Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya kembali memeriksa jadwal rapat sebelum berangkat ke kantor. - I check the meeting schedule again before leaving for the office.

kembali means again or once again. It’s slightly more formal or neutral than lagi, which also means again but is more colloquial. Both signal repetition, but kembali is common in writing or formal contexts, while lagi is everyday speech.

Why is kembali placed before memeriksa, instead of after?

You can say either kembali memeriksa or memeriksa kembali. The difference is subtle: placing kembali before the verb tends to frame the whole action as a repeat event, while placing it after emphasizes the act of checking again. In practice, they’re interchangeable and chosen for style or rhythm.

How is the verb memeriksa formed, and what does periksa mean on its own?

The root is periksa, meaning examine or check. Adding the prefix meN- (which becomes mem- before p) yields memeriksa: to check or to examine. In this process, the initial p of periksa is dropped.

Can Saya be omitted at the start, and why isn’t there another saya before berangkat?

Yes. Indonesian often drops subject pronouns when the subject is clear. Since saya (I) begins the sentence, you don’t repeat it in the subordinate clause. You could simply say Kembali memeriksa jadwal rapat sebelum berangkat ke kantor and it still means I checked the meeting schedule again before going to the office.

What is the role of sebelum, and why is the verb after it not marked with untuk or to?

sebelum means before and introduces a time clause. Indonesian verbs after words like sebelum or setelah remain in their base form without an infinitive marker. You just use sebelum + verb to say before doing something.

What does berangkat mean, and how does the prefix ber- function here?

berangkat means to depart, to leave, or to set off. The prefix ber- marks an intransitive action or state. Though the root angkat by itself means to lift, with ber- it takes on the sense of starting a journey.

Why is it ke kantor rather than di kantor?

ke means to or toward, indicating direction, so ke kantor = to the office. di is a locative preposition meaning at or in, used when something is located somewhere (e.g. saya bekerja di kantor = I work at the office).

Why is the noun phrase jadwal rapat ordered that way, and could you say rapat jadwal?

In Indonesian, descriptive words (modifiers) usually follow the noun they modify. Here, jadwal (schedule) is the main noun, and rapat (meeting) specifies what kind of schedule it is, so you say jadwal rapat (meeting schedule). Saying rapat jadwal would sound awkward and could confuse the listener.