Traffic Jam

Yes, traffic jam is the title. Most people hates traffic jam. Most people trapped in traffic jam.

People hates traffic jam in their own ways. The phrase below is not the only common phrase to express the hate, but a common mistake in using English.

Sampai sekarang, saya belum sampai rumah.

How would you translate the phrase into English?

My friends told me these answers:

• Until now, I’m not in home.
• I’ve not arrived at home yet right now.
• I still otw (on the way) right now.
• I’m going crazy.
• I can’t stand it anymore.

Are those answers correct?

Some answers almost correct. But, some others absolutely wrong.

Indonesian often translates the phrase, word by word. “Until now, I have not arrive home” is the common translation. English has no phrases like “until now, I have not arrive home” or any kind of it.

There are English phrase for this purpose:

I still have not arrived at home.
Saya belum sampai di rumah.

Have you notice the phrase sampai sekarang translated in tenses?

Yes, Present Perfect Tense can be translated into sampai sekarang or telah in Bahasa Indonesia.

… still have not arrived …

The underlined word, “still not” can be translated as belum. The word “have arrived” is the present perfect form of “arrive” (sampai), which has meaning sampai sekarang telah sampai. In addition of “still not”, the word has meaning of sampai sekarang belum sampai.

Beware, do not add ‘yet’ at the end of sentence. Why? Because the word “still not” itself has the meaning of belum.

Was that clear?