Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Penerbangan saya tepat waktu, jadi saya tidak terlambat.

In Indonesian grammar, the possessor follows the noun. So penerbangan saya literally means my flight. Placing saya before penerbangan (as in saya penerbangan) would be ungrammatical because it doesn’t follow the noun-possessor order.

What does tepat waktu mean, and is it the same as just tepat?

Tepat waktu literally means exact time and idiomatically on time. Tepat by itself means exact or precise. When talking about schedules or deadlines, you almost always add waktu to convey on time.

What is the function of jadi in this sentence?

Here, jadi acts as a conjunction meaning so or therefore, linking the first clause (flight was on time) to the result (I wasn’t late). It makes the causal connection explicit.

Can jadi be omitted or moved elsewhere, for example to the beginning of the sentence?

Yes. You can omit jadi entirely and it still makes sense, though you lose the explicit so/therefore. You can also start with Jadi, penerbangan saya tepat waktu to present the whole idea as a conclusion or summary, but then jadi functions more like a discourse marker.

Why is it tidak terlambat instead of tidak lambat?

Lambat means slow, while terlambat (with the prefix ter-) means late. So tidak terlambat means not late, whereas tidak lambat would literally be not slow and wouldn’t convey the idea of punctuality.

Why does the subject shift from penerbangan saya in the first clause to saya in the second?

In the first clause you’re talking about the flight itself. In the second clause you’re talking about yourself. Although linked, they refer to different actors—your flight being on time is what prevented you (saya) from being late.

Is the comma before jadi necessary?

No, Indonesian punctuation around jadi is flexible. Writers often include a comma to separate the clauses, but it isn’t mandatory. You could write Penerbangan saya tepat waktu jadi saya tidak terlambat in informal contexts without a comma.