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Questions & Answers about Rapat sudah selesai.
What does the word "sudah" do here?
It marks completion (“already/has”). With a stative predicate like selesai (“finished”), sudah tells you the finishing is a done fact at the reference time. Without it, Rapat selesai is still fine, but sounds more like a simple description or a scheduled fact. Sudah adds the “already/has” nuance.
Can I just say "Rapat selesai"? Is there a difference?
Yes. Rapat selesai is grammatical and means the meeting is finished. Rapat sudah selesai adds a clear sense of “already/has finished,” often useful when answering “Has it finished?” Using sudah is a bit more explicit and common in replies.
What’s the difference between sudah, telah, and udah?
- sudah: neutral, very common in speech and writing.
- telah: more formal/literary. Example: Rapat telah selesai.
- udah: colloquial spoken form of sudah. Example: Rapat udah selesai.
Do I need a verb “to be” (like adalah) here?
No. Indonesian doesn’t use a copula before adjectives/stative predicates. Selesai serves as the predicate, so Rapat sudah selesai is complete. Don’t say: Rapat adalah sudah selesai (wrong).
Is selesai an adjective or a verb? How do I say “to finish something”?
Selesai is a stative predicate (“finished”). To express “finish something,” use the transitive verb menyelesaikan (finish/complete) or for meetings, more idiomatically, mengakhiri (to end).
- Kami sudah menyelesaikan laporan. (We’ve finished the report.)
- Pimpinan mengakhiri rapat. (The leader ended the meeting.)
How do I make the negative? Is it belum or tidak?
- Belum = not yet: Rapat belum selesai. (The meeting isn’t finished yet.)
- Tidak = not: Rapat tidak selesai means “the meeting did not finish (at all),” implying failure to conclude, which is less common and context-specific. For “not yet,” always use belum.
How do I ask “Has the meeting finished?”
- Neutral: Rapat sudah selesai? (rising intonation)
- Formal: Apakah rapat sudah selesai?
- Formal/literary: Sudah selesaikah rapat?
Answers are typically Sudah (already) or Belum (not yet), rather than “yes/no.”
Can I change the word order?
Yes, for emphasis and flow:
- Rapat sudah selesai. (neutral)
- Rapatnya sudah selesai. (the meeting is finished; “nya” makes it specific)
- Sudah selesai rapatnya. (fronted “already finished” for emphasis; natural in speech)
Avoid archaic Rapat selesai sudah in modern usage.
What does the -nya in rapatnya do?
It makes the noun definite/specific, often “the” or contextually “that/our.”
- Rapatnya sudah selesai. = The meeting is already finished.
For explicit possession, use pronouns: rapat kami/kita/Anda/dia.
Is rapat singular or plural? How do I say multiple meetings?
Bare nouns are number-neutral. Context decides. To show plural, use a quantifier or reduplication:
- Beberapa rapat sudah selesai. (Several meetings…)
- Rapat-rapat sudah selesai. (Meetings are finished.)
What’s the difference between rapat, pertemuan, and meeting?
- rapat: a formal/organized meeting (work, committee).
- pertemuan: any meeting/encounter (broader, can be social).
- English loan meeting is used in some offices/informal contexts but rapat is standard.
Is rapat ever an adjective meaning “tight/close”? How do I tell?
Yes, rapat can mean “tight/compact” as an adjective: barisan rapat (tight formation). In your sentence it’s clearly a noun (“meeting”) because it’s the subject of selesai. Context decides the meaning.
How do I add a time like “at five o’clock”?
Put the time after the predicate:
- Rapat selesai jam/pukul lima.
With aspect: Rapat sudah selesai sejak jam lima. (since five o’clock)
Are there synonyms for selesai in this context?
Yes, with nuanced differences:
- berakhir (come to an end): Rapat telah berakhir.
- usai (finished; slightly formal/literary): Rapat usai.
- kelar (slang): Rapatnya udah kelar.
Use habis for things/resources, not for meetings.
Is “Rapat sudah diselesaikan” okay?
Grammatically yes (passive: “the meeting has been finished by someone”), but it’s less idiomatic. For events ending naturally, prefer Rapat sudah selesai/berakhir. Use diselesaikan for tasks: Tugas sudah diselesaikan.
What are natural short answers to “Rapat sudah selesai?”
- Sudah. (Yes, it has.)
- Belum. (Not yet.)
Optional softeners: Sudah, kok. / Belum, masih jalan. (“still going”)
Any register tips?
- Neutral: Rapat sudah selesai.
- Formal (report/announcement): Rapat telah berakhir.
- Casual: Rapatnya udah kelar.
Choose based on audience; avoid slang in formal contexts.
Pronunciation tips?
- rapat: RA-pat (both a’s like “ah”; final t unreleased)
- sudah: SOO-dah (u like “oo”)
- selesai: suh-LE-sai (ai like the “eye” sound)