Permisi, saya mau lewat sebentar di lorong.

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Breakdown of Permisi, saya mau lewat sebentar di lorong.

• di: in
• sebentar: for a moment
• mau: want

Questions & Answers about Permisi, saya mau lewat sebentar di lorong.

What does Permisi mean exactly, and how is it different from Maaf?

Permisi means “excuse me” to get attention, pass by, or enter/leave politely. It’s what you say when someone is blocking your way. Maaf means “sorry” (an apology). You can combine them for extra politeness: Permisi, maaf…, but for passing through, Permisi alone is perfect.

Does saya mau sound rude? Does mau mean “want to” or “going to”?

In everyday Indonesian, mau is a soft, natural way to state intention—closer to “I’d like to.” It isn’t rude here.

• More formal: ingin (I wish to)
• Pure future: akan (will), but not used in this kind of request

Can I drop saya and just say Permisi, mau lewat sebentar?

Yes. Subject pronouns are often dropped when the meaning is clear. Permisi, mau lewat sebentar is very natural.

What does sebentar add, and where can it go? Is bentar okay?

Sebentar means “for a moment/just a sec,” softening the request. Typical placements:

• …mau lewat sebentar.
• …mau lewat di lorong sebentar. Colloquial: bentar; e.g., …mau lewat bentar.
  “Just” can be added: sebentar aja/saja.
  Note: sebentar lagi means “soon,” not “for a moment.”