Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Kecuali saat hujan deras, kami bersepeda setiap pagi. - Except during heavy rain, we cycle every morning.

kecuali means “except (for).” In this sentence it works like “except when…”. To mirror English “unless,” Indonesian often uses kecuali kalau/jika:

Kami bersepeda setiap pagi, kecuali saat hujan deras.
Kami bersepeda setiap pagi, kecuali kalau/jika hujan deras. Both are natural.

Do I need saat? Can I just say kecuali hujan deras?

Use a linker to show it’s a time/condition:

Good: kecuali saat hujan deras (“except when there’s heavy rain”)
Also good: kecuali kalau/jika hujan deras (“unless it rains heavily”)
Avoid: kecuali hujan deras (sounds like “except heavy rain” as a noun, not a time/condition).

What’s the difference between saat, ketika, waktu, pas, and kalau/jika here?

saat and ketika: “when.” Neutral; saat slightly more formal/concise.
waktu: literally “time/when.” Slightly more casual but fine.
pas: colloquial “when.”
kalau/jika: “if/when (conditional).” With kecuali, these make a clear “unless” feel. All work: kecuali saat/ketika/waktu/pas hujan deras, or kecuali kalau/jika hujan deras.

Can I move parts around without changing the meaning?

Yes:

Kami bersepeda setiap pagi, kecuali saat hujan deras. (very natural)
Kecuali saat hujan deras, kami bersepeda setiap pagi. (fronted exception; a bit more formal/emphatic)
Setiap pagi kami bersepeda, kecuali saat hujan deras. Keep the comma when the exception/time phrase is fronted.

Is the comma after the fronted phrase necessary?

Recommended, yes. Indonesian typically separates a fronted adverbial with a comma:

Kecuali saat hujan deras, kami bersepeda setiap pagi.

Why kami and not kita?

kami = “we (not including you, the listener).”
kita = “we (including you).” The sentence implies the listener isn’t part of the cycling group. If they are, use kita.

What’s the nuance of bersepeda vs naik sepeda vs sepedaan?

bersepeda: “to cycle” (neutral, standard).
naik sepeda: “to ride a bicycle” (equally common).
sepedaan: colloquial, “go biking.” All are fine depending on register: kami bersepeda/naik sepeda/sepedaan setiap pagi.

Is setiap pagi the best way to say “every morning”? What about tiap pagi or pagi-pagi?

setiap pagi: neutral/standard “every morning.”
tiap pagi: slightly more casual.
pagi-pagi: “early in the morning,” emphasizes earliness, not strictly “every.” All acceptable depending on nuance.

Should I add a preposition like di before setiap pagi?

No. Say setiap pagi, not di setiap pagi.

Is hujan deras a fixed phrase? Can I use hujan lebat?

Both are natural:

hujan deras and hujan lebat = “heavy rain.” Slight nuance: deras often describes strong flow (rain, water, current); lebat can suggest density/thickness (rain, hair, foliage). For rain, they’re interchangeable.

Why is deras after hujan?

Adjectives usually follow nouns in Indonesian: hujan deras (“rain heavy”). You can also say hujan yang deras for emphasis, but not deras hujan.

How does Indonesian show the habitual meaning “we cycle every morning” without tense?

Indonesian doesn’t mark tense morphologically. Frequency/time expressions like setiap pagi convey habit. Context does the rest.

Is this sentence formal, informal, or neutral?

Neutral and appropriate in most contexts. More colloquial versions:

Kecuali pas hujan deras, kita sepedaan tiap pagi. More formal:
Kecuali ketika hujan lebat, kami bersepeda setiap pagi.

Can I say kecuali pada saat hujan deras or kecuali di saat hujan deras?

You can, but it’s wordier. saat alone is cleanest:

Preferred: kecuali saat hujan deras
Also acceptable (more formal/longer): kecuali pada saat hujan deras. Using di saat is common in speech but less tidy in writing.