walau

Walau is a conjunction used in Malay and Indonesian languages that expresses concession. It roughly corresponds to English "even though" or "although" and is used to present a contrast between two parts of a sentence. The word can stand alone as walau or appear in fixed phrases such as walau pun or walau bagaimana pun to intensify the concession.

In usage, walau introduces a subordinate clause that sets up the condition or circumstance under which the main clause holds, often implying persistence or resilience despite the obstacle. Examples include: Walau hujan lebat, kami tetap pergi. and Walau begitu, dia tidak menyerah. In Indonesian, walau is common in everyday speech, while in formal writing many speakers prefer walaupun or meskipun, which are considered more neutral or standard. In Malay, both walau and walaupun are widely used, with meskipun functioning as another common synonym.

Regional and register considerations influence formality and tone. Walau is typical of colloquial Malay and Indonesian speech and can appear in informal journalism, blogs, and conversation. Walaupun and meskipun are often preferred in formal writing or official contexts, but walau remains widely understood across Malay-speaking communities in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei. The meaning remains the same across these varieties, with slight nuances in emphasis and rhythm depending on the surrounding words and the speaker’s style.