Kami tiba setengah delapan.

We arrived at half past seven.

Breakdown of Kami tiba setengah delapan.

• kami: we
• tiba: to arrive
• setengah delapan: half past seven

Questions & Answers about Kami tiba setengah delapan.

What time does setengah delapan mean—7:30 or 8:30?

In Indonesian, setengah X means “half to X,” i.e., 30 minutes before the next hour. So setengah delapan is 7:30, not 8:30. For example, setengah sembilan is 8:30. This differs from British English “half eight” (8:30).

Do I need to include jam or pukul when saying the time?

Not required, but common:

• Kami tiba setengah delapan. (perfectly fine in casual speech)
• Kami tiba jam setengah delapan. (very common)
• Kami tiba pukul setengah delapan. (more formal, e.g., announcements, writing)

Do I need a word for “at,” like pada?

Usually no. Indonesian often places the time directly after the verb. If you want to add a preposition, use pada with jam/pukul: Kami tiba pada pukul setengah delapan. Avoid using di with times; di is for places, not clock times.

Should it be kami or kita?

• Kami = “we/us” excluding the listener.
• Kita = “we/us” including the listener. So if you’re talking to someone who was with you, use kita: Kita tiba setengah delapan. If they weren’t included, kami is correct: Kami tiba setengah delapan.

What’s the difference between tiba, sampai, and datang?

• tiba = “arrive,” slightly formal or neutral; common in schedules/news. Often used with places: tiba di [place].
• sampai = “arrive,” very common in everyday speech; sampai (di) [place].
• datang = “come,” more about the act of coming rather than arrival/completion; uses ke: datang ke [place]. Examples: Kami tiba di Jakarta setengah delapan. / Kami sampai di Jakarta setengah delapan. / Kami datang ke Jakarta setengah delapan.

Where can the time phrase go in the sentence?

Time can follow the verb or be fronted for emphasis.

• Neutral: Kami tiba setengah delapan.
• Emphatic on time: Setengah delapan kami tiba. Both are acceptable.

How do I specify a.m. or p.m.?

Add a time-of-day word:

• Morning (a.m.): pagi → Kami tiba setengah delapan pagi. (7:30 a.m.)
• Evening/night (p.m.): malam → Kami tiba setengah delapan malam. (7:30 p.m.) You can also use 24-hour style: Kami tiba pukul 07.30 or 19.30.

How do I show past or future since Indonesian has no verb tenses?

Use time/aspect markers:

• Past/completed: sudah, tadi, baru saja → Kami sudah tiba setengah delapan. / Kami tiba tadi setengah delapan.
• Future: akan, nanti → Kami akan tiba setengah delapan. / Kami tiba nanti setengah delapan.

How do I include the place we arrived at?

Add a prepositional phrase:

• tiba di [place]: Kami tiba di stasiun setengah delapan.
• sampai (di) [place]: Kami sampai di hotel setengah delapan.
• datang ke [place]: Kami datang ke kantor setengah delapan.

Is jam tujuh setengah a correct way to say 7:30?

Avoid it. It can be interpreted as “seven and a half.” The standard, safe way for 7:30 is (jam/pukul) setengah delapan. Alternatives: jam tujuh lewat tiga puluh (menit) or digital tujuh tiga puluh.

Can I drop the subject kami?

You can omit subjects if context makes them obvious. In notes or schedules, you might see Tiba setengah delapan. In full sentences, keeping kami/kita is clearer.

Any pronunciation tips for setengah delapan?

• se in setengah and de in delapan are the schwa sound [ə] (like the ‘a’ in “sofa”): [sə-tə-ŋah də-la-pan].
• ng is the velar nasal [ŋ] as in “sing.”
• Final h in setengah is audible but light.
• Vowels are clear and evenly timed; stress is not heavy as in English.

How do I say exactly at 7:30 or about 7:30?

• Exactly: tepat or pas → Kami tiba tepat/pas setengah delapan.
• About/around: sekitar or kira-kira → Kami tiba sekitar/kira-kira setengah delapan.

What are other natural ways to say 7:30?

• jam tujuh lewat tiga puluh (menit)
• Digital style: tujuh tiga puluh
• Numerals: 07.30 or 07:30 All mean 7:30, just different styles/registers.