Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Akhirnya kami bisa pulang tepat waktu.

akhir = “end/last.”
-nya can nominalize or make something referential (“the/its”), and in some words it creates a set phrase.
akhirnya means “finally/in the end,” often conveying relief after delays or obstacles.
Without it, Kami bisa pulang tepat waktu is neutral; with Akhirnya, you highlight the sense of culmination: “At last, we could go home on time.”
More formal/explicit variant: Pada akhirnya, kami bisa…

Do I need a comma after Akhirnya?

Not necessarily. Both are seen:

Informal/neutral: Akhirnya kami bisa…
More formal or for a rhetorical pause: Akhirnya, kami bisa… Since Akhirnya is a single adverb (not a full clause), many writers omit the comma in everyday writing.

Why is it kami and not kita?

kami = we (excluding the listener).
kita = we (including the listener). This sentence uses kami, so the speaker is telling someone who is not part of the group that went home. If the listener is included, say Akhirnya kita bisa pulang tepat waktu.

Does bisa mean ability or permission? How is it different from boleh and dapat?

bisa: can/able to; often used for both ability and (in casual speech) permission.
boleh: may/allowed to (permission).
dapat: can/able to; a bit more formal or “managed to.” Nuance:
Akhirnya kami bisa pulang… suggests ability/possibility after obstacles.
Akhirnya kami boleh pulang… emphasizes that permission was finally granted.
Akhirnya kami dapat pulang… is stylistically more formal or bookish, similar to “could/managed to.”

Why is it just pulang and not pulang ke rumah?

pulang already means “go (back) home,” so adding ke rumah is usually redundant. Use pulang ke + place to specify a destination that isn’t simply “home,” e.g., pulang ke Bandung. People do say pulang ke rumah in speech, but it’s not necessary.

Could I drop bisa and say Akhirnya kami pulang tepat waktu?

Yes, but the nuance shifts:

Akhirnya kami bisa pulang… = we were able to (overcame obstacles/permission).
Akhirnya kami pulang… = we finally went home (focus on the action happening, not the ability/permission aspect).

Can Akhirnya move around in the sentence?

Yes. All are grammatical, with slight emphasis differences:

Akhirnya kami bisa pulang tepat waktu. (fronted focus on “finally”)
Kami akhirnya bisa pulang tepat waktu. (focus on “we,” with “finally” as mid-sentence comment)
Kami bisa pulang tepat waktu, akhirnya. (tag-like “in the end/after all” feel; more conversational)

Where does bisa go? Is pulang bisa possible?

Place modals (e.g., bisa, mau, harus, boleh) immediately before the main verb:

Correct: kami bisa pulang
Incorrect/unnatural: kami pulang bisa So: kami [modal] [verb] [complements].

Is pulang transitive? What are related forms?

pulang is intransitive (“to go home/back”).
Related forms:
- memulangkan (transitive): to send/return someone/something home.
- kepulangan (noun): homecoming/return.
- sepulang (dari): upon returning (from), e.g., Sepulang kerja, …

What does tepat waktu mean exactly? Any natural alternatives?

tepat waktu = “on time/punctual” (literally “exact time”).
Common collocations: datang/hadir/berangkat/tiba/selesai/mengumpulkan (tugas) tepat waktu.
Alternatives:
- Slightly more formal: tepat pada waktunya, sesuai jadwal.
- Informal: nggak telat/terlambat (“not late”).
- Precision with clock time: tepat pukul/jam lima (“exactly at five o’clock”).

How do I mark past or future time? There’s no tense marking here.

Indonesian doesn’t inflect verbs for tense. Use time words or aspect markers:

Past: kemarin/tadi/waktu itu (e.g., Tadi akhirnya kami bisa pulang tepat waktu.)
Completed aspect: sudah/telah (e.g., Akhirnya kami sudah bisa pulang….)
Future: besok/nanti/akan (e.g., Akhirnya besok kami akan bisa pulang tepat waktu.)

Can I drop kami and just say Akhirnya bisa pulang tepat waktu?

Yes. Indonesian often drops subjects when context is clear. Akhirnya bisa pulang tepat waktu is natural if it’s obvious who “we” are. Keep kami if you need to be explicit.

Any pronunciation tips for this sentence?

Akhirnya: Many pronounce the kh like a hard “h” (as in German “Bach”); some simplify it to a plain k/h. ny in -nya sounds like “ny” in “canyon.” Stress is light; don’t overemphasize any syllable.
waktu: “wak-too”; u like “oo” in “food.”

How do I make it sound more natural/expressive in casual speech?

Adding juga at the end conveys “finally/after all that”: Akhirnya kami bisa pulang tepat waktu juga.
You might also hear: Akhirnya pulang juga, with the subject dropped if context is clear.
Particles like dong/deh exist but carry specific conversational tones; use them cautiously until you’re comfortable with their nuances.