Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Beliau berkata rapat ditunda lima belas menit; kami menunggu dengan tenang. - He/She said the meeting was postponed for fifteen minutes; we waited calmly.

Beliau is a respectful third‑person singular pronoun for a senior or respected person (e.g., a teacher, manager, official). It is gender‑neutral. Use dia (colloquial) or ia (more literary/formal, subject-only) for ordinary reference to “he/she.” Use beliau when you want to show respect; avoid dia for superiors in formal contexts.

Should there be bolded bahwa after bolded berkata? Is bolded Beliau berkata rapat ditunda… correct?

Both are acceptable:

Beliau berkata rapat ditunda lima belas menit. (perfectly natural)
Beliau berkata bahwa rapat ditunda lima belas menit. (a bit more explicit/formal) Bahwa is optional after many verbs of saying/thinking.

What’s the difference between bolded berkata, bolded mengatakan, bolded bilang, and bolded berbicara?

berkata = to say (intransitive), often followed by a clause or quoted speech.
mengatakan = to say/state (transitive), takes an object clause: Ia mengatakan bahwa….
bilang = to say (informal/colloquial).
berbicara = to speak/talk (about/to), focuses on the act of speaking, not reporting content.

Why is the passive bolded ditunda used? Could I use the active?

The passive focuses on the meeting (rapat) and lets you omit the agent:

Passive: Rapat ditunda lima belas menit. (agent omitted, common and neutral)
Active: Beliau menunda rapat lima belas menit. (focus on who postponed it) Both are fine; choose based on what you want to highlight.

Do I need bolded selama in bolded ditunda lima belas menit?

No. Ditunda lima belas menit already means “postponed/delayed by 15 minutes.” Adding selama is optional (ditunda selama lima belas menit) and slightly emphasizes duration; both are correct.

Is bolded ditunda the same as bolded diundur, bolded ditangguhkan, or bolded dibatalkan?

ditunda = postponed/delayed (general term).
diundur = moved to a later time (colloquial; scheduling nuance).
ditangguhkan = deferred/put on hold (often longer/indefinite).
dibatalkan = canceled. Here, ditunda or diundur 15 menit both work; diundur sounds a bit more colloquial.

Why bolded kami and not bolded kita?

Kami = “we” excluding the listener. Kita = “we” including the listener. If the person you’re speaking to wasn’t part of the group waiting, kami is correct.

Is bolded menunggu dengan tenang the only way? What about bolded menunggu tenang or bolded secara tenang?

Dengan tenang is the most natural adverbial of manner. Menunggu tenang sounds odd. Secara tenang is grammatical but less idiomatic here. Alternatives: menunggu dengan sabar (patiently), menunggu dengan hening (quietly/silently).

Is the semicolon appropriate in Indonesian?

Yes. A semicolon can link two closely related independent clauses. You could also use a period or a connector:

Beliau berkata … . Kami menunggu …
Beliau berkata …; jadi kami menunggu … All are acceptable stylistic choices.

How should bolded lima belas menit be written—spaces, hyphens, or digits?

Write it as two words, no hyphen: lima belas menit. Using digits is also fine in many contexts: 15 menit. In formal prose, words are common; in technical or concise writing, digits are common.

Is bolded menit ever written as bolded minit?

In Indonesian: menit. In Malaysian Malay: minit. Stick with menit for Indonesian.

Could I add definiteness: bolded rapat itu or bolded rapatnya?

Yes:

rapat itu = that/the meeting (explicit, neutral/formal)
rapatnya = the meeting (contextual/possessive feel, common in speech) All of these are fine: rapat ditunda…, rapat itu ditunda…, rapatnya ditunda….

Can I rephrase as bolded Kata beliau, rapat ditunda lima belas menit?

Yes. Kata beliau,… (literally “according to him/her,” “he/she said…”) is a natural alternative that fronts the reporting phrase.

How is tense understood here? Does bolded berkata mean past?

Indonesian doesn’t mark tense morphologically. Time is inferred from context or time words:

tadi/baru saja berkata (just/past)
akan berkata (future)
sudah berkata (already). In your sentence, past is understood from context.

Is capitalizing bolded Beliau required?

Beliau is capitalized here only because it starts the sentence. Otherwise, it’s normally lowercase. The pronoun Anda is the one that’s capitalized regardless of position in standard Indonesian.