Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Dia tiba tepat waktu di sekolah setiap hari. - He/She arrives on time at school every day.

In Indonesian, tiba (‘arrive’) takes di to mark the place where you arrive (“arrive at”). Ke is used with verbs like pergi (‘go to’) or datang (‘come to’), but with tiba you always say tiba di [place].

Could you say Dia tiba ke sekolah?

No. With tiba you must use di. If you use datang instead of tiba, you could say Dia datang ke sekolah (“He/She comes to school”).

What’s the difference between tiba and datang?

Both mean “arrive/come,” but:
• datang focuses on the action of coming (often from somewhere).
• tiba emphasizes the moment of arrival at the destination.
In many contexts they’re interchangeable, but formal writing often prefers tiba for “has arrived.”

Why is tepat waktu placed before di sekolah?

Word order in Indonesian is flexible. Adverbs of manner/time like tepat waktu (“on time”) usually follow immediately after the verb tiba, then you add the location. You could also say:
• Dia tiba di sekolah tepat waktu setiap hari.
• Dia tiba tepat waktu di sekolah setiap hari.
Both are correct; the emphasis shifts slightly depending on placement.

Can I reorder the whole sentence?

Yes. Common variants include:
• Setiap hari, dia tiba tepat waktu di sekolah.
• Dia setiap hari tiba di sekolah tepat waktu.
• Setiap hari dia tiba di sekolah tepat waktu.
All maintain the same meaning.

What does tepat waktu literally mean?

Tepat = “precise/exact,” waktu = “time.” Together it literally means “exact at the time,” i.e. “on time” (neither early nor late).

Why isn’t there an article (like “the” or “a”) before sekolah?

Indonesian doesn’t use articles. Sekolah can mean “a school,” “the school,” or simply “school” based on context.

Can you drop dia and just say Tiba tepat waktu di sekolah setiap hari?

Yes. Indonesian often omits the subject when it’s clear from context. Your sentence would still be perfectly understandable.

What is setiap hari, and why no plural marker?

Setiap hari means “every day.” In Indonesian you don’t make ‘day’ plural; hari covers both singular and plural. You could also say tiap hari, which is a bit more informal.

Could you add emphasis to “every day”?

Sure. You can say:
• Dia tiba tepat waktu di sekolah setiap hari. (neutral)
• Dia tiba tepat waktu di sekolah tiap hari. (informal)
• Setiap hari dia tiba tepat waktu di sekolah. (stresses frequency)
• Dia benar-benar tiba tepat waktu di sekolah setiap hari! (adds benar-benar for extra emphasis)