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dulu

Dulu is a common word in Indonesian and Malay that functions as a temporal adverb meaning "before," "previously," or "in the past." It can modify verbs, clauses, or whole sentences to indicate that an action or situation occurred earlier than another point in time. In narrative and everyday speech, dulu signals a contrast with the present or with future expectations.

In practice, dulu is frequently used to describe past habits, states, or events. For example, "Saya dulu

Linguistically, dulu originates from Malay and Indonesian vocabulary and is one of the most widely used temporal

Beyond its role as a time word, dulu is primarily integrated into ordinary speech and writing in

tinggal
di
Jakarta"
means
"I
used
to
live
in
Jakarta,"
and
"Dulu
saya
suka
makan
nasi
goreng"
means
"In
the
past
I
liked
to
eat
fried
rice."
The
fixed
expression
"dulu
kala"
translates
roughly
as
"long
ago"
and
is
common
in
storytelling
and
historical
references.
markers
in
these
languages.
Its
function
as
a
discourse
marker
helps
set
a
timeline
for
what
is
being
discussed
and
signals
a
shift
from
a
prior
situation
to
the
present.
Indonesia
and
Malaysia.
While
it
may
appear
in
translations
or
cultural
references,
its
core
meaning
remains
denoting
something
that
occurred
earlier
in
time,
often
contrasted
with
the
present
moment.
See
also
Indonesian
language,
Malay
language,
and
temporal
adverbs.