Saya menerima email barusan.

I just received an email.

Breakdown of Saya menerima email barusan.

• saya: I
• sebuah: an
• email: the email
• barusan: just now
• menerima: to receive

Questions & Answers about Saya menerima email barusan.

What exactly does the word barusan convey? How recent is it?

Barusan means “just now” or “a moment ago,” implying very recent time (usually within minutes). It’s stronger/immediate compared to general “recently.”

• For “recently” (not necessarily minutes ago), use baru-baru ini.
• For “earlier (today),” use tadi.

Examples:

• Barusan saya menerima email. = just now
• Tadi saya menerima email. = earlier today
• Baru-baru ini saya menerima email. = recently

Can I move barusan around in the sentence?

Yes. Common, natural options:

• Barusan saya menerima email.
• Saya barusan menerima email.
• Saya menerima email barusan. (also acceptable, though the first two are more common)

Don’t put it between verb and object: not “Saya menerima barusan email.”

Is barusan the same as baru saja or baru?

• Barusan ≈ baru saja = just now. Baru saja sounds a bit more neutral/formal; barusan is informal-neutral.
• Baru alone is ambiguous:
  • As an adverb: “just/recently.” Example: Saya baru menerima email.
  • As an adjective: “new.” Example: email baru = a new email (not “just now”). Use context to avoid confusion.

Why menerima and not terima? What about nerima or dapat?

• Base verb: terima (“receive”).
• Active transitive (standard): menerima. The prefix meN- assimilates to men- and the initial t of the root drops: meN- + terima → menerima (not “menarima”).
• Colloquial root-form active: terima is also widely used in speech: Saya terima email barusan.
• Informal contraction: nerima (from “menerima”): Aku barusan nerima email.
• Everyday alternative: dapat/dapet (“get”): Aku baru aja dapet email. Less formal than “menerima.”

How would I say this in the passive or with object focus?

Two common options:

• Passive with di-: Emailnya baru saja diterima. (The email was just received; agent may be unknown/irrelevant.)
• “Short passive” (object-fronting with a pronoun agent): Emailnya baru saja saya terima. (Very natural; highlights the email while keeping “I” as the agent.) All three are fine depending on what you want to emphasize:
• Actor-focused: Saya (menerima/terima) …
• Event-focused: … diterima
• Object-focused: Emailnya … saya terima

Is the original sentence natural, or should I say it differently?

It’s fine. In everyday speech, you’ll more often hear:

• Saya barusan menerima email.
• Barusan saya menerima email. Your version (Saya menerima email barusan) is acceptable, just slightly less common word order.

Do I need a word for “an” (an email)? Should I say sebuah email?

Indonesian has no articles. Email can mean “an email” or “email(s)” from context.

• If you must stress singularity, use satu email. Sebuah email is possible but feels more formal/unnatural with tech nouns; satu email is more common.

How do I mark the plural (“emails”)?

Use a quantifier or number:

• beberapa email (several emails)
• dua/lima email (two/five emails)
• banyak/lebih banyak email (many/more emails) Reduplication (email-email) is uncommon with this loanword; quantifiers are preferred.

Does Indonesian mark past tense? How does time get expressed here?

Indonesian has no tense inflection. Time/aspect is conveyed by adverbs and particles:

• barusan/baru saja = just now
• sudah/telah = already
• sedang = in the middle of (progressive)
• akan = will So:
• Saya barusan menerima email. = I just received an email.
• Saya sudah menerima email. = I have already received the email.

Can I drop the subject and just say “Just received an email”?

Yes, in informal contexts:

• Barusan menerima email. Listeners infer the subject from context. In careful writing or formal speech, keep saya.

How do I say “I just received your email” or “the email”?

Add possessive markers:

• Saya barusan menerima emailmu. (your email; informal)
• Saya barusan menerima email Anda. (your email; polite/formal)
• Saya barusan menerima emailnya. (the email / his/her email, depending on context)
• Emailnya barusan saya terima. (object-focused)

What are register choices for the whole sentence (formal to very casual)?

• Formal/neutral: Saya baru saja menerima email.
• Neutral: Saya barusan menerima email.
• Informal: Aku barusan nerima/dapat email.
• Very casual (Jakarta): Gue baru aja dapet email.

How do I ask “Did you just receive an email?”

Common options:

• Kamu barusan menerima email?
• Barusan kamu menerima email?
• Kamu baru saja menerima email?
• More formal/explicit: Apakah kamu baru saja menerima email? In conversation, rising intonation marks it as a question.

Is it redundant to say barusan saja or barusan sudah?

• barusan saja is colloquial and emphatic (you will hear it), but one of them is enough.
• barusan
  • sudah is usually redundant. Use one:
    • Saya barusan menerima email.
    • Saya sudah menerima email.

Any notes on the word email itself?

• Spelling: email is standard. You may also see imel (informal). The official coined term surel (surat elektronik) exists but is uncommon in speech.
• Pronunciation: usually like English “email,” often said “imeil.”
• Collocations:
  • menerima/terima/dapat email = receive/get an email
  • mengirim/kirim email = send an email
  • membaca/buka email = read/open an email
  • membalas/balas email = reply to an email