Kami membahas jadwal rapat di perpustakaan.

We discuss the meeting schedule in the library.

Breakdown of Kami membahas jadwal rapat di perpustakaan.

• di: in
• kami: we
• jadwal rapat: the meeting schedule
• perpustakaan: the library
• membahas: to discuss

Questions & Answers about Kami membahas jadwal rapat di perpustakaan.

How do I know whether this sentence is past, present, or future?

Indonesian verbs don’t mark tense. It’s all by context or time words:

• Past: add words like tadi, kemarin, barusan (e.g., Kemarin kami membahas...).
• Ongoing: add sedang (neutral/formal) or lagi (informal) (e.g., Kami sedang membahas...).
• Future: add akan, nanti, besok (e.g., Besok kami akan membahas...).

What’s the difference between “kami” and “kita”?

• kami = we (excluding the listener).
• kita = we (including the listener). Pick based on whether the person you’re talking to is part of the “we.”

Do I need “tentang” after “membahas”?

No. membahas already takes a direct object. Say membahas jadwal rapat, not membahas tentang jadwal rapat. Use tentang with intransitive verbs like berbicara: berbicara tentang jadwal rapat.

How is “membahas” different from “membicarakan,” “mendiskusikan,” and “berdiskusi”?

• membahas: to discuss/analyze something; takes a direct object.
• membicarakan: to talk about something; takes a direct object.
• mendiskusikan: to discuss something; formal; takes a direct object.
• berdiskusi (tentang X): to have a discussion; intransitive, use tentang. Colloquial options: bahas (dropping the prefix), ngomongin (very informal).

What exactly does “jadwal rapat” mean, and why is the word order like that?

It’s head + modifier: jadwal (head, “schedule”) + rapat (modifier, “meeting”). So jadwal rapat = the meeting’s schedule/schedule of meetings. Indonesian puts the modifier after the noun (unlike English).

Is “agenda rapat” the same as “jadwal rapat”?

Not quite:

• agenda rapat = agenda (list of topics).
• jadwal rapat = schedule/timing (date, time, sequence).

How do I show plurals here?

• Reduplication: rapat-rapat = meetings. Then jadwal rapat-rapat = schedule of multiple meetings.
• Quantifiers: beberapa rapat (several meetings), banyak rapat (many meetings). Often context alone makes it clear; jadwal rapat can already imply more than one meeting.

Why is it “di perpustakaan”? How is “di” different from “ke” and “dalam”?

• di = at/in (static location): di perpustakaan.
• ke = to (movement): ke perpustakaan.
• dalam = inside/within (emphasis on the interior): di dalam perpustakaan. All lowercase. Only the passive prefix di- attaches to verbs (different function).

What’s the difference between “di” (separate) and “di-” (attached)?

• di (preposition) is separate: di perpustakaan.
• di- (passive verb prefix) attaches to the verb: dibahas (is/was discussed). Passive version: Jadwal rapat dibahas di perpustakaan (oleh kami). Writing di bahas is incorrect.

Can I move parts of the sentence for emphasis?

Yes.

• Place-first: Di perpustakaan, kami membahas jadwal rapat.
• Object-first (topicalization): Jadwal rapat kami bahas di perpustakaan. Both are natural; meaning stays the same, focus changes.

How would I make it sound more casual or more formal?

• Casual: Kita lagi bahas jadwal rapat di perpus. (uses kita, lagi, and slang perpus)
• Formal: Kami sedang membahas jadwal rapat di perpustakaan.

Is “perpustakaan” definite or indefinite here? How do I say “the library” specifically?

No articles in Indonesian, so di perpustakaan can mean “at a/the library.” To specify:

• di perpustakaan itu (at that specific library)
• di perpustakaan kampus (at the campus library)
• di perpustakaan Universitas X (at X University Library)

Where do time words go?

Flexible placement:

• Start: Kemarin, kami membahas...
• After subject: Kami kemarin membahas...
• End (more conversational): Kami membahas... kemarin. All are acceptable; sentence-initial is the clearest.

What does the “mem-” in “membahas” do?

It’s the active meN- prefix on the root bahas. The meN- prefix surfaces as:

• mem- before b/f/v/p (p drops), e.g., membahas.
• men- before c/d/j/t (t drops).
• meng- before g/h/k (k drops) and vowels.
• meny- before s (s drops). It forms active transitive verbs. The related noun is pembahasan (“discussion”).

How would I say “at the meeting” instead of “at the library”?

Use event-appropriate prepositions:

• dalam rapat or pada rapat (itu) = at the meeting. Colloquial di rapat exists but dalam/pada sounds more formal and natural.