Saya berdiskusi singkat dengan kolega tentang target harian.

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Questions & Answers about Saya berdiskusi singkat dengan kolega tentang target harian.

What does the prefix ber- in berdiskusi mean, and how is it different from mendiskusikan?
  • ber- makes an intransitive verb that means to engage in the activity: berdiskusi = to have a discussion. It does not take a direct object.
  • mendiskusikan is transitive and takes a direct object: to discuss something.

Examples:

  • Correct with topic marker: Saya berdiskusi tentang target harian (dengan kolega).
  • Incorrect without a preposition: Saya berdiskusi target harian. (unnatural)
  • Correct transitive: Saya mendiskusikan target harian dengan kolega.
  • Common alternative: Kami membahas target harian. (simpler, very natural)
Is berdiskusi singkat natural, or should I say sebentar?

Both are acceptable.

  • berdiskusi singkat sounds a bit more formal/literary.
  • berdiskusi sebentar is very natural in everyday speech.
  • You can also say berdiskusi secara singkat if you want an explicitly adverbial form.
Can I say Saya diskusi singkat (without ber-)?

Yes, in casual speech Indonesians often drop prefixes on certain verbs. Colloquial examples:

  • Saya diskusi bentar sama kolega soal target harian. In formal writing or careful speech, prefer berdiskusi.
How do I say with my colleague vs with a colleague? Do I need to mark singular/plural?
  • With my colleague: dengan kolega saya or dengan rekan kerja saya.
  • With a colleague (unspecified): dengan seorang kolega.
  • With several colleagues: dengan beberapa kolega or dengan para kolega (formal).
  • You can also say dengan kolega and let context decide singular vs plural.
What’s the difference among kolega, rekan kerja, and teman kerja?
  • kolega: formal/neutral, often used in business or writing.
  • rekan kerja: neutral, very common at work.
  • teman kerja: more informal and friendly.
Do I have to use tentang? Are soal, mengenai, or perihal okay?

All are fine; they differ in register:

  • tentang: neutral and common.
  • mengenai: slightly more formal.
  • perihal: formal/written.
  • soal: informal/colloquial. Examples: berdiskusi tentang/soal/mengenai/perihal target harian.
Where does singkat go? Could it come before the verb?

Place it after the verb: berdiskusi singkat. Pre-verbal singkat berdiskusi is unnatural. If you want a noun phrase, use:

  • melakukan diskusi singkat dengan kolega (do a brief discussion).
Can I use bersama instead of dengan?

Yes:

  • berdiskusi dengan kolega (with a colleague) is neutral.
  • berdiskusi bersama kolega emphasizes doing it together and is slightly more formal/stylistic. Both are widely used.
How would I make the sentence sound more casual or more formal?
  • More formal: Saya berdiskusi singkat dengan kolega mengenai target harian.
  • Neutral: Saya berdiskusi sebentar dengan rekan kerja tentang target harian.
  • Casual: Aku sempat ngobrol bentar sama teman kerja soal target harian.
Is target harian singular or plural? How do I specify it?

Indonesian doesn’t mark plural by default; target harian can mean one or more targets depending on context. To be explicit:

  • One: satu target harian.
  • Several: beberapa target harian. Reduplication (target-target) is grammatically possible but sounds odd with this loanword; use beberapa instead.
What does harian come from? Can I use sehari-hari?
  • harian is derived from hari (day) and means daily (scheduled/periodic), as in target harian, koran harian.
  • sehari-hari means every day/as a habit (day-to-day). You wouldn’t normally say target sehari-hari; stick with target harian.
Can I drop Saya? What about Aku or Gue?
  • Subject pronouns can be dropped if context is clear: Berdiskusi singkat dengan kolega tentang target harian.
  • saya: polite/formal.
  • aku: neutral/informal with peers.
  • gue: very informal Jakartan slang. Match the register to your audience.
How do I make the object the focus (passive or topicalized)?
  • Passive: Target harian didiskusikan bersama kolega. or Target harian dibahas bersama kolega.
  • Topic-fronting: Tentang target harian, saya berdiskusi singkat dengan kolega. Passive is common in formal reports; topic-fronting is also natural.
How do I add time markers like earlier or just now?

Place them flexibly (before the subject, after the subject, or before the verb):

  • Tadi saya berdiskusi singkat… (earlier today)
  • Saya tadi berdiskusi singkat…
  • Barusan saya berdiskusi singkat… (just now)
  • Pagi ini saya berdiskusi singkat… (this morning)