Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Kami menunggu tiga puluh menit; malah rapat dibatalkan. - We waited for thirty minutes; instead the meeting was canceled.

Malah signals a result that is contrary to expectation: roughly “instead,” “ironically,” or “only to (end up).”
Placement is flexible:
- Clause-initial: Malah rapat dibatalkan.
- After the subject: Rapat malah dibatalkan.
- After other elements: Akhirnya rapat malah dibatalkan.
All are natural; clause-initial malah adds emphasis to the contrast.

Is the semicolon necessary? Could I use a comma, a period, or a conjunction like tetapi/namun?

A semicolon is fine and fairly formal; it links two closely related clauses.
Other perfectly good options:
- Comma: Kami menunggu tiga puluh menit, malah rapat dibatalkan.
- Period: Kami menunggu tiga puluh menit. Malah rapat dibatalkan.
- With a conjunction: Kami menunggu tiga puluh menit, tetapi/namun rapat malah dibatalkan.
Using tetapi/namun plus malah is not redundant; malah strengthens the “contrary to expectation” feel.

Why is there no explicit agent in the second clause? Is rapat dibatalkan passive?

Yes. Rapat dibatalkan is a passive construction: patient/thing (rapat) + passive verb (dibatalkan).
Indonesian often omits the agent when it’s unknown, unimportant, or obvious.
To include the agent: Rapat dibatalkan oleh panitia. (The meeting was canceled by the committee.)
Active alternative: Panitia membatalkan rapat.

How is dibatalkan formed, and when do I use it vs membatalkan or batal?

Root: batal (canceled/off).
Active transitive: membatalkan = “to cancel (something).”
Passive: dibatalkan = “to be canceled (by someone).”
Stative/description: batal = “off/canceled” (no agent implied), e.g., Rapatnya batal.
Noun: pembatalan = “cancellation.”
Colloquial passive: dibatalin (instead of dibatalkan).

Does menunggu need an object here? Should I add selama before the duration?

Menunggu often takes an object (what/who you wait for), but it can stand with just a duration: menunggu (selama) tiga puluh menit.
Selama is optional and makes the duration explicit/formal: Kami menunggu selama tiga puluh menit.
Avoid untuk for plain durations after activity verbs; use selama if you want a preposition.

What’s the difference between menunggu, menanti, and menantikan?

Menunggu: neutral, most common “to wait (for).”
Menanti: slightly more formal/literary; often interchangeable with menunggu.
Menantikan: “to await/look forward to” (often with emotional nuance or anticipation). Example: Kami menantikan rapat ini.

Spelling: tiga puluh or tigapuluh? Can I write 30 menit?

Write tens as two words: tiga puluh.
Using digits is fine in most contexts: 30 menit.
No classifier is needed: tiga puluh menit is correct. You can also say setengah jam for “half an hour.”

What’s the difference between kami and kita, and which fits here?

Kami = we (excluding the listener).
Kita = we (including the listener).
The sentence uses kami, implying the listener wasn’t part of the waiting group. If the listener was included, use kita.

Can I say Rapatnya dibatalkan or add sudah? What do they change?

Rapatnya dibatalkan: -nya adds definiteness/familiarity (“that/the meeting we’ve been talking about”), common in speech.
Rapat sudah dibatalkan: sudah marks completion (“has already been canceled”).
You can combine them: Rapatnya sudah dibatalkan.

Could I say rapat batal instead of rapat dibatalkan?

Yes, but nuance differs:
- Rapat batal / Rapatnya batal = “The meeting is off” (stative, no agent highlighted).
- Rapat dibatalkan = “The meeting was canceled” (someone canceled it; agent implied or stated).

Is malah the same as justru, bahkan, or ternyata?

Malah ≈ “instead/ironically,” marks a contrary outcome.
Justru is close; it stresses the exact opposite of what’s expected. In this sentence, justru works: Kami menunggu…, justru rapat dibatalkan.
Bahkan = “even,” for intensification, not contrast. It doesn’t naturally replace malah here unless you’re listing escalating outcomes.
Ternyata = “it turns out,” focusing on discovery rather than contrast. Kami menunggu…, ternyata rapat dibatalkan is also natural but slightly different in feel.

How would this sound in everyday casual Indonesian?

Kita/Kami nunggu 30 menit, eh rapatnya malah dibatalin.
Other colloquial options for the second clause: ternyata rapatnya dibatalin, taunya rapatnya dibatalin, ujung-ujungnya rapat dibatalin.

Is it okay to combine tetapi/namun with malah?

Yes. Common patterns:
- …, tetapi rapat malah dibatalkan.
- …, namun rapat malah dibatalkan.
The conjunction sets up contrast; malah intensifies the unexpectedness.

Can I use pertemuan instead of rapat?

Rapat = a formal/official meeting (committee, office, etc.).
Pertemuan = a meeting/encounter more generally (can be formal or informal).
If it’s a workplace/committee meeting, rapat is the natural choice; pertemuan works but is broader.