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Perjalanan dimulai sebelum matahari terbit.

Perjalanan dimulai sebelum matahari terbit.
The journey begins before sunrise.
FromLesson 12inHardcore Indonesian

Breakdown of Perjalanan dimulai sebelum matahari terbit.

sebelum
before
dimulai
to be started
perjalanan
the journey
matahari terbit
the sunrise

Questions & Answers about Perjalanan dimulai sebelum matahari terbit.

What is the function of dimulai in this sentence? Is it passive or active and why
dimulai is the passive form of the verb mulai (to start), built with the prefix di-. It focuses on the fact that something is started rather than who starts it. Passive constructions like this are common in Indonesian to present events neutrally or when the actor is irrelevant.
Can I say Perjalanan mulai sebelum matahari terbit instead? What’s the difference

Yes. Perjalanan mulai sebelum matahari terbit is grammatically correct and more colloquial. Here:

  • mulai acts as an intransitive/active verb (the journey starts)
  • dimulai is its passive counterpart, sounding more formal and neutral

Use mulai in everyday speech and dimulai in formal contexts or reports.

Why isn’t there an article like the or a before perjalanan?

Indonesian has no articles. Nouns stand alone without a, an, or the. So perjalanan can mean a journey, the journey, or just journeys based on context. If you need specificity, you add:

  • sebuah perjalanan = a journey
  • perjalanan itu = that journey
What does sebelum mean and how is it used here

sebelum means before. It’s a subordinating conjunction that introduces a time clause or noun phrase. It can be followed by:

  • a verb phrase: sebelum berangkat (before departing)
  • a noun phrase: sebelum matahari terbit (before sunrise)

Place it at the beginning or end:

  • Sebelum matahari terbit, perjalanan dimulai.
  • Perjalanan dimulai sebelum matahari terbit.
Why is there no pada before matahari terbit?
In Indonesian, many time expressions don’t need a preposition like pada (at). Sebelum matahari terbit is already clear. You could say pada matahari terbit, but it usually sounds redundant. (Note: di is a locative prefix for place, not time.)
How does matahari terbit translate? Is it a noun or a verb

Literally:

  • matahari = sun
  • terbit = to rise

Together, matahari terbit functions as a noun phrase meaning sunrise. Indonesian often uses verb roots as nouns in time expressions:

  • matahari terbenam = sunset
  • jalan-jalan = a walk (lit. walk-walk)
Can I move sebelum matahari terbit to the front of the sentence

Yes. Indonesian word order is flexible. You can say:

  • Sebelum matahari terbit, perjalanan dimulai.

This structure emphasizes the time clause by placing it first.

How do I specify who started the journey if I want to mention the actor

Two options:

  1. Passive with oleh:
    • Perjalanan dimulai oleh kami sebelum matahari terbit.
  2. Active voice (more natural):
    • Kami memulai perjalanan sebelum matahari terbit.

This explicitly mentions kami (we) as the actor.

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