Sopir bus kami tiba tepat waktu.

Our bus driver arrives on time.

Breakdown of Sopir bus kami tiba tepat waktu.

• tiba: to arrive
• tepat waktu: on time
• kami: our
• sopir bus: the bus driver

Questions & Answers about Sopir bus kami tiba tepat waktu.

Why is it kami and not kita here? What difference does it make?

• kami = we/us excluding the listener. kita = we/us including the listener.
• sopir bus kami means the speaker’s group’s bus driver (the listener is not part of that group).
• If the listener is part of the same group (e.g., you’re on the same tour), use sopir bus kita.

Is sopir the same as supir and pengemudi? And is bus ever written bis?

• Standard today: sopir and bus.
• You will also see/hear: supir (very common) and bis (older/colloquial spelling). Both are widely understood.
• pengemudi is a more formal/neutral word for a driver of any vehicle. So:
  • sopir bus (common, everyday)
  • pengemudi bus (slightly more formal)

What’s the difference between tiba, datang, and sampai?

• tiba = arrive (slightly formal; often in announcements, news).
• datang = come/arrive (neutral, very common in speech).
• sampai = reach/arrive (often used with destinations and directions).
• All three can describe arrival, but collocations differ:
  • tiba di bandara
  • datang ke rumah saya
  • sampai di stasiun

Should there be a preposition after tiba?

• If you mention the place: use di. Example: Sopir bus kami tiba di terminal tepat waktu.
• If you don’t mention the place, no preposition is needed: … tiba tepat waktu.

Can tepat waktu go in another position?

• Default, most natural: at the end. Example: … tiba tepat waktu.
• For emphasis, you can front it: Tepat waktu, sopir bus kami tiba. (formal/emphatic)
• Avoid splitting the verb phrase awkwardly (e.g., … tepat waktu tiba) unless you’re doing marked emphasis.

How would I say “The bus driver arrived on time” (not “our” bus driver)?

• Use a demonstrative: Sopir bus itu tiba tepat waktu. (the bus driver)
• In formal writing: Sopir bus tersebut tiba tepat waktu.
• Without any determiner, Sopir bus tiba tepat waktu can read as generic/indefinite.

How do I ask “Did our bus driver arrive on time?” and how do I negate it?

• Yes–no question (neutral): Apakah sopir bus kami tiba tepat waktu?
• Informal: Sopir bus kami tiba tepat waktu, ya? or … tepat waktu nggak?
• Negation:
  • Natural: Sopir bus kami terlambat. (was late)
  • Direct negation: Sopir bus kami tidak tepat waktu. (less natural in speech)
  • Colloquial “late”: telat.

How do I show past vs present here? Do I need a tense marker?

• Indonesian doesn’t mark tense on the verb. Context or time words do the job.
• Common markers:
  • Past/completed: sudah, telah (formal). Example: … sudah tiba tepat waktu.
  • Future: akan. Example: … akan tiba tepat waktu.
  • Add time expressions: kemarin, tadi pagi, nanti, besok, etc.

Is the possessive position fixed? Why not kami bus?

• Possessive pronouns follow the noun: bus kami (our bus), sopir kami (our driver).
• You cannot say kami bus for “our bus.”
• Enclitic possessives exist only for 1st and 2nd singular and 3rd person: -ku (my), -mu (your), -nya (his/her/its). Example: busku, busmu, busnya. There is no -kami enclitic.

Is there a more polite way to refer to or address the driver?

• Referring: pengemudi bus sounds a bit more formal than sopir bus.
• Addressing directly: add Pak (Mr./Sir) or Bu (Ms./Ma’am):
  • Pak sopir / Bu sopir (common in speech)
  • Or simply Pak/Bu
    • name/role when talking to them.

Can I replace tepat waktu with something else?

• Alternatives:
  • tepat pada waktunya (more formal/longer)
  • Specify the exact time: tepat pukul/jam 7
• Avoid literal calques like pas waktu for “on time.” pas works with times (e.g., pas jam 7), but tepat waktu is the set phrase for punctuality.

Is sopir bus kami ambiguous?

• It usually means “the driver of our bus,” but context can matter.
• To be explicit:
  • Driver of the bus we’re riding: sopir bus yang kami tumpangi
  • Driver employed by our company: sopir bus perusahaan kami

How do I make it plural if there are multiple drivers?

• Use a plural marker or quantifier:
  • para sopir bus kami tiba tepat waktu (all/collective)
  • sopir-sopir bus kami … (reduplication)
  • Or add a number/quantity: tiga sopir bus kami …, banyak sopir bus kami …
• Verbs don’t change for plural.

Any notes on pronunciation or common variants I’ll hear?

• sopir is often pronounced and written supir in everyday speech.
• bus is commonly pronounced like “bis,” and you’ll see bis in informal writing.
• All these variants are widely understood; in formal writing, prefer sopir and bus.