Kami pulang sebelum matahari terbenam.

We go home before the sun sets.

Breakdown of Kami pulang sebelum matahari terbenam.

• kami: we
• sebelum: before
• pulang: to go home
• matahari: the sun
• terbenam: to set

Questions & Answers about Kami pulang sebelum matahari terbenam.

Why is kami used instead of kita?

Both words translate as “we” in English, but they differ in inclusion:

• kami is exclusive “we” (excludes the person you’re talking to)
• kita is inclusive “we” (includes the person you’re talking to)
  In Kami pulang…, the speaker’s group goes home without the listener, so kami is the correct choice.

What does pulang mean?

Pulang is an intransitive verb meaning “to return home” or “to go back (usually home).” The notion of “home” is built into the verb, so you don’t need any object or preposition (e.g. you don’t have to say ke rumah unless you want to specify a different location).

How do we know this sentence is past tense? There’s no past marker on pulang.

Indonesian verbs do not change form to show tense. Instead, time adverbials and context do the job. Here, sebelum matahari terbenam (“before the sun set”) tells you the action happened in the past. If you want to be explicit, you can add a completed‐action marker like sudah or telah:

• Kami sudah pulang sebelum matahari terbenam.

What part of speech is sebelum, and can it start the sentence?

Sebelum is a conjunction (or preposition) meaning “before.” It introduces a time clause. Indonesian word order is flexible, so you can also say:

• Sebelum matahari terbenam, kami pulang.
  The meaning remains “We went home before sunset.”

Why is ke rumah not needed after pulang?

The verb pulang inherently means “go home/return home.” Adding ke rumah (“to the house”) is redundant unless you need to emphasize a specific location (e.g. pulang ke kampung).

What does matahari literally mean?

Matahari is a compound of mata (“eye”) + hari (“day”), so literally “eye of the day.” In Indonesian it means “sun.”

What is the role of the prefix ter- in terbenam?

In terbenam, ter- forms a stative or accidental passive of the root benam (“to sink”). It describes the state of the sun “sinking” below the horizon—hence “to set.”

Can I say matahari tenggelam instead of matahari terbenam?

Tenggelam also means “to sink” and is commonly used for boats or objects. While you might hear matahari tenggelam, the idiomatic expression for “sunset” in Indonesian is matahari terbenam.

Why not say sebelum terbenamnya matahari instead of sebelum matahari terbenam?

Both are correct:

• Sebelum matahari terbenam uses a verb clause directly (“before the sun sets”).
• Sebelum terbenamnya matahari nominalizes the verb with -nya (“before the setting of the sun”).
  The clause form (without -nya) is more conversational; the nominalized form feels slightly more formal or literary.