feel slightly more formal or literary.

Grammatically, sembari introduces an adverbial clause that shares the same subject as the main clause or can involve a different subject depending on the sentence. It often appears with two actions that happen simultaneously, for example: "Sembari menunggu, saya membaca buku," or "Dia menyanyi sembari menari." The focus is on the overlap of actions rather than on a temporal sequence.

See also: sambil, sementara, Indonesian grammar, Malay language.