Kami sering lembur di kantor pusat.

We often work overtime at the head office.

Breakdown of Kami sering lembur di kantor pusat.

• di: at
• kami: we
• sering: often
• kantor pusat: the head office
• lembur: to work overtime

Questions & Answers about Kami sering lembur di kantor pusat.

Does "kami" include the listener, or should I use "kita"?

In Indonesian, both mean “we,” but:

• kami = we (excluding the listener)
• kita = we (including the listener)

Your sentence uses kami to exclude the listener. Use kita only if you mean the listener is part of the group.

Is "lembur" a verb by itself, or do I need "bekerja"?

lembur can stand alone as an intransitive verb meaning “to work overtime.” Bekerja lembur is also correct and a bit more formal/explicit. Kerja lembur is common in speech. Note: lemburan usually refers to overtime pay or overtime hours, not the act.

Where should "sering" go? Can I say "Kami lembur sering..." or "Sering kami lembur..."?

Default: put sering before the main verb: Kami sering lembur ...
Kami lembur sering ... sounds odd.
Fronting for emphasis is fine: Sering kami lembur di kantor pusat, but it’s more marked. You can intensify with sering kali/seringkali or sering sekali.

Why use "di" here? When would I use "ke"?

di marks a location (at/in). ke marks movement (to).

• Location: Kami sering lembur di kantor pusat.
• Movement: Kami sering pergi ke kantor pusat untuk lembur.

Why "kantor pusat" (not "pusat kantor")? Do I capitalize it?

Indonesian noun–noun compounds are head-first: kantor pusat = head office (office + central). pusat kantor would suggest “office center/complex” and isn’t the same.
Write kantor pusat in lowercase, unless it’s part of a proper name, e.g., Kantor Pusat PT Contoh.

How do I say “at our headquarters” or “at their headquarters”?

Place the possessor after the noun phrase:

• di kantor pusat kami = at our headquarters
• di kantor pusat mereka = at their headquarters
• di kantor pusatnya = at the/its headquarters (context-known)

Why is "di" written separately from "kantor"? Is it ever attached?

As a preposition meaning “at/in,” di is separate: di kantor.
As a passive prefix on verbs, di- attaches: dipanggil, dilakukan.
Rule of thumb: di + place noun = separate; di- + verb = attached.

How do I negate this? Is "tidak sering" natural?

• Kami tidak sering lembur di kantor pusat. = we don’t do it often.
• Kami jarang lembur di kantor pusat. = we rarely do (more idiomatic).
• Kami tidak pernah lembur di kantor pusat. = we never do.

Can I drop the place and just say we often work overtime?

Yes: Kami sering lembur. It’s grammatical and natural; it just omits the location.

Other words for “often”?

• sering = often (neutral)
• sering kali/seringkali = often (slightly more emphatic; both spellings seen)
• kerap = often (formal/literary)
• acap (kali) = often (formal/old-fashioned)
  Example: Kami kerap lembur di kantor pusat.

Does "sering" modify "lembur" or "di kantor pusat"? What if I want “We are often at HQ”?

Here it modifies lembur. If you want “We are often at HQ,” say: Kami sering di kantor pusat. Adding lembur specifies the activity.

Does "lembur" always mean late at night? Does it imply pay?

It means working outside normal hours (evenings, nights, or weekends). It doesn’t inherently imply pay. Overtime pay is uang lembur or lemburan (e.g., dapat uang lembur = get overtime pay).

How can I make the sentence more formal or more casual?

• More formal: Kami sering bekerja lembur di kantor pusat.
• Neutral: Kami sering lembur di kantor pusat.
• Casual (to teammates): Kita sering lembur di kantor pusat.
  Note: Colloquially some people use kita loosely, but standard Indonesian keeps kami (exclusive) vs kita (inclusive).

Any pronunciation tips?

• kami: KAH-mee (a as in “father”)
• sering: suh-RING (e = schwa)
• lembur: luhm-BOOR (u like “oo” in “food”; tapped/rolled r)
• kantor: KAHN-tor (short o)
• pusat: POO-saht (final t unaspirated)
  Stress usually falls on the second-to-last syllable.

How do I add time phrases like “on weekends” or “tonight”?

• On weekends: pada akhir pekan (colloquial: di akhir pekan)
• Tonight: malam ini or nanti malam
• On Fridays: (pada) hari Jumat
  Examples:
• Kami sering lembur di kantor pusat pada akhir pekan.
• Kami sering lembur di kantor pusat nanti malam.

If I want to emphasize the location instead, can I move it earlier?

Yes. Front the location (often with a comma in writing): Di kantor pusat, kami sering lembur. This emphasizes the setting.