Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya menulis laporan harian untuk bos setiap sore. - I write a daily report for the boss every afternoon.

Habitual: Saya menulis … setiap sore. (the “every afternoon” signals a routine)
Progressive: Saya sedang menulis … (I am writing …)
Completed: Saya sudah menulis … (I have written … / I already wrote …)
Future: Saya akan menulis … (I will write …) Without a time/aspect word, menulis can be present, past, or general/habitual depending on context.

What’s the difference between saya, aku, gue, and Anda?

saya: neutral and polite; safe in most situations, including work.
aku: informal/intimate; with friends or peers.
gue: very informal, Jakarta-style colloquial.
Anda: polite “you,” often in customer-facing or formal contexts. If you were talking about yourself at work, saya is the default.

Why menulis and not tulis? What about ditulis?

Base verb: tulis (write)
Active transitive: menulis (I/you/he write(s)). The prefix meN- attaches to roots; with roots beginning with “t,” it becomes men- and the “t” of the root drops: tulis → menulis.
Imperative: Tulis laporan … (Write the report …)
Passive: ditulis (is/was written): Laporan harian ditulis setiap sore.
“Passive 2” with actor after the verb: Laporan harian saya tulis setiap sore.

Is untuk the right preposition here? When would I use kepada or ke?

untuk = “for (the benefit of/intended for).” Writing a report for the boss uses untuk.
kepada/ke = “to (a recipient/target).” Use these with verbs of sending/giving:
- Saya mengirim/menyerahkan laporan kepada bos setiap sore.
- Saya mengirim laporan ke bos setiap sore. (colloquial) So with menulis, use untuk; with “send/give/submit,” use kepada/ke.

Does bos mean “my boss”? How do I say “my boss”?

bos by itself is just “the boss” in general. To mark possession:

bos saya = my boss (neutral)
atasan saya = my superior (more formal)
bosku = my boss (colloquial, using the clitic -ku)
bosnya = his/her/the boss (context decides)

Is bos formal enough? What are more formal alternatives?

bos is informal. More formal or specific:

atasan (superior)
pimpinan (leader/management)
kepala (head, e.g., department head)
manajer, direktur (manager, director) When naming a person respectfully: untuk Pak/Bu [Name].

What exactly is laporan harian? Could I say laporan setiap hari?

laporan harian is a set phrase meaning “daily report.”

Morphology: lapor (to report) → laporan (report, noun); hari (day) → harian (daily).
You can say laporan setiap hari (“report every day”), but laporan harian is the standard term.

Is it redundant to have both harian and setiap sore?

Not redundant. harian labels the type of report (daily, not weekly/monthly). setiap sore tells you when it’s done each day. Together they mean you produce the daily-type report, and you do that in the afternoon.

Where else can I put setiap sore?

Time expressions are flexible:

Setiap sore saya menulis laporan harian untuk bos. (common)
Saya menulis laporan harian untuk bos setiap sore. (common)
Saya setiap sore menulis laporan harian untuk bos. (acceptable; puts extra focus on the time) Moving it changes emphasis, not meaning.

Can I say tiap instead of setiap? Any other variants?

Yes. tiap is a very common, slightly shorter form:

tiap sore = setiap sore You may also hear sore hari (late afternoon/daytime): setiap sore hari/tiap sore hari. More literary/regional: saban (rare in Indonesian; common in Malay).

What’s the difference between sore, petang, and malam?

Approximate ranges (vary by region):

pagi: morning (~5–11 a.m.)
siang: midday/early afternoon (~11 a.m.–3 p.m.)
sore: late afternoon (~3–6 p.m.)
petang: similar to late afternoon/evening; more literary/regional; often overlaps sore
malam: night (after dusk)

If I want to replace the object with “it,” can I use -nya?

Yes:

Saya menulisnya setiap sore. = I write it every afternoon. If you make the noun definite:
laporannya = the report / his/her report (context decides): Saya menulis laporannya setiap sore. Be aware -nya can mean “the” (definite) or a possessive “his/her,” so context matters.

Could I use menuliskan instead of menulis?

Often yes, but nuance shifts:

menuliskan can emphasize writing something for someone (benefactive) or writing something down.
Saya menuliskan laporan harian untuk bos setiap sore. is acceptable, but menulis is simpler and most natural here. Don’t say menuliskan bos laporan (English-like double-object). Keep untuk bos.

Is membuat or menyusun more natural than menulis in office language?

All are common, with slight nuances:

menulis laporan: focuses on writing.
membuat laporan: very common “make/prepare a report.”
menyusun laporan: compile/organize/draft a report. Example: Saya membuat/menyusun laporan harian untuk bos setiap sore.

How do I negate this sentence correctly?

Use tidak before the verb phrase:

Saya tidak menulis laporan harian untuk bos setiap sore. Use bukan to negate a noun identity, e.g., Itu bukan laporan harian. (That is not a daily report.)

How would I say “I give/send the daily report to the boss every afternoon”?

Use a verb of transfer plus kepada/ke:

Give/hand in: Saya memberikan/menyerahkan laporan harian kepada bos setiap sore.
Send: Saya mengirim laporan harian ke bos setiap sore. (more casual) / … kepada bos … (more formal)

How do I ask this as a yes–no question?

Two common ways:

Apakah Anda/kamu menulis laporan harian untuk bos setiap sore? (explicit question marker)
Anda/kamu menulis laporan harian untuk bos setiap sore? (rising intonation; conversational)