Written Discourse Connectors in Indonesian

In Brief

Indonesian written connectors tell readers how one statement relates to another: pertama opens a sequence, selain itu adds a point, sebaliknya presents a reverse contrast, dengan kata lain restates an idea, and singkatnya summarizes it. At the beginning of a sentence, these connectors are normally followed by a comma: Selain itu, biaya operasional dapat dikurangi.

Overview

Written discourse connectors (penghubung wacana tulis) organize a text rather than merely joining words inside one sentence. They act as signposts: they show that a writer is starting a list, adding evidence, changing direction, rephrasing a difficult claim, or drawing a summary. This makes them especially useful in essays, reports, proposals, news analysis, and formal correspondence.

At B2, the challenge is not forming the connectors but choosing one whose logical meaning fits. English “also,” “on the other hand,” and “in other words” can suggest useful equivalents, but the match is not always exact. In particular, sebaliknya usually presents an opposite or reversed situation; it should not be inserted whenever English happens to use “on the other hand.”

These expressions build on basic conjunctions such as dan “and,” tetapi “but,” and karena “because.” A conjunction (a word that grammatically joins words or clauses) works within sentence structure. A discourse connector has a broader job: it tells readers how a whole sentence or passage relates to what came before. Some items can perform both roles, but the five core connectors here are best learned as signals of text structure.

How It Works

Five core relationships

Connector	Core function	Natural English equivalents	What it refers to
pertama	opens the first point or step	first, firstly	a coming sequence
selain itu	adds another relevant point	besides, in addition, moreover	the previous point plus a new one
sebaliknya	introduces an opposite or reversed situation	conversely, by contrast, on the other hand	a clear contrast with what precedes
dengan kata lain	reformulates the same basic idea	in other words	the preceding statement expressed differently
singkatnya	condenses several points into a conclusion	in short, in summary	the main result of the preceding discussion

The connector usually comes at the beginning of a new sentence or clause:

Previous statement. + Connector, + new statement.

Program ini mudah diterapkan. Selain itu, biayanya relatif rendah.
“The program is easy to implement. In addition, its cost is relatively low.”

This position gives the reader the relationship before the new information arrives. In careful writing, place a comma after a sentence-initial connector. Indonesian punctuation practice can be less rigid in informal messages, but the comma makes formal prose easier to scan.

Starting and ordering: pertama

Use pertama to introduce the first item in an ordered argument or procedure. It often anticipates kedua “second,” ketiga “third,” and a closing expression such as terakhir “last” or akhirnya “finally.”

Pertama, data harus diperiksa. Kedua, hasilnya perlu dibandingkan.
“First, the data must be checked. Second, the results need to be compared.”

Pertama-tama also means “first of all” or “to begin with.” It often sounds natural when introducing an initial action or opening remark: Pertama-tama, saya ingin mengucapkan terima kasih. By contrast, yang pertama means “the first one” and behaves as part of a noun phrase: Alasan yang pertama berkaitan dengan biaya “The first reason concerns cost.” Do not automatically use yang pertama as a free-standing connector.

Adding a separate point: selain itu

Selain itu adds information that supports, expands, or supplements what has just been said. The word itu points back to the preceding idea, so the expression is close to “besides that” or “in addition.”

Jadwalnya fleksibel. Selain itu, peserta dapat belajar dari rumah.
“The schedule is flexible. In addition, participants can study from home.”

Do not confuse this discourse use with selain + noun, meaning “apart from” or “besides”: Selain biaya, waktu juga perlu dipertimbangkan “Besides cost, time must also be considered.” Both constructions add something, but their grammar differs.

Reversing the perspective: sebaliknya

Sebaliknya is built around the idea of the reverse side. It works best when the second statement is opposite in direction, category, or outcome:

Di kota, jumlah penduduk meningkat. Sebaliknya, di beberapa desa jumlahnya menurun.
“In the city, the population is increasing. Conversely, in several villages it is decreasing.”

For a simple concession—one fact remains true despite another—namun or akan tetapi may be better: Metode ini mahal. Namun, hasilnya akurat “This method is expensive. However, its results are accurate.” High cost and accuracy are not reverse versions of each other, so sebaliknya would suggest a stronger logical opposition than the writer has established.

Reformulating: dengan kata lain

Use dengan kata lain when the next statement expresses substantially the same message in clearer, simpler, or more explicit terms:

Permintaan telah melampaui kapasitas produksi. Dengan kata lain, perusahaan tidak mampu memenuhi semua pesanan.
“Demand has exceeded production capacity. In other words, the company cannot fulfill all orders.”

