Saya hampir lupa membawa kunci rumah pagi ini.

I almost forgot to bring the house key this morning.

Breakdown of Saya hampir lupa membawa kunci rumah pagi ini.

• saya: I
• lupa: to forget
• membawa: to bring
• pagi ini: this morning
• hampir: almost
• kunci rumah: the house key

Questions & Answers about Saya hampir lupa membawa kunci rumah pagi ini.

Why is hampir placed before lupa? Can I move it somewhere else?

Hampir means almost and behaves like an adverb that comes right before the verb or adjective it modifies.

• Saya hampir lupa... = I almost forgot...
• It is not natural to say *Saya lupa hampir membawa... or *Saya lupa membawa hampir kunci...
  Those sound wrong or at least very odd to native speakers.

In this sentence, hampir modifies lupa, not membawa:

• hampir lupa = almost forgot
• not "forgot almost bringing"

So the natural place is exactly as in the sentence: > Saya hampir lupa membawa kunci rumah pagi ini.

What is the structure lupa membawa? Is it like “forget to bring” or “forget bringing”?

Lupa + verb is how Indonesian usually says “forget to do something”.

• lupa membawa = forget to bring
• lupa makan = forget to eat
• lupa mengerjakan PR = forget to do homework

Compare:

• English: I almost forgot *to bring my house key.*
• Indonesian: Saya hampir lupa membawa kunci rumah.

If you want “forget about something” (with a noun), you usually use:

• lupa akan / lupa tentang
  • noun
    
    • Saya lupa akan janji itu. = I forgot about that promise.
    • Saya lupa tentang rencana kita. = I forgot about our plan.

So:

• lupa membawa kunci rumah = forgot to bring the house key
• lupa akan kunci rumah = forgot about the house key (less usual in this context)

Why is membawa used here? Could I use bawa instead?

Membawa is the standard / formal form of the verb bawa (to bring).

• membawa = to bring (formal/neutral)
• bawa = same meaning, but:
  • used after certain auxiliaries (sudah bawa, mau bawa, boleh bawa)
  • common in speech and informal writing, especially with aku, kamu, etc.

In very casual speech you might hear:

• Aku hampir lupa bawa kunci rumah pagi ini.

But in neutral or slightly formal writing (like a textbook example), membawa with Saya is more natural:

• Saya hampir lupa membawa kunci rumah pagi ini. ✔

Why is there no past tense marker like “almost forgot” in Indonesian?

Indonesian generally does not change the verb form for tense (past, present, future).

• lupa can mean forgot, forget, or will forget, depending on context.
• Time is indicated by time expressions (pagi ini, kemarin, nanti, tadi pagi, etc.) and by context.

Here:

• pagi ini = this morning
  → That tells you the action is about this morning, so the natural English translation is:
• I almost forgot to bring my house key this morning.

You don’t need anything like -ed or a separate word to mark past tense in Indonesian.

Why is pagi ini at the end? Can it go somewhere else?

Pagi ini (this morning) is a time expression, and Indonesian is quite flexible with its position. These are all grammatically possible:

1. Saya hampir lupa membawa kunci rumah pagi ini.
2. Pagi ini saya hampir lupa membawa kunci rumah.
3. Saya pagi ini hampir lupa membawa kunci rumah.

Differences:

• Version 1 (original) is probably the most natural and common: time at the end.
• Version 2 puts pagi ini first, often to emphasize the time.
• Version 3 is also okay but slightly less common in everyday speech.

Putting pagi ini in the very middle of “lupa membawa kunci rumah” (e.g. *Saya hampir lupa pagi ini membawa kunci rumah) is not natural.

What exactly does kunci rumah mean? Is it literally “key house”?

Kunci rumah is a noun phrase meaning “house key” or “key to the house”.

Word order:

• kunci = key
• rumah = house
  → kunci rumah = key (of) the house

This modifier-after-head pattern is very common:

• pintu rumah = the house door
• kunci mobil = car key
• nomor telepon = phone number

So kunci rumah is not “key house”; it’s exactly how Indonesian expresses “house key.”

Why is there no saya after kunci rumah? How do I say “my house key”?

Indonesian can show possession in several ways:

1. Using a possessive pronoun:

   • kunci rumah saya = my house key
   • kunci rumahmu = your house key
   • kunci rumah mereka = their house key

2. Leaving it implicit from context:

   • kunci rumah (in a sentence about yourself) will usually be understood as “my house key” if you’re talking about your own house.

In everyday conversation, people often skip the possessive if it’s obvious:

• Saya hampir lupa membawa kunci rumah pagi ini.
  → naturally understood as “my house key”.

If you really need to make possession explicit (for clarity), you can say:

• Saya hampir lupa membawa kunci rumah saya pagi ini.

Could I drop Saya and just say Hampir lupa membawa kunci rumah pagi ini?

Yes, you can. Indonesian often drops the subject pronoun when it’s clear from context.

• (Saya) hampir lupa membawa kunci rumah pagi ini.

In spoken Indonesian, something like this is very natural once people already know you’re talking about yourself. Tone and context usually make it clear.

However:

• In a textbook sentence or first-time context, including Saya is clearer, which is why the example uses it.

Is there any difference between hampir and nyaris here?

Hampir and nyaris are very close in meaning: both mean almost, nearly.

• Saya hampir lupa membawa kunci rumah pagi ini.
• Saya nyaris lupa membawa kunci rumah pagi ini.

Both are correct and natural.

Nuance:

• hampir is more common and neutral.
• nyaris can feel a bit more dramatic or literary in some contexts, but here the difference is small. If you’re unsure, stick with hampir.

What is the level of formality of this sentence? When would I use Saya vs Aku?

The sentence with Saya is neutral to slightly formal:

• Saya hampir lupa membawa kunci rumah pagi ini.
  → good for writing, talking to strangers, work situations, polite speech.

In casual conversation with friends or family, many people would say:

• Aku hampir lupa bawa kunci rumah pagi ini.

Differences:

• Saya = polite / neutral, safe almost everywhere.
• Aku = informal / intimate (friends, family, kids, close coworkers in relaxed settings).
• Similarly, membawa → bawa in more casual style.

So choose based on who you’re talking to and how formal the situation is.

Does hampir lupa membawa kunci rumah mean I actually didn’t forget in the end?

Yes. Hampir (“almost”) normally implies that the action didn’t actually happen, but it came close.

• Saya lupa membawa kunci rumah pagi ini.
  = I forgot to bring my house key this morning. (I did forget.)

• Saya hampir lupa membawa kunci rumah pagi ini.
  = I almost forgot to bring my house key this morning.
  → You remembered in time, or someone reminded you. You did bring the key in the end.