Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Agenda rapat berubah karena pembicara utama bersikap terlalu serius. - The meeting agenda changed because the main speaker behaved too seriously.

agenda rapat literally means “agenda of the meeting.” Indonesian often forms noun–noun compounds by putting the head noun first (agenda) and the modifier second (rapat). So instead of “rapat agenda,” you say agenda rapat.

Why is the verb berubah used here instead of mengubah?

berubah is an intransitive verb meaning “to change (by itself).” It describes something undergoing change. mengubah is transitive, requiring an agent (“to change something”). In our sentence, the agenda changes on its own, so we use berubah.

What does bersikap mean, and why is it followed by terlalu serius?

bersikap means “to adopt an attitude” or “to behave.” It’s an active intransitive verb that you pair with an adjective or noun to describe how someone acts. Here, bersikap terlalu serius means “behaved too seriously,” with terlalu intensifying serius (“too serious”).

Why is utama placed after pembicara? In English we say “main speaker.”

In Indonesian, adjectives and modifiers generally follow the noun. So pembicara utama literally reads “speaker main,” which we translate as “main speaker.”

Why isn’t there an article before pembicara utama, like “the main speaker”?

Indonesian doesn’t have definite or indefinite articles (no “a” or “the”). pembicara utama by context is understood as “the main speaker.”

Can I replace karena with another word?

Yes, karena is the most common way to say “because.” You can also use sebab (a bit more formal) or oleh karena itu when you want “therefore,” but for simple cause you stick with karena.

If I wanted to say who changed the agenda, how would I add that?

Use the passive form diubah with oleh to indicate the agent. For example:
Agenda rapat diubah oleh panitia karena pembicara utama bersikap terlalu serius.
This means “The meeting agenda was changed by the committee because the main speaker behaved too seriously.”