Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Rapat mulai pukul delapan pagi. - The meeting starts at eight in the morning.

Indonesian does not have definite or indefinite articles like “the” or “a.” Nouns stand alone, and context tells you whether it’s specific or general.

What part of speech is mulai, and how does it function here?

Mulai is a verb meaning “to start” or “to begin.” Here it’s used in the active form: “Rapat mulai…” = “The meeting starts…” You could also use a passive form: “Rapat dimulai…”, which literally means “The meeting is started…”

Why does the sentence say pukul before delapan pagi?

Pukul is a preposition-like word used to introduce clock times, equivalent to English “at” when giving an exact hour. So “pukul delapan pagi” means “at eight in the morning.”

Can you use jam instead of pukul here? What’s the difference?

Yes, you can say “Rapat mulai jam delapan pagi.”

Pukul is slightly more formal or used in written schedules.
Jam is more conversational and simply means “hour/time.”

What does delapan pagi exactly indicate?

Delapan is the cardinal number “eight.”
Pagi means “morning,” roughly from dawn until about 10 AM.
Together, “delapan pagi” specifies 8 AM.

Why not use an ordinal form like kedelapan?

Time expressions use cardinal numbers (satu, dua, tiga, … delapan) rather than ordinals (pertama, kedua, ketiga, …). So it’s always delapan pagi, never kedelapan pagi.

Could you say “Rapat dimulai pukul delapan pagi” instead?

Yes. Dimulai is the passive verb form (“is started”), so “Rapat dimulai pukul delapan pagi” literally means “The meeting is started at 8 AM.” The nuance is minimal—both sentences convey the same schedule.