Barusan saya tiba di kantor.

I just arrived at the office.

Breakdown of Barusan saya tiba di kantor.

• saya: I
• di: at
• kantor: the office
• tiba: to arrive
• barusan: just now

Questions & Answers about Barusan saya tiba di kantor.

What does the word order communicate? Is barusan the same as baru saja or baru here?

• barusan means “just now,” usually minutes or seconds ago; it’s informal/colloquial.
• baru saja also means “just (now),” a bit more neutral and common in writing: Saya baru saja tiba di kantor.
• baru before a verb means “just/recently,” not always as immediate as “seconds ago”: Saya baru tiba di kantor.
• All three can fit this meaning; the sentence with barusan sounds casual and emphasizes immediacy.

Where can I put barusan in the sentence?

Natural options:

• Barusan saya tiba di kantor.
• Saya barusan tiba di kantor.
• Saya tiba di kantor barusan.

Sounds odd:

• Saya tiba barusan di kantor. (Indonesians rarely split the verb and its place phrase this way.)

Why is it tiba di kantor and not tiba ke kantor?

• di = at/in (location). Arrival lands you at a place, so: tiba di.
• ke = to/toward (movement).
• Typical pairings:
  • tiba di (arrive at)
  • sampai di (arrive at)
  • datang ke (come to)

What’s the difference between tiba, sampai, and datang?

• tiba: arrive (more formal/neutral), often in announcements/news.
• sampai: arrive (very common, everyday neutral).
• datang: come (focus on coming rather than the endpoint of arrival).
• Collocations:
  • tiba di, sampai di, datang ke
• Colloquial speech: sampe/nyampe and dateng are very common.

Do I have to keep saya, or can I drop it?

• You can drop it if context is clear: Barusan tiba di kantor.
• Pronoun choices:
  • saya = neutral/formal default
  • aku = informal/intimate
  • gue/gua = Jakarta slang Use what fits your audience.

Can I say Saya baru di kantor to mean “I just arrived at the office”?

• No. Saya baru di kantor is understood as “I’m new at this office (a new employee).”
• To mean arrival, say:
  • Saya baru tiba/sampai di kantor.
  • Saya barusan tiba/sampai di kantor.
  • Saya baru saja tiba/sampai di kantor.

How is tadi different from barusan?

• barusan = just now (very recent).
• tadi = earlier (today), not necessarily just now.
  • Saya tadi tiba di kantor. = I arrived earlier (today).
  • Saya barusan tiba di kantor. = I arrived just now.

Is barusan tadi correct or redundant?

• It’s common in casual speech for emphasis, but many consider it redundant. In careful speech/writing, pick one: barusan or tadi.

Does this sentence equal English “I just arrived” or “I’ve just arrived”? Do I need sudah or telah?

• It matches the idea of “I’ve just arrived/I just arrived.” Indonesian doesn’t mark tense the same way; barusan supplies the “just” meaning.
• sudah/telah mean “already/has,” completion without the “just now” nuance:
  • Saya sudah/telah tiba di kantor. = I have arrived (not necessarily just now).
• Don’t combine barusan with sudah/telah unless you’re mimicking casual redundancy; one is enough.

How would I say this more formal or more casual?

• More formal/neutral:
  • Saya baru saja tiba di kantor.
  • Saya baru tiba di kantor.
  • Very formal report style: Saya telah tiba di kantor. (no “just” feel)
• Casual:
  • Aku/Gue barusan sampai (nyampe) di kantor.
  • Pronoun drop: Barusan sampai di kantor.

How do I say “I haven’t arrived at the office yet”?

• Saya belum tiba di kantor.
• Saya belum sampai di kantor.
• Shorter, state-based: Saya belum di kantor. Use belum (not yet), not tidak, for “not yet.”

How do I ask “Did you just arrive (at the office)?”

• Neutral/casual:
  • Barusan tiba?
  • Baru sampai di kantor?
  • Kamu barusan datang?
• Formal:
  • Apakah Anda baru saja tiba di kantor?

Any pronunciation tips for these words?

• barusan: stress the middle syllable (ba-RU-san). u like “oo” in “food” (short). Tap the r.
• tiba: TI-ba (penultimate stress).
• kantor: KAN-tor (penultimate stress). Clear final r (tap/roll slightly).
• di is just “dee.”

Do I need to say “my office” in Indonesian?

• Indonesian has no articles. di kantor often implies “at the (my) office” from context.
• To be explicit: di kantor saya (at my office), di kantor kamu/Anda/dia, di kantor pusat/cabang, etc.

Is the spacing of di important?

• Yes. As a preposition, di is separate: di kantor (at the office).
• The attached form di- is a passive prefix on verbs: dibaca (is read), ditutup (is closed).
• Don’t write dikantor for “at the office.”