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Saya memesan ojek karena saya lagi terburu-buru ke kantor.

Saya memesan ojek karena saya lagi terburu-buru ke kantor.
I order a motorcycle taxi because I am in a hurry to the office.
FromLesson 24inHardcore Indonesian
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Questions & Answers about Saya memesan ojek karena saya lagi terburu-buru ke kantor.

Can I drop the second “saya,” or is it required?

Yes, you can drop the second pronoun in casual Indonesian. Both are fine:

  • With repetition: Saya memesan ojek karena saya lagi terburu-buru ke kantor. (more explicit/formal)
  • Without repetition: Saya memesan ojek karena lagi terburu-buru ke kantor. (natural, conversational) You can even omit the subject in context: Memesan ojek karena lagi buru-buru ke kantor. (very casual, context-dependent)
What’s the difference between saya, aku, and gue?
  • saya: polite/neutral, safe in most situations (work, with strangers).
  • aku: casual/intimate, common with friends/family and in many regions.
  • gue (or gua): very casual Jakarta slang. Tip: Pick one style and stay consistent within a conversation.
What’s the difference between memesan and pesan?
  • memesan: standard/complete verb with the meN- prefix; good in writing or polite speech.
  • pesan: base form; very common in speech; perfectly natural: Saya pesan ojek. Morphology: p + meN- → memesan (p assimilates to m).
Is memesan ojek the most natural way to say “order an ojek,” or should I use something else?

For app-based rides, (me)mesan ojek or just pesan ojek is the default. You might also hear:

  • ojol (online ojek): Saya pesan ojol.
  • memanggil ojek = to hail/call one over (more for street/stand-based ojek).
What exactly is an ojek? And what is ojol?
  • ojek: a motorcycle taxi (driver + passenger, helmet provided).
  • ojol: short for “ojek online,” ordered via apps (e.g., Gojek, Grab). You can say the brand colloquially: Saya mau gojek/ngeride grab, but that’s casual/slangy.
What does lagi mean here? Doesn’t it also mean “again”?

Here lagi means “currently/in the middle of.” It can also mean “again,” but that depends on position:

  • Currently: Saya lagi makan. = I’m eating (right now).
  • Again: Saya makan lagi. = I’m eating again.
Can I use sedang instead of lagi?

Yes. sedang is a bit more formal/neutral, lagi is more colloquial.

  • Saya sedang terburu-buru ke kantor. (neutral/formal-ish)
  • Saya lagi buru-buru ke kantor. (very natural in speech)
Is there a difference between terburu-buru and buru-buru?

They’re very close in meaning (“in a hurry”).

  • buru-buru: very common in everyday speech.
  • terburu-buru: slightly more formal/literary tone. Synonyms: tergesa-gesa (formal), and note keburu (different meaning: “in time/already”).
Why the hyphen in terburu-buru?
Because it’s a reduplication (buru → buru-buru). Standard spelling uses a hyphen for reduplication. In texting, people sometimes drop it, but the correct form is terburu-buru.
Do I need to say pergi before ke kantor?

No. Indonesian often omits “go.” (Ter)buru-buru ke kantor already implies movement:

  • Saya lagi buru-buru ke kantor. = I’m in a rush (to go) to the office.
What’s the difference between ke and di here?
  • ke = to (destination): ke kantor = to the office.
  • di = at/in (location): di kantor = at the office.
Can I put the karena clause first?

Yes. Both orders are fine:

  • Saya memesan ojek karena (saya) lagi terburu-buru ke kantor.
  • Karena (saya) lagi terburu-buru ke kantor, saya memesan ojek. (Use a comma after the first clause.)
Is “karena … jadi …” wrong?

In casual speech, people say it, but in formal writing it’s considered redundant. Prefer one:

  • Karena saya buru-buru, saya pesan ojek. (because)
  • Saya buru-buru, jadi saya pesan ojek. (so) You’ll also hear soalnya (because) and makanya (that’s why) in speech.
Do I need an article like “an” before ojek?
No. Indonesian has no articles. Just say ojek. Using sebuah ojek sounds odd here. If you must count, you can say satu ojek, but it’s rarely needed.
Is it okay to omit the subject entirely in this sentence?

In context (texts, chats), yes:

  • Memesan ojek karena lagi buru-buru ke kantor. For standalone sentences or formal writing, include the subject.
How would a casual Jakartan version sound?

Very natural options:

  • Gue pesen ojol, soalnya lagi buru-buru ke kantor.
  • Gue pesen ojol dulu ya, lagi buru-buru ke kantor. Notes: gue/pesen/ojol/soalnya/dulu/ya are casual.
How would a more formal version sound?
  • Saya memesan ojek karena saya sedang terburu-buru menuju kantor.
  • Saya memesan layanan ojek karena harus segera ke kantor.
Does Indonesian mark tense? How do I show past or future here?

Indonesian is tenseless; use time/aspect words:

  • Past: tadi/barusan/sudah Saya tadi/sudah memesan ojek.
  • Future: nanti/akan Saya akan memesan ojek nanti.
  • Ongoing: sedang/lagi Saya sedang/lagi memesan ojek.
Should I say untuk ke kantor after “terburu-buru”?
No. (Ter)buru-buru ke kantor is already natural. Terburu-buru untuk ke kantor sounds awkward. You can say terburu-buru untuk mengejar waktu (in a hurry to beat time), but with destinations use ke.
How do I say “to my office” if I need to be explicit?

Usually ke kantor already implies your own office from context. To be explicit:

  • ke kantor saya = to my office.
  • ke kantor perusahaan saya = to my company’s office. (more specific)
Any quick pronunciation tips for the key words?
  • ojek: OH-jek (e as in “bet”); stress usually on the first syllable.
  • lagi: LAH-gee (g is always hard).
  • buru-buru: BOO-roo BOO-roo.
  • kantor: KAN-tor (rolled/tapped r).
  • memesan: muh-ME-san (the e in the first syllable is a schwa-like sound).

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