Sign inSign up

Rapat keluarga diadakan di ruang tamu malam ini.

Rapat keluarga diadakan di ruang tamu malam ini.
The family meeting is held in the living room tonight.
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Indonesian grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Indonesian now

Questions & Answers about Rapat keluarga diadakan di ruang tamu malam ini.

What does the verb form diadakan mean, and how is it built?
  • Diadakan means be held/organized. It is the passive form.
  • Morphology: di- (passive prefix) + root ada (to exist) + suffix -kan (causative) → adakan (to cause to exist, to hold) → passive diadakan (is/was/will be held).
  • So the sentence emphasizes the event (the meeting), not the doer.
Why is the passive voice used here instead of the active?
  • Passive is common in Indonesian to:
    • Emphasize the event/result rather than the agent.
    • Sound formal or neutral in announcements.
    • Omit an obvious/irrelevant agent.
  • It answers the implicit question what is happening? rather than who is doing it?
How would I say the same idea in active voice?
  • With an explicit subject:
    • Kami mengadakan rapat keluarga di ruang tamu malam ini. (we, exclusive of the listener)
    • Kita mengadakan rapat keluarga di ruang tamu malam ini. (we, inclusive)
  • To make it clearly future: add akan.
    • Kami akan mengadakan rapat keluarga di ruang tamu malam ini.
Where can I put the time phrase malam ini in the sentence?
  • Flexible placement:
    • End (very common): Rapat keluarga diadakan di ruang tamu malam ini.
    • Front (for emphasis): Malam ini, rapat keluarga diadakan di ruang tamu.
    • Between verb and place: Rapat keluarga diadakan malam ini di ruang tamu.
  • All are natural; choose based on what you want to highlight.
Do I need a preposition like pada before malam ini?
  • No. Malam ini stands on its own.
  • Pada malam ini is grammatical but sounds formal/literary. It’s fine in speeches/announcements: Pada malam ini, …
Is the sentence talking about the present, past, or future?
  • Indonesian doesn’t mark tense morphologically. Time words supply timing.
  • Malam ini makes it future relative to now (tonight), unless it’s already tonight right now.
  • You can add aspect markers for clarity:
    • Future: akan diadakan
    • Ongoing now: sedang diadakan (or more idiomatically, sedang berlangsung)
    • Completed: sudah diadakan
What’s the difference between malam ini, nanti malam, and tadi malam?
  • Malam ini = tonight/this evening.
  • Nanti malam = later this evening/tonight (slight emphasis on later).
  • Tadi malam = last night.
Are the two occurrences of di the same in diadakan di ruang tamu?
  • No:
    • di- in diadakan is a prefix forming the passive verb.
    • di before ruang tamu is a preposition meaning in/at.
  • One is attached to a verb (no space), the other is a separate word before a location.
What exactly does ruang tamu mean? Is it the same as a living room?
  • Ruang tamu = living room (literally guest room/area for receiving guests).
  • Don’t confuse with:
    • kamar tamu = guest bedroom.
    • ruang keluarga = family room/den.
  • The fixed collocation for living room is ruang tamu (not usually ruangan tamu).
Could I use berlangsung instead of diadakan?
  • Yes, with a nuance:
    • diadakan (transitive passive) focuses on the organizing/holding of the event.
    • berlangsung (intransitive) focuses on the event taking place/occurring.
  • Example: Rapat keluarga berlangsung di ruang tamu malam ini.
  • For right now: Rapat keluarga sedang berlangsung.
Is rapat keluarga the only way to say family meeting?
  • Alternatives:
    • Pertemuan keluarga = family meeting/gathering (slightly broader, less formal).
    • Kumpul keluarga = family get-together (colloquial).
  • Rapat implies a formal meeting with an agenda; choose based on tone.
How would I mention who is organizing it in the passive?
  • Add an oleh-phrase:
    • Rapat keluarga diadakan oleh orang tua di ruang tamu malam ini.
    • Rapat keluarga diadakan oleh Pak Budi malam ini.
  • If the agent is obvious or unimportant, it’s usually omitted.
How do I ask where/when it’s held using this structure?
  • Where:
    • Rapat keluarga diadakan di mana malam ini?
    • Di mana rapat keluarga diadakan malam ini?
  • When:
    • Rapat keluarga diadakan kapan?
    • Jam berapa rapat keluarga diadakan?
Is there a more casual way to convey the same information?
  • Yes:
    • Ada rapat keluarga di ruang tamu malam ini. (There’s a family meeting…)
    • Kita kumpul keluarga di ruang tamu malam ini.
  • These avoid the formal passive and sound conversational.