Questions & Answers about Saya baru tiba di kantor.
What does baru mean here? Does it mean “new”?
Here baru means “just (recently),” not “new.” When baru comes before a verb or verb phrase, it marks that the action has only just happened. When it comes before a noun, it usually means “new.”
- Saya baru makan. = I just ate.
- Saya punya sepatu baru. = I have new shoes.
Is baru the same as baru saja or barusan?
They’re very close in meaning (“just now”).
- Saya baru tiba di kantor. = I just arrived (neutral).
- Saya baru saja tiba di kantor. = I just arrived (slightly more explicit; neutral/formal).
- Saya tiba di kantor barusan. = I arrived just now (casual).
- Aku barusan sampai di kantor. = Casual; uses aku and sampai.
Why is it tiba di kantor, not tiba ke kantor?
With arrival verbs, use di for the place you arrive at: tiba/sampai di + place. Use ke for movement toward a place: pergi/berangkat/datang ke + place. You may hear sampai ke in speech, but standard writing prefers sampai di.
Can I replace tiba with or ?