Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Kami mencatat nomor kursi sebelum acara dimulai. - We record the seat numbers before the event starts.

Kami means “we” but excludes the listener; kita includes the listener. The sentence suggests the listener wasn’t part of the group doing the action. If you want to include the listener, say: Kita mencatat nomor kursi sebelum acara dimulai.

There’s no past tense marking. How do I show past or future?

Indonesian doesn’t inflect verbs for tense; time is shown with time words:

Past: sudah, tadi, barusan (e.g., Tadi kami mencatat nomor kursi…).
Future: akan, nanti (e.g., Kami akan mencatat nomor kursi…). Here, sebelum already anchors the time sequence (“before”).

What’s the nuance of mencatat compared with menulis?

Mencatat = to note down, record for reference (e.g., minutes, data, numbers).
Menulis = to write (general writing). For seat numbers, mencatat nomor kursi is natural. Other options: merekam (to record audio/video), menandai (to mark/highlight).

Why nomor, not angka or jumlah?

Nomor = an identifying number (seat number, phone number). So nomor kursi is correct.
Angka = a digit or numeral (the symbol 7, 12, etc.).
Jumlah = quantity/total (“the number of”). You may also see the abbreviation No. for nomor on tickets/forms. Colloquial nomer exists, but nomor is the standard spelling.

Does kursi mean “seat” or “chair”? Would tempat duduk be better?

Kursi literally “chair,” but nomor kursi is fine for assigned seating (theater, bus). Tempat duduk (“seat/seat location”) is also common, especially on transport: nomor tempat duduk. Both are acceptable; choose based on context or the wording on your ticket.

Does nomor kursi mean one seat number or multiple?

It’s ambiguous; Indonesian doesn’t mark plural. Context decides. To emphasize plural, you can say:

nomor-nomor kursi
semua nomor kursi
beberapa nomor kursi

Why dimulai? Could I use mulai or memulai?

Acara dimulai (passive) = “the event is started/begins” (very common, neutral-formal).
Acara mulai (intransitive) = “the event starts” (natural, more conversational).
Memulai acara (active) = “to start the event” (needs an agent: Kami memulai acara…). In your clause, both sebelum acara dimulai and sebelum acara mulai are fine. Use sebelum kami memulai acara if “we” are the ones starting it.

Is sebelum mulai acara correct?

It’s not the best form. Prefer:

Sebelum acara mulai/dimulai, … (the event starts)
Sebelum memulai acara, … (before starting the event, with “we” implied) You can also say Sebelum mulai, … if the object is generic/understood.

Can I front the time clause?

Yes: Sebelum acara dimulai, kami mencatat nomor kursi. Use a comma after the fronted clause. Both orders are natural.

Why is dimulai written together, not di mulai?

Because di- here is a verb prefix making the passive form (di + mulai → dimulai). It must be attached. The separate di (a preposition meaning “at/in/on”) is written separately, as in di rumah, di kantor.

Can I say Nomor kursi kami catat sebelum acara dimulai?

Yes. That’s object-fronting and is common in speech/writing. You’ll notice the verb often drops the meN- prefix in this structure (mencatat → catat). More formal/passive: Nomor kursi dicatat sebelum acara dimulai.

What’s the overall register? How do I make it more casual or more formal?

The given sentence is neutral. Variants:

Casual: Kita nyatet nomor kursi sebelum acaranya mulai.
More formal: Kami melakukan pencatatan nomor kursi sebelum acara dimulai