The second statement may explain an implication, but it should not introduce an unrelated reason or a completely new claim. A reformulation helps the reader reinterpret what is already present.

Summarizing: singkatnya

Singkatnya compresses a longer explanation into its main conclusion. It can summarize several preceding sentences or an entire argument:

Biaya menurun, waktu pengerjaan lebih pendek, dan hasil tetap stabil. Singkatnya, perubahan tersebut berhasil.
“Costs fell, completion time was shorter, and results remained stable. In short, the change was successful.”

Because it points backward, singkatnya normally belongs after the details, not before an explanation that has not yet appeared. In very formal or academic writing, secara singkat “briefly” and sebagai kesimpulan “as a conclusion” may appear, but they are not always interchangeable: secara singkat describes brevity, while singkatnya explicitly packages a takeaway.

Examples in Context

Indonesian	English	Note
Pertama, perlu persiapan yang matang.	Firstly, thorough preparation is needed.	Opens an ordered argument.
Pertama, tentukan tujuan penelitian; kedua, pilih metodenya.	First, determine the research objective; second, choose the method.	The matching sequence is explicit.
Pertama-tama, kami akan menjelaskan latar belakang masalah.	First of all, we will explain the background of the problem.	Natural opening to a presentation or report.
Sistem ini mudah digunakan. Selain itu, biaya perawatannya rendah.	This system is easy to use. In addition, its maintenance cost is low.	Adds another advantage.
Selain biaya awal, risiko jangka panjang juga harus diperhitungkan.	Besides the initial cost, long-term risks must also be considered.	Selain + noun, not the sentence connector selain itu.
Sebagian peserta memilih kelas daring. Sebaliknya, peserta lain lebih menyukai pertemuan langsung.	Some participants chose online classes. By contrast, others preferred in-person meetings.	Contrasts two groups and choices.
Di wilayah barat, curah hujan meningkat. Sebaliknya, wilayah timur mengalami kekeringan.	In the western region, rainfall increased. Conversely, the eastern region experienced drought.	Opposite conditions.
Kebijakan tersebut belum memiliki dasar hukum. Dengan kata lain, kebijakan itu belum dapat diterapkan.	The policy does not yet have a legal basis. In other words, it cannot yet be implemented.	States the practical implication.
Angka itu hanya mencakup pekerja tetap. Dengan kata lain, pekerja lepas tidak termasuk dalam perhitungan.	That figure covers only permanent employees. In other words, freelancers are not included in the calculation.	Clarifies the scope.
Produksi meningkat, limbah berkurang, dan penggunaan energi menjadi lebih efisien. Singkatnya, program ini mencapai sasarannya.	Production increased, waste decreased, and energy use became more efficient. In summary, the program met its objectives.	Condenses several results.
Singkatnya, kedua usulan memiliki manfaat, tetapi usulan kedua lebih realistis.	In short, both proposals have benefits, but the second is more realistic.	Gives a balanced final assessment.
Pertama, akses internet belum merata. Selain itu, tidak semua guru telah menerima pelatihan.	First, internet access is not evenly distributed. Furthermore, not all teachers have received training.	Combines ordering and addition.

Common Mistakes

Using sebaliknya for every kind of “however”

• Wrong: Harganya mahal. Sebaliknya, kualitasnya sangat baik.
• Better: Harganya mahal. Namun, kualitasnya sangat baik.
• Why: High price and good quality coexist; one is not the reverse of the other. Use sebaliknya when the second situation genuinely contrasts in direction or category.

Adding itu after every selain

• Wrong: Selain itu biaya, waktu juga penting.
• Right: Selain biaya, waktu juga penting.
• Also right: Biaya perlu dipertimbangkan. Selain itu, waktu juga penting.
• Why: Before a noun, use selain + noun. Use the fixed connector selain itu to refer back to a previous idea.

Using dengan kata lain to introduce new evidence

• Wrong: Penjualan menurun. Dengan kata lain, pesaing meluncurkan produk baru.
• Better: Penjualan menurun. Selain itu, pesaing meluncurkan produk baru.
• Why: A competitor’s new product is additional information, not a restatement of falling sales. Dengan kata lain must preserve the basic meaning or clarify its implication.

