Time Expressions in Indonesian

Overview

Since Indonesian verbs do not conjugate for tense, time expressions carry the full responsibility of indicating when something happens. At the A2 level, you will learn a more complete set of time markers beyond the basics, including words for habitual actions, duration, and frequency.

Indonesian time markers are placed before the verb and work like adverbs. The system is logical: sudah (completed/past), sedang (ongoing/present), akan (future), biasanya (usually), sering (often), and jarang (rarely) cover most temporal needs.

How It Works

Past Time Markers

Indonesian	English	Example
sudah	already/completed	Saya sudah makan. (I have eaten.)
tadi	earlier today	Tadi saya bertemu dia. (I met him earlier.)
kemarin	yesterday	Kemarin hujan. (It rained yesterday.)
dulu	formerly/long ago	Dulu saya tinggal di Bali. (I used to live in Bali.)
baru saja	just now	Dia baru saja pergi. (He just left.)

Present/Ongoing Markers

Indonesian	English	Example
sekarang	now	Sekarang saya belajar. (Now I study.)
sedang	currently	Dia sedang tidur. (She is sleeping.)
lagi	in the process of	Lagi apa? (What are you doing?)
masih	still	Masih hujan. (Still raining.)

Future Markers

Indonesian	English	Example
akan	will	Saya akan pergi besok. (I will go tomorrow.)
mau	going to (near future)	Saya mau makan. (I'm going to eat.)
nanti	later	Nanti saya telepon. (I'll call later.)
besok	tomorrow	Besok kita bertemu. (We'll meet tomorrow.)

Frequency/Habitual Markers

Indonesian	English	Example
selalu	always	Dia selalu datang terlambat.
sering	often	Saya sering ke sana.
biasanya	usually	Biasanya saya bangun jam 6.
kadang-kadang	sometimes	Kadang-kadang hujan.
jarang	rarely	Dia jarang makan di luar.
tidak pernah	never	Saya tidak pernah ke sana.

Examples in Context

Indonesian	English	Note
Saya sudah makan.	I have already eaten.	Completed
Dia sedang tidur.	He/She is sleeping.	Ongoing
Saya akan pergi besok.	I will go tomorrow.	Future
Saya biasanya bangun jam 6.	I usually wake up at 6.	Habitual
Dia sering datang terlambat.	He often arrives late.	Frequency
Dulu saya tidak bisa berenang.	I used to not be able to swim.	Past state
Baru saja hujan berhenti.	The rain just stopped.	Recent past
Kadang-kadang saya masak sendiri.	Sometimes I cook by myself.	Occasional
Dia jarang marah.	She rarely gets angry.	Low frequency
Masih belum selesai.	Still not finished yet.	Ongoing + not yet

Common Mistakes

Using sudah and sedang together

• Wrong: Saya sudah sedang makan.
• Right: Choose one: Saya sudah makan. (finished) or Saya sedang makan. (in progress)
• Why: These markers indicate different time aspects and cannot be combined.

Confusing dulu and tadi

• Wrong: Using dulu for something earlier today
• Right: Tadi for earlier today, dulu for the distant past
• Why: Tadi is within the current day; dulu refers to a longer time ago.

Placing frequency adverbs incorrectly

• Wrong: Saya ke sana sering. (frequency adverb at end)
• Right: Saya sering ke sana. (frequency adverb before verb)
• Why: Frequency adverbs typically precede the verb they modify.

Usage Notes

Indonesian speakers are quite flexible about combining time markers with context. In casual speech, a single time word (like kemarin or besok) is often enough to set the temporal frame, and no additional markers are needed. In formal writing, markers like telah (formal for sudah) and sedang are used more consistently.

Practice Tips

1. Describe your daily routine using different time markers: Biasanya saya bangun jam 6. Tadi pagi saya olahraga. Nanti sore saya akan belajar.
2. Practice telling a story in three timeframes: what you did yesterday (sudah/kemarin), what you are doing now (sedang/sekarang), and what you will do tomorrow (akan/besok).

Related Concepts

• Basic Verb Structure — how time markers replace tense conjugation
• Temporal Connectors — linking clauses with time words
• Conditional Sentences — time and condition interact