Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Rapat dimulai pukul delapan seperti biasa. - The meeting starts at eight o'clock as usual.

mulai = to start (intransitive). Example: Rapat mulai pukul delapan.
memulai = to start something (transitive). Example: Ketua memulai rapat pukul delapan.
dimulai = is started (passive). Example: Rapat dimulai pukul delapan. The doer is not mentioned.

Can I say Rapat mulai pukul delapan instead? Any nuance difference?

Yes. Rapat mulai pukul delapan is very common and slightly more straightforward. Rapat dimulai… feels a touch more neutral/formal and focuses on the event being started rather than on the meeting as an agent that starts.

What’s the difference between pukul and jam? Which should I use?

Both can mark clock time.

pukul delapan = at eight o’clock (more formal, schedules/announcements).
jam delapan = at eight o’clock (everyday speech). Avoid doubling: don’t say pukul jam delapan. Note that jam also means “hour” (duration): dua jam = two hours.

Does the sentence tell me 8 a.m. or 8 p.m.? How do I specify?

It doesn’t. Add a time-of-day word:

pagi (morning, roughly 04.00–11.00) → pukul delapan pagi
siang (midday/early afternoon, roughly 11.00–15.00)
sore (late afternoon/early evening, roughly 15.00–18.00)
malam (evening/night, roughly 18.00–24.00)

Where can the time phrase go? Can I put it at the beginning?

Yes. All are fine:

Rapat dimulai pukul delapan (seperti biasa).
Pukul delapan, rapat dimulai (seperti biasa).
Jam delapan rapat dimulai (seperti biasa).

Do I need pada before pukul delapan?

No. Rapat dimulai pukul delapan is natural. Rapat dimulai pada pukul delapan is a bit more formal; both are correct.

What’s the difference between seperti biasa, biasanya, and seperti biasanya?

seperti biasa = as usual (refers to this instance matching the usual pattern).
biasanya = usually (states a habit/generally true fact). Example: Biasanya, rapat dimulai pukul delapan.
seperti biasanya = as is usual/as it usually is. Similar to seperti biasa, slightly more explicit or emphatic.

Is an article like “the” missing before rapat? How do I say “the meeting” vs “a meeting”?

Indonesian has no articles. Rapat can be “the meeting” or “a meeting” depending on context. To be specific, use demonstratives:

rapat itu = that/the meeting (already known)
rapat ini = this meeting

Why is it delapan and not kedelapan?

delapan is a cardinal number (eight). kedelapan is an ordinal (eighth). Clock times use cardinals: pukul delapan, not pukul kedelapan.

If I want to mention who starts the meeting, how do I say it?

Use passive with an agent or use active:

Passive: Rapat dimulai oleh ketua.
Active: Ketua memulai rapat pukul delapan.

Is dimulai one word or two? I’ve seen di written separately.

One word. di- is a passive prefix and attaches to the verb: dimulai. The separate di (with a space) is a preposition before nouns: di kantor, di Jakarta. So not di mulai.

Can I omit pukul/jam and just say the number?

Normally no: Rapat dimulai delapan sounds odd. Use pukul/jam. However, in short schedule-style statements you can say: Rapat jam delapan or Rapat pukul delapan (no verb).

How do I say times like 8:30 or 8:15?

Common options:

8:30 → setengah sembilan (literally “half to nine”), or delapan tiga puluh, or delapan lewat tiga puluh.
8:15 → delapan lewat lima belas (or delapan lima belas in numeric style).
8:45 → sembilan kurang lima belas (or delapan empat puluh lima).

Does pukul also mean “to hit”? Does that cause confusion?

Yes, pukul as a verb means “to hit.” In time expressions it functions like “o’clock/at,” and context removes ambiguity: pukul delapan can only mean “at eight.”

How is tense handled here? Is this present, past, or future?

Indonesian doesn’t inflect for tense. Context or time words clarify:

Past: Rapat tadi dimulai pukul delapan.
Completed: Rapat sudah dimulai.
Future: Rapat akan dimulai pukul delapan / Rapat besok dimulai pukul delapan.

Are there style conventions for writing times (08.00 vs 8:00) or abbreviations?

Yes:

In Indonesian publishing, 08.00 (dot) is common; 08:00 (colon) is also widely seen.
You may see pkl/pk. as an abbreviation for pukul in schedules: pkl 08.00.
Don’t write both pukul and jam together.