Seharusnya kita membaca catatan dulu, namun kita langsung berdiskusi.

We should have read the notes first, however we discussed right away.

Breakdown of Seharusnya kita membaca catatan dulu, namun kita langsung berdiskusi.

• membaca: to read
• kita: we
• dulu: first
• catatan: the note
• namun: however
• seharusnya: should
• langsung: right away
• berdiskusi: to discuss

Questions & Answers about Seharusnya kita membaca catatan dulu, namun kita langsung berdiskusi.

What does seharusnya express, and how is it different from harus, harusnya, sebaiknya, and mestinya?

• harus = must/obligatory (strongest).
• seharusnya = ought to/ideally; a normative expectation, often with a hint of reproach or regret.
• harusnya = colloquial form of seharusnya.
• sebaiknya = it would be better to; softer, more advisory.
• mestinya = everyday synonym of seharusnya.

Does seharusnya imply the action didn’t happen?

On its own, not necessarily. But in this sentence, the contrast with namun and langsung clearly implies the expected action (reading notes first) did not happen.

Why is kita used instead of kami?

• kita includes the listener (inclusive “we”).
• kami excludes the listener (exclusive “we”). Here, kita suggests the speaker includes the addressee in the group.

Do we need to repeat kita in the second clause?

No. You can omit it when the subject stays the same:

• Seharusnya kita membaca catatan dulu, namun langsung berdiskusi. Repeating kita is also fine and a bit more formal/symmetric.

What does dulu add here, and where should it go?

• dulu means “first/beforehand/for now.” It signals sequencing: do this before the next action.
• It typically comes after the verb phrase: membaca catatan dulu.
• More formal options: terlebih dahulu, lebih dulu.
• Placed early in a sentence, dulu can mean “formerly/in the past,” which is different.

Why membaca instead of just baca?

membaca is the standard active verb (with the meN- prefix). In casual speech, people often use the bare root:

• Formal/neutral: membaca catatan
• Casual: baca catatan

What’s the difference between berdiskusi, mendiskusikan, and diskusi?

• berdiskusi = intransitive “to have a discussion,” often with tentang: berdiskusi tentang rencana.
• mendiskusikan = transitive “to discuss [something]”: mendiskusikan rencana.
• diskusi = noun “discussion.” In casual speech, it can act like a verb: langsung diskusi.

What exactly does catatan mean? Do I need to mark plural?

• catatan = “note(s)/record(s).” Indonesian doesn’t require plural marking; context covers it.
• To emphasize plurality, you can say beberapa catatan or catatan-catatan.
• Root: catat (to jot down); noun: catatan. For meeting minutes, use notulen/notula, not catatan.

What is namun, and how is it different from tetapi and tapi?

All contrast two clauses:

• namun = “however/but,” more formal/literary; commonly after a comma: ..., namun ...
• tetapi = “but,” neutral/formal.
• tapi = informal.

What does langsung mean here, and how does it differ from segera and terus?

• langsung = “directly/straight away,” often implying skipping intermediate steps.
• segera = “immediately/soon,” common in instructions or polite requests.
• terus = “then/and then/keep (doing),” a sequencing or continuity marker, not necessarily immediate.

Could I use padahal instead of namun? What changes?

padahal means “even though/whereas (in fact),” highlighting that the second fact contradicts an expectation. It usually works best if you foreground the actual (contrary) action:

• Kita langsung berdiskusi, padahal seharusnya kita membaca catatan dulu.

Is the comma before namun necessary?

Recommended, yes. Namun typically starts a new clause and is preceded by a comma, or it can start a new sentence: Namun, ...

How can I make this sound more formal or more casual?

• More formal: Seharusnya kita membaca catatan terlebih dahulu, namun kita langsung berdiskusi.
• More casual: Harusnya kita baca catatan dulu, tapi kita (malah) langsung diskusi.

How can I emphasize that we did the opposite of what we should have done?

Add malah or use bukannya:

• ..., namun kita malah langsung berdiskusi.
• Bukannya membaca catatan dulu, kita langsung berdiskusi.

Does Indonesian mark past tense here? How do I make the past explicit?

Indonesian doesn’t inflect for tense. Use time words:

• Seharusnya tadi kita membaca catatan dulu, namun kita langsung berdiskusi. You can also add sudah when appropriate to mean “already,” depending on nuance.

Can I say Tidak seharusnya ... vs Seharusnya tidak ...? Any difference?

• Tidak seharusnya [S + V] judges the whole event as inappropriate: Tidak seharusnya kita langsung berdiskusi.
• Seharusnya tidak [V] focuses on the negated action: Seharusnya tidak langsung berdiskusi. Both are natural; choose based on what you want to emphasize.

Can I move seharusnya after the subject?

Yes. Kita seharusnya membaca catatan dulu, namun kita langsung berdiskusi. Meaning and nuance stay the same.