Summarizing before giving any details

• Awkward: Singkatnya, ada tiga masalah. Pertama, biayanya terlalu tinggi ...
• Better opening: Ada tiga masalah. Pertama, biayanya terlalu tinggi ...
• Better closing: Singkatnya, usulan tersebut menghadapi tiga masalah utama.
• Why: Singkatnya normally looks backward and extracts a conclusion from information already presented.

Mixing an ordered list

• Wrong: Pertama, periksa data. Ketiga, tulis laporan.
• Right: Pertama, periksa data. Kedua, tulis laporan.
• Why: Numbered connectors create a promise of order. Missing or duplicated stages distract readers and may imply omitted content.

Omitting punctuation in careful prose

• Less clear: Selain itu hasil penelitian perlu diverifikasi.
• Better: Selain itu, hasil penelitian perlu diverifikasi.
• Why: A comma marks the connector as a guide to the whole sentence rather than as part of its main clause.

Usage Notes

These connectors are associated with planned, organized discourse, but they are not restricted to highly academic texts. Selain itu and sebaliknya are common in journalism, workplace communication, presentations, and polished speech. Dengan kata lain is equally useful in conversation when someone needs to explain an idea again. Singkatnya can sound brisk and decisive, which makes it effective in conclusions but occasionally abrupt in sensitive exchanges.

Indonesian formal writing often favors explicit signposting. Even so, repeating the same connector at the start of every sentence makes prose mechanical. Once a relationship is obvious, a writer may use a pronoun, repeat a key noun, combine clauses, or leave the connection implicit. Connectors should reveal structure, not substitute for it.

English learners should also resist one-to-one translation. English “first” can be an adjective, adverb, or discourse marker. Indonesian distinguishes among forms such as pertama “first/firstly,” yang pertama “the first one,” and untuk pertama kalinya “for the first time.” Likewise, English “besides” can sound argumentative or conversational, whereas selain itu is often a neutral addition in Indonesian formal prose.

Capitalization follows position, not special status: write Selain itu at the start of a sentence and selain itu inside one. If the connector follows a semicolon, lowercase is normal: Biayanya rendah; selain itu, alatnya mudah dirawat.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

Skilled writers build a cohesive chain—a sequence in which each connector accurately tracks the movement of the argument. For example, a paragraph may open with pertama, add support with selain itu, acknowledge a true opposite with sebaliknya, and close with singkatnya. Using several connectors is effective only if each logical step is real.

Connector placement can also shape emphasis. Sentence-initial position is clearest and most neutral:

Dengan kata lain, kebijakan itu perlu ditinjau kembali.

A connector may appear after a short topic phrase:

Dalam konteks ini, dengan kata lain, pemerintah bertindak sebagai penjamin.

That medial placement is possible, but too many interruptions make a sentence heavy. At B2, prefer a clean sentence-initial connector unless moving it serves a clear rhetorical purpose.

Advanced prose also distinguishes summary from conclusion. Singkatnya condenses what has been said; it does not by itself prove a conclusion. Oleh karena itu “therefore” signals that the next claim follows as a result, while dengan demikian “thus” often presents a formal inference or resulting state. Compare:

• Singkatnya, pelaksanaan program menghadapi banyak kendala. — a summary of the discussion
• Oleh karena itu, jadwal pelaksanaan harus diubah. — a consequence or recommendation based on it

Similarly, sebaliknya and di sisi lain overlap but are not identical. Sebaliknya favors a direct reverse contrast. Di sisi lain literally presents “another side” and can introduce a competing consideration without claiming that it is the exact opposite. This is close to an important distinction in careful English between “conversely” and the broader “on the other hand.”

Finally, avoid connector overload. A sentence such as Namun, sebaliknya, ... usually stacks two contrast signals unnecessarily. Choose the one that states the intended relation most precisely. Dense academic prose becomes clearer when every connector earns its place.

Practice Tips

1. Label relationships before choosing words. Take a short paragraph and mark each transition as sequence, addition, reverse contrast, reformulation, or summary. Then insert pertama, selain itu, sebaliknya, dengan kata lain, or singkatnya only where the label matches.
2. Build five-sentence mini-arguments. Write an opening claim, two supporting points, one genuine contrast, and a summary. Check the comma after each sentence-initial connector and make sure singkatnya does not add new evidence.
3. Compare authentic paragraphs. In an Indonesian news article or report, underline connectors and ask what would change if each were removed or replaced by namun. This trains meaning and register, not just memorization.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Basic Conjunctions — learn core links such as dan, tetapi, karena, and jadi before organizing relationships across longer passages.