Belakangan ini saya sering lembur di kantor.

Breakdown of Belakangan ini saya sering lembur di kantor.

saya
I
di
at
kantor
the office
sering
often
lembur
to work overtime
belakangan ini
lately
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Questions & Answers about Belakangan ini saya sering lembur di kantor.

What’s the nuance of bold Belakangan ini bold compared with bold Akhir-akhir ini bold and bold Baru-baru ini bold?
  • bold Belakangan ini bold = “lately/these days”; very common for an ongoing state or habit. Neutral.
  • bold Akhir-akhir ini bold = close synonym of bold Belakangan ini bold; also very common for repeated/ongoing situations.
  • bold Baru-baru ini bold = “recently” for a few specific, recent events. It doesn’t pair naturally with bold sering bold (often), because bold sering bold implies many repetitions.
Can bold Belakangan ini bold go in other positions?

Yes:

  • Front (very natural/topic): bold Belakangan ini, saya sering lembur di kantor. bold
  • Middle: bold Saya belakangan ini sering lembur di kantor. bold
  • End: bold Saya sering lembur di kantor belakangan ini. bold Front position sounds most natural; end position is also fine.
Where should bold sering bold go?

Typically before the verb/activity:

  • Natural: bold (Belakangan ini) saya sering lembur (di kantor). bold
  • Inversion for emphasis: bold Sering saya lembur di kantor belakangan ini. bold (more literary)
  • Avoid: bold Saya lembur sering di kantor. bold (unnatural order)
Is bold lembur bold a verb or a noun?

Both in practice. It can function like a verb or as a noun:

  • Verb-like: bold Saya lembur. bold
  • More explicit/formal: bold Saya bekerja lembur. bold
  • Colloquial: bold Saya kerja lembur. bold
  • Noun uses: bold uang lembur bold (overtime pay), bold jam lembur bold (overtime hours)
Why bold di kantor bold and not bold ke kantor bold or bold pada kantor bold?
  • bold di bold = at/in (static location): bold di kantor bold = at the office.
  • bold ke bold = to/toward (movement): bold ke kantor bold = to the office.
  • bold pada bold is not used for physical locations like this.
Do I need to say bold di kantor saya bold to mean “at my office”?
Not usually. With bold saya bold as the subject, bold di kantor bold is normally understood as “at (my) office/at work.” Use bold di kantor saya bold, bold di kantor pusat bold, or bold di kantor klien bold if you need to be specific.
Can I omit bold di kantor bold?
Yes. bold Belakangan ini saya sering lembur. bold is a complete, natural sentence; it just omits the location.
Any difference between bold sering bold, bold sering kali/seringkali bold, and other options?
  • bold sering bold = often (most common).
  • bold sering kali/seringkali bold = also “often,” a bit more emphatic or formal in some contexts.
  • Synonyms: bold kerap (kali) bold (more formal/literary), bold acap (kali) bold (less common).
Can I use bold sedang bold or bold lagi bold here?
  • bold sedang bold marks an action in progress and doesn’t pair well with a frequency word: bold sedang sering bold sounds odd.
  • Colloquial bold lagi bold can mark a current trend: bold Belakangan ini saya lagi sering lembur di kantor. bold (common in speech).
How do I express obligation, like “have to do overtime often”?

Use bold harus bold:

  • Emphasize obligation: bold Belakangan ini saya harus sering lembur di kantor. bold
  • Emphasize frequency within obligation: bold Belakangan ini saya sering harus lembur di kantor. bold Both are acceptable; the focus shifts slightly.
How do I make this into a question for someone else?
  • Informal: bold Belakangan ini kamu sering lembur di kantor? bold
  • Neutral/formal: bold Apakah belakangan ini Anda sering lembur di kantor? bold
How do I say the opposite (rarely/never)?
  • Rarely: bold Belakangan ini saya jarang lembur di kantor. bold
  • Never: bold Belakangan ini saya tidak pernah lembur di kantor. bold
  • “Less often now”: bold Belakangan ini saya sudah jarang lembur. bold
Why is bold di bold written separately from bold kantor bold?
Because bold di bold here is a preposition meaning “at/in,” so it must be written as a separate word: bold di kantor bold. The bound prefix bold di- bold (for passive verbs) attaches to verbs, not nouns.
Is a comma needed after bold Belakangan ini bold?
Optional. In careful writing you’ll often see a comma to mark the topic: bold Belakangan ini, saya sering… bold In everyday writing, many leave it out. Both are fine.
Can I use bold Belakangan bold without bold ini bold?
Yes, but bold Belakangan bold alone can also mean “later/afterward” in some contexts. bold Belakangan ini bold unambiguously means “lately/these days,” so it’s safer and clearer in this sentence.
Any quick pronunciation tips?
  • bold lembur bold: the bold e bold is the schwa-like “uh” sound (roughly “luhm-BOOR”), and bold u bold is like “oo” in “book.”