Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Pagi ini saya naik angkot ke kantor. - This morning I take a public minibus to the office.

In Indonesian, naik literally means “to go up,” but it also widely means “to board/ride/take” a vehicle. That’s why you say naik bus/kereta/mobil/ojek/angkot. More formal or specific options are menaiki (formal, less common in speech) and menumpang (“to ride as a passenger/get a lift”), e.g., menumpang mobil teman.

What exactly is an angkot?

Angkot is short for angkutan kota (“city transport”): a small shared minibus that runs set routes in many Indonesian cities. It’s everyday, neutral vocabulary. In some places you’ll also hear mikrolet, metromini, or bemo; use angkutan kota in formal writing.

Why is there no “the” or “my” before kantor?

Indonesian has no articles like “the/a.” Ke kantor can mean “to the office,” and context often implies “to my office.” If you need to be explicit, say ke kantor saya (“to my office”) or ke kantor itu (“to that office”).

What’s the difference between ke and di?

ke = “to” (movement toward): ke kantor = to the office.
di = “at/in” (location): di kantor = at the office.
Using di in the sentence would change the meaning to being at the office, not going there.

Should I say pagi ini or tadi pagi for “this morning”?

Both are correct, but with nuance:

pagi ini = this morning (today). If it’s later in the day, it still refers to the morning earlier today.
tadi pagi = earlier this morning (clearly past).
Learners often prefer tadi pagi to make the past meaning explicit. Don’t say ini pagi; demonstratives come after the noun.

How is past tense shown here? There’s no past marker.

Indonesian doesn’t require tense marking; time words do the job. Pagi ini already situates it in time. You can add aspect words if you want: sudah (already), belum (not yet), barusan (just now), e.g., Saya sudah ke kantor tadi pagi.

Is it normal to put the time first: Pagi ini saya …?

Yes. Fronting time/place for context is very common: Pagi ini saya naik angkot ke kantor. You can also put it later: Saya naik angkot ke kantor pagi ini. A comma after the fronted time is optional.

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

saya is neutral/polite and works everywhere. aku is casual/intimate (friends, equals). gue/gw is very colloquial Jakarta slang. Choose based on formality and who you’re talking to.

Can I say pergi ke kantor naik angkot instead?

Yes. Pergi (“to go”) is optional:

Saya naik angkot ke kantor.
Saya pergi ke kantor naik angkot.
Both are natural. Word order can shift for emphasis without changing meaning.

Could I replace naik with dengan/pakai/menggunakan?

Yes:

Saya ke kantor dengan angkot (with/by).
Saya ke kantor pakai angkot (using; very common).
Saya ke kantor menggunakan angkot (using; formal).
All mean “I go to the office by angkot.”

Any pronunciation tips for these words?

pagi: PA-gee (g as in “go”).
ini: EE-nee.
saya: SA-ya (a as in “father”).
naik: “nah-eek,” often like English “night” without the t; final k may be unreleased/glottal.
angkot: ANG-kot (ng+k cluster).
ke: “kə” (schwa).
kantor: KAN-tor; roll/tap the r lightly.

Could naik here be misunderstood as “go up” (like upstairs)?

Not when followed by a vehicle (naik angkot clearly means “ride/take an angkot”). But naik ke kantor would mean “go up to the office” (physically ascend), so keep the vehicle right after naik.

How do I negate the sentence correctly?

Use tidak to negate the verb: Pagi ini saya tidak naik angkot ke kantor. Use bukan to negate a noun phrase, e.g., Itu bukan angkot, itu bus (“That’s not an angkot, it’s a bus”).

Is there a more “workplace-y” way to say I went in to the office (vs. WFH)?

Yes, masuk kantor = “to go in to the office (to work).”
For example: Pagi ini saya masuk kantor.
By contrast, bekerja dari rumah/kerja dari rumah = work from home.