sering

Sering is an Indonesian and Malay adverb meaning often or frequently. It describes the frequency of an action or event and is widely used in everyday speech and writing in Indonesia, Malaysia, and other Malay-speaking communities. The word functions before a verb to indicate habitual action, as in "Saya sering berjalan kaki" or "Dia sering datang tepat waktu."

In negative contexts, sering appears as "tidak sering," meaning not often. For stronger emphasis, speakers may use the compound form seringkali (often) or write sering kali, which can carry a slightly more formal or literary tone in some varieties. Dia seringkali terlambat mungkin karena lalu lintas, for example, illustrates a heightened frequency.

Etymologically, sering is a core term in both Malay and Indonesian vocabularies, with cognates across related dialects. The exact historical origin is not typically detailed in standard reference works, but it has been part of the languages for a long time and shares semantic space with other frequency-related words such as kerap and banyak kali.

See also: jarang (rarely), kerap (regularly, frequently), banyak kali (many times). Examples: "Saya sering membaca sebelum tidur." "Dia sering terlambat karena kemacetan." "Kami tidak sering berkunjung ke sana."