Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya sulit fokus sore ini, soalnya rapat mendadak. - I find it hard to focus this afternoon, because the meeting was sudden.

Soalnya literally means “the reason is …” and is common in casual speech to introduce an explanation (often answering “Why?”). Karena is the standard “because,” neutral to formal.

Casual: Saya sulit fokus…, soalnya ada rapat mendadak.
Neutral/formal: Saya sulit fokus… karena ada rapat mendadak.
As a standalone explanation: Soalnya ada rapat mendadak. (“Because there’s a sudden meeting.”)

Why is there a comma before soalnya? Could it be a separate sentence?

The comma reflects a natural pause before giving the reason. You can also make it a new sentence:

Saya sulit fokus sore ini. Soalnya ada rapat mendadak. Or keep it all in one clause with karena:
Saya sulit fokus sore ini karena (ada) rapat mendadak.

Is soalnya rapat mendadak missing a word like ada?

Yes, in conversation Indonesians often omit ada (“there is/was”). The fully explicit version is:

Soalnya ada rapat mendadak. Without ada, it’s still natural and understood from context.

Should it be rapatnya mendadak instead of rapat mendadak?

Rapat mendadak = “a sudden/impromptu meeting” (indefinite).
Rapatnya mendadak = “the meeting was sudden” (definite, a specific meeting known from context). Both are correct; choose based on whether you mean a specific meeting or just “a” meeting. Very common is: Soalnya ada rapat mendadak.

Is sulit fokus correct? Should it be sulit untuk fokus or sulit berkonsentrasi?

All are correct:

sulit fokus is very natural and concise.
sulit untuk fokus adds untuk; it’s fine but often omitted in speech.
sulit berkonsentrasi is a bit more formal/standard.

What’s the difference between sulit, susah, and tidak bisa here?

sulit = “difficult” (neutral to slightly formal).
susah = “hard” (more colloquial).
tidak bisa = “cannot” (suggests you’re unable to focus at all). Examples:
Saya sulit/susah fokus. = It’s hard to focus.
Saya tidak bisa fokus. = I can’t focus (at all).

Is fokus a verb or a noun here? Do I need a preposition like pada?

Here fokus functions intransitively like a verb (“to focus”), so no preposition is needed. If you add a target, use:

fokus pada (more formal) / fokus ke (casual): Saya fokus pada tugas.
In formal writing, berfokus pada is also common.

What time of day does sore ini cover? Could it be siang instead?

Roughly:

siang = midday to mid-afternoon (~11:00–15:00)
sore = late afternoon to sunset/early evening (~15:00–18:30, varies by region/season) Use sore ini for late afternoon/early evening; use siang ini if it’s earlier.

Why is ini after sore? Can I say ini sore?

Indonesian demonstratives follow the noun: sore ini, rumah ini, minggu ini. Saying ini sore is not the standard way to say “this afternoon.”

How would I say this more formally, for an email to a colleague?

Examples:

Saya sulit berkonsentrasi sore ini karena ada rapat mendadak.
Maaf, fokus saya terganggu sore ini karena rapat mendadak.
Saya kesulitan fokus sore ini karena ada rapat mendadak. These avoid the casual soalnya and read more professionally.

Can I replace mendadak with dadakan or tiba-tiba? Any nuance?

mendadak = “sudden/impromptu” (standard). Rapat mendadak.
dadakan = colloquial counterpart. Rapat dadakan is very common informally.
tiba-tiba = “suddenly” (adverb). Not used directly before a noun; say:
- Tiba-tiba ada rapat. or Rapatnya dijadwalkan tiba-tiba.

Do I need an article like “a” before rapat? How do I say “a/one sudden meeting”?

Indonesian has no articles. Bare rapat mendadak already means “a sudden meeting.” If you want to stress “one,” you can say sebuah rapat mendadak (more formal/written), or satu rapat mendadak when counting.