Basic Time Words in Indonesian
Kata Waktu Dasar
This article is part of the Indonesian grammar tree on Settemila Lingue.
Overview
Time words are essential for everyday communication because Indonesian verbs do not change form to show tense. Instead, you rely on time expressions to make clear whether you are talking about the past, present, or future. Words like hari ini (today), kemarin (yesterday), and besok (tomorrow) do the heavy lifting.
Indonesian also divides the day into four parts: pagi (morning), siang (midday), sore (afternoon/early evening), and malam (night). These words appear constantly in greetings, scheduling, and storytelling.
How It Works
Core Time Words
| Indonesian | English | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| sekarang | now | present |
| hari ini | today | present |
| kemarin | yesterday | past |
| besok | tomorrow | future |
| tadi | earlier today | recent past |
| nanti | later | near future |
| dulu | formerly, first | past |
| lusa | day after tomorrow | future |
Parts of the Day
| Indonesian | Approximate Hours | English |
|---|---|---|
| pagi | 06:00-11:00 | morning |
| siang | 11:00-15:00 | midday |
| sore | 15:00-18:00 | afternoon |
| malam | 18:00-06:00 | night/evening |
Combining Time Words
| Indonesian | English |
|---|---|
| kemarin pagi | yesterday morning |
| besok malam | tomorrow night |
| tadi pagi | this morning (earlier) |
| nanti malam | tonight (later) |
| kemarin sore | yesterday afternoon |
Examples in Context
| Indonesian | English | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Hari ini hari Senin. | Today is Monday. | Present reference |
| Kemarin cuacanya bagus. | Yesterday the weather was nice. | Past |
| Besok saya pergi. | Tomorrow I go. | Future |
| Pagi-pagi saya olahraga. | In the early morning I exercise. | Reduplicated for emphasis |
| Sekarang jam berapa? | What time is it now? | Present |
| Tadi saya ke pasar. | Earlier I went to the market. | Earlier today |
| Nanti saya telepon. | I'll call later. | Near future |
| Kemarin malam hujan. | Last night it rained. | Combined time word |
| Dulu saya tinggal di Bali. | I used to live in Bali. | Distant past |
| Besok pagi kita berangkat. | Tomorrow morning we depart. | Combined time word |
Common Mistakes
Confusing tadi and kemarin
- Wrong: Using kemarin for something that happened earlier today
- Right: Use tadi for earlier today, kemarin for yesterday
- Why: Tadi refers to earlier in the same day; kemarin is specifically yesterday.
Confusing nanti and besok
- Wrong: Using besok for "later today"
- Right: Use nanti for later today, besok for tomorrow
- Why: Nanti means "later" (could be minutes or hours from now); besok specifically means tomorrow.
Forgetting that time words replace verb tense
- Wrong: Looking for past tense verb forms when kemarin is present
- Right: Kemarin saya pergi — kemarin already indicates past
- Why: The time word provides the tense information. The verb stays unchanged.
Practice Tips
- Describe your day using time words: Tadi pagi saya bangun. Sekarang saya belajar. Nanti malam saya tidur. This reinforces how time words substitute for verb tenses.
- Practice greetings for each part of the day: Selamat pagi, selamat siang, selamat sore, selamat malam.
Related Concepts
- Numbers and Time — clock time and number system
Prerequisite
Numbers and Time in IndonesianA1More A1 concepts
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