Past Tense in Indonesian

Indonesian doesn’t conjugate verbs for tense like English. Instead, it uses time markers and context to indicate when something happened.

1. Tadi - Earlier Today§

Used for actions that happened earlier the same day.

Usage:§

• Tadi aku bertemu Nisa = “I met Nisa earlier (today)”
• Tadi pagi saya pergi ke pasar = “This morning I went to the market”

Special use - Asking for clarification:§

• Tadi kamu bilang apa? = “What did you just say?“

2. Kemarin - Yesterday§

Literally means “yesterday”.

Examples:§

• Aku pergi ke toko kemarin = “I went to the store yesterday”

3. Yang lalu - Time + ago§

Used with specific time periods, equivalent to English “ago”.

Pattern: Time period + yang lalu§

• Saya makan nasi 1 hari yang lalu = “I ate rice 1 day ago”
• Saya makan nasi Senin yang lalu = “I ate rice last Monday”
• Dua minggu yang lalu = “Two weeks ago”
• Tahun yang lalu = “Last year”

4. Dulu - In the past / Long ago§

Used for distant past or general past reference.

Examples:§

• Dulu aku pergi ke Indonesia = “In the past, I went to Indonesia”
• Dulu dia cantik = “She used to be beautiful”
• Waktu dulu = “In the old days”

5. Sudah - Already / Completed action§

Indicates a completed action (can be recent or distant past).

Examples:§

• Saya sudah makan = “I have already eaten”
• Dia sudah pergi = “He/she has already left”
• Sudah selesai = “It’s already finished”

Summary Table§