Bedeutung
Coming back home after the workday.
Kultureller Hintergrund
In Jakarta, 'pulang kerja' is often delayed by choice to avoid the '3-in-1' or 'Odd-Even' traffic rules. People often stay at the office or go to a mall until 8 PM. The moment of 'pulang kerja' is a transition to family time. It's common for family members to ask 'Sudah pulang?' as a greeting, even if they see you standing there. The 'pulang kerja' route is lined with 'Kaki Lima' (street food vendors) that only appear in the evening. Buying 'martabak' or 'gorengan' on the way home is a common ritual. There is a growing movement among Indonesian youth called 'Pulang Tenggo' (leaving exactly on time). It's a point of pride for those who refuse to do unpaid overtime.
Drop the 'dari'
While 'pulang dari kerja' is okay, dropping 'dari' makes you sound much more like a native speaker.
Don't use for school
Remember to use 'pulang sekolah' for students. Using 'kerja' for a 10-year-old sounds very strange!
Bedeutung
Coming back home after the workday.
Drop the 'dari'
While 'pulang dari kerja' is okay, dropping 'dari' makes you sound much more like a native speaker.
Don't use for school
Remember to use 'pulang sekolah' for students. Using 'kerja' for a 10-year-old sounds very strange!
Use 'Sepulang'
Mastering 'sepulang kerja' (after work) will instantly level up your ability to describe your evening plans.
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the blank with the correct phrase.
Saya sangat lelah karena baru saja ______.
You feel tired 'after' work, which is 'pulang kerja'.
Which sentence is the most natural?
How do you say 'I'm heading home from work'?
'Pulang kerja' is the most common and natural collocation.
Complete the dialogue.
A: 'Ayo kita nonton film jam 6 sore!' B: 'Maaf, saya baru ______ jam 7 malam.'
The speaker is explaining why they can't meet at 6 PM.
Match the phrase to the situation.
You are stuck in traffic at 6 PM after leaving your office.
This refers to the rush hour after work.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenSaya sangat lelah karena baru saja ______.
You feel tired 'after' work, which is 'pulang kerja'.
How do you say 'I'm heading home from work'?
'Pulang kerja' is the most common and natural collocation.
A: 'Ayo kita nonton film jam 6 sore!' B: 'Maaf, saya baru ______ jam 7 malam.'
The speaker is explaining why they can't meet at 6 PM.
You are stuck in traffic at 6 PM after leaving your office.
This refers to the rush hour after work.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenIt is neutral. You can use it with your boss or your best friend. For very informal settings, use 'balik kerja'.
Yes, that is very common for office workers. It's a bit more specific than 'pulang kerja'.
It refers to the evening rush hour, usually between 5 PM and 7 PM in Indonesia.
In 99% of cases, yes. It implies returning to your base or place of residence.
You say 'Saya lembur'. You wouldn't use 'pulang kerja' in that sentence.
Always 'pulang kerja'. 'Bekerja' is the verb 'to work', but 'kerja' acts as the noun in this collocation.
Technically no, because you are already home! You would say 'selesai kerja' (finished work) instead.
It means leaving work exactly on time (on the dot).
Indonesian doesn't change the verb. Just add 'sudah' before it: 'Saya sudah pulang kerja'.
You still say 'pulang kerja' to mean you are finished with work, even if you go to a mall first.
Verwandte Redewendungen
pulang sekolah
similarReturning from school
berangkat kerja
contrastGoing to work
lembur
contrastOvertime
pulang kantor
specialized formReturning from the office
