sementara

Sementara is a common term in Indonesian and Malay that expresses temporality. It functions as an adverb meaning for the time being, temporarily, or provisionally, and as a conjunction meaning while or whereas, connecting two events or states that occur concurrently or in contrast. It can also act as a noun in some contexts when referring to a temporary period, typically in phrases such as masa sementara.

In usage, sementara is often employed to describe something not intended to be permanent or to mark a pause in a process. Examples include sentences like “Sementara ini, kita menunda keputusan,” meaning that for now a decision is postponed; or “Dia bekerja sebagai asisten sementara,” indicating a temporary position. It is also common in news and official writing to use phrases like “sementara itu” or “untuk sementara” to indicate transition or provisional measures. The word can appear at the beginning or within a clause, for example: “Sementara dia berada di luar kota, tugasnya ditangani oleh rekannya.”

Sementara is used across formal and informal registers, though more formal contexts may favor explicit phrases such as “untuk sementara waktu” or “sebagai langkah sementara.” It contrasts with terms that imply permanence and is often paired with ongoing actions or plans that may change.

Etymology traces Indonesian and Malay usage to a long-standing semantic field of temporality; the precise historical origin is not consistently documented. The term is widely understood across Malay-speaking communities and is considered a standard part of everyday and formal language.