Setelah lembur, saya merasa pusing dan butuh air.

After working overtime, I feel dizzy and need water.

Breakdown of Setelah lembur, saya merasa pusing dan butuh air.

• saya: I
• dan: and
• merasa: to feel
• setelah: after
• air: the water
• butuh: to need
• lembur: the overtime
• pusing: dizzy

Questions & Answers about Setelah lembur, saya merasa pusing dan butuh air.

What exactly does the word bolded as lembur mean here—is it a noun or a verb?

It’s used as both in Indonesian. In this sentence, lembur is essentially “overtime (work)” as a noun, but colloquially people also use it as a verb meaning “to work overtime.”

• Noun-like: Setelah lembur, … = “After (the) overtime, …”
• Verb-like: Saya lembur sampai malam. = “I worked overtime until night.”
• More explicit: Setelah kerja/bekerja lembur, …

Is setelah the same as sesudah or habis?

Yes, all can mean “after,” but register differs:

• setelah / sesudah: standard/neutral (interchangeable).
• habis / abis: colloquial; very common in speech.
• You might also see sehabis or usai/seusai (slightly formal/literary).

Do I need the comma after Setelah lembur?

Yes, it’s standard to use a comma when a time phrase or clause comes first:

• Setelah lembur, saya merasa pusing dan butuh air. If the time phrase goes at the end, the comma isn’t needed:
• Saya merasa pusing dan butuh air setelah lembur.

Why say saya merasa pusing instead of just saya pusing?

Both are correct. Saya pusing is shorter and very natural. Saya merasa pusing explicitly frames it as a felt sensation (“I feel dizzy”). Use the shorter one in everyday speech unless you want to highlight the feeling.

Does pusing mean “dizzy,” “headache,” or “confused”?

Primarily “dizzy,” but it can also mean “mentally overwhelmed/confused” from context. For a literal headache, use sakit kepala.

• Physical: Saya pusing. (dizzy)
• Headache: Saya sakit kepala.
• Overwhelmed: Aduh, pusing mikirin kerjaan.

What’s the nuance difference between butuh, perlu, and membutuhkan?

• butuh: need, often immediate/personal; common and neutral. Example: Saya butuh air.
• perlu: need/necessary; slightly more general or objective; works well with verbs. Examples: Saya perlu air. / Saya perlu minum.
• membutuhkan: more formal or explicit transitive verb. Example: Tubuh membutuhkan air.

Would haus be more natural than butuh air?

Both are fine. Haus is the adjective “thirsty,” so:

• Saya pusing dan haus. (very idiomatic)
• Saya pusing dan butuh air. (also fine; frames it as a need) Use haus when you want to clearly say you’re thirsty.

Does air mean water, not “air”? What’s the word for “air (the stuff we breathe)”?

Correct—air in Indonesian means “water.” The word for “air” (oxygenated atmosphere) is udara.

• Drinking water: air (putih); air putih = plain water.
• You can quantify: segelas air (a glass of water), sedikit air (a little water).

How can I specify time, like “after working overtime last night”?

Add a time word:

• Setelah lembur tadi malam, … (after working overtime last night)
• Setelah lembur kemarin, … (after overtime yesterday)
• Nanti setelah lembur, … (later, after overtime)

How is past or future indicated here, since Indonesian has no tense?

Indonesian uses time words and context. In your sentence, setelah gives the relative time. For clarity:

• Past: Setelah lembur tadi malam, saya merasa pusing.
• Future: Nanti setelah lembur, saya akan/mau minum air.

Is saya the best pronoun here? What about aku or gue?

• saya: polite/neutral; safe everywhere.
• aku: informal/intimate; common among friends.
• gue/gw: casual Jakarta slang. Colloquial version: Abis lembur, gue pusing dan haus.

Do I need to repeat merasa before butuh air for parallel structure?

No. Indonesian doesn’t require that. Saya merasa pusing dan butuh air is natural. You could say merasa butuh air, but it emphasizes the subjective feeling of need; it isn’t required.

Can I move the time phrase to the end?

Yes, both orders are fine:

• Fronted: Setelah lembur, saya merasa pusing dan butuh air.
• Final: Saya merasa pusing dan butuh air setelah lembur.

Is it okay to say saya kerja lembur or must it be bekerja lembur?

Both are acceptable:

• kerja lembur: common/colloquial.
• bekerja lembur: more formal. You can also just use lembur as a verb: Saya lembur semalam.

How do I pronounce air, lembur, and pusing?

• air: two syllables, a-ir (not like English “air”); “ah-eer.”
• lembur: lem-boor; u like “oo” in “book”; tap/roll the r.
• pusing: poo-sing; u like “oo,” ng as in “sing.”