Verbs: Aspects — Indonesian Grammar

Indonesian verbs do not change their form to indicate tense, person, or number. There are no conjugations. Instead, the language uses specific auxiliary words, known as aspect markers, placed directly before the verb to indicate the status of an action—whether it is happening now, has already happened, will happen, or is still ongoing.

If no aspect marker is used, the time of the action is usually understood from context or specific time words like yesterday or tomorrow.

Ongoing Actions: Sedang

To describe an action that is currently in progress (similar to the English "-ing" form), use the word . This emphasizes that the activity is happening right now.

Ayah sedang membaca koran.
Father is reading the newspaper.
Mereka sedang bermain sepak bola.
They are playing soccer.
Saya sedang belajar Bahasa Indonesia.
I am learning Indonesian.

Future Actions: Akan

To indicate that an action will happen in the future, use . This is equivalent to the English "will" or "going to".

Kami akan berangkat besok pagi.
We will leave tomorrow morning.
Dia akan membeli mobil baru.
He is going to buy a new car.
Rapat akan dimulai sebentar lagi.
The meeting will start in a moment.

Completed Actions: Sudah and Telah

To show that an action has been completed, use . This is often translated as "already" or the perfect tense ("have done"). It emphasizes that the event is finished.

Saya sudah makan.
I have already eaten.
Dia sudah tahu beritanya.
He already knows the news.

In formal writing or speeches, you may encounter . It has the same meaning as but is more formal.

Polisi telah menangkap pencuri itu.
The police have caught the thief.

Incomplete Actions: Belum

The word means "not yet". It is used to negate completed actions. Unlike a simple "no", implies that the action has not happened so far but might happen in the future.

Mereka belum datang.
They have not arrived yet.
Saya belum pernah ke Bali.
I have not been to Bali yet.
Pekerjaan ini belum selesai.
This work is not finished yet.

Continuing Actions: Masih

To indicate that an action started in the past and is still continuing, use . This is equivalent to the English "still".

Dia masih tidur.
He is still sleeping.
Toko itu masih buka.
That shop is still open.
Kami masih menunggu bus.
We are still waiting for the bus.

Life Experience: Pernah

To express that you "have ever" done something at some point in your life, use . This focuses on the experience rather than a specific time. To say you have "never" done something, combine it with (no) or (not yet) to form or .

Saya pernah bertemu presiden.
I have met the president (before).
Apakah kamu pernah makan durian?
Have you ever eaten durian?
Dia tidak pernah merokok.
He never smokes (has never smoked).

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Indonesian course

81 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 6. A few of them, with the words “Verbs: Aspects” is about in bold:

Dia juga sedang tidur. Dia tidak.
He is also sleeping. She isn't.
Lesson 16
Oh, saya tahu Prancis. Saya pernah ke Prancis sebelumnya.
Oh, I (pol.) know France. I (pol.) have been to France before.
Lesson 208
Aku sedang di pasar. Ini sangat ramai.
I am at the market. It is very busy.
Lesson 249

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