Language/Indonesian/Grammar/Past-Tense
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As we continue our Indonesian grammar journey, it is time to learn about using the past tense in Indonesian. In this lesson, we will explore four important Indonesian words to indicate past tense: sudah, belum, pernah, and dulu.
Using the Past Tense in Indonesian
In English, past tense usually entails changing the verb form. However, Indonesian has a much simpler approach - there is no verb conjugation in Indonesian! Instead, Indonesians indicate past events with time indicators and the use of special words. In this lesson, we will focus on the following four words:
| Indonesian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| sudah | soo-DUH | already, yet |
| belum | buh-LUHM | haven't, yet to |
| pernah | PUHR-nah | ever, once |
| dulu | DOO-loo | used to, in the past |
Now, let's take a closer look at how each of these four words is used to indicate past events in Indonesian.
Sudah
Sudah is used to indicate that an action has already been done or completed. It's often used in positive sentences to say that something has already happened:
- Saya sudah makan. (I have eaten.)
- Mereka sudah beli tiket pesawat. (They have bought plane tickets.)
In negative sentences, sudah is used to indicate the opposite: that something has not happened yet.
- Saya belum makan. (I haven't eaten yet.)
- Mereka belum beli tiket pesawat. (They haven't bought plane tickets yet.)
In addition to indicating the past tense, sudah can also be used in the present and future tenses. It is a versatile word that Indonesians use often.
Belum
Belum is used to indicate that an action is yet to be done. It is opposite to the use of sudah, yet the exact same usage. It is often used in negative sentences to state that something hasn't been done yet:
- Saya belum makan. (I have not eaten yet.)
- Mereka belum beli tiket pesawat. (They haven't bought plane tickets yet.)
Pernah
Pernah indicates that an action happened at least once in the past. This word communicates the idea of 'ever'. Pernah is also often used with the question word 'pernahkah' meaning 'have you ever?':
- Saya pernah ke Bali. (I have been to Bali before.)
- Mereka pernah melihat Kambing Jantan. (They've seen the movie 'Kambing Jantan' before.)
Dulu
Lastly, dulu is used to indicate a past routine that occurred regularly, but is no longer happening. It can also be used to describe things in the past that no longer occur.
- Saya dulu sering makan di restoran itu. (I used to eat frequently at that restaurant.)
- Keadaan Jakarta dulu lebih aman. (Jakarta used to be safer in the past.)
Conclusion
By using these four words, sudah, belum, pernah, and dulu, you can accurately talk about past events in Indonesian. Make sure to practice and experiment with different sentence structures! The more you practice, the easier it will be to use these words naturally in Indonesian conversation.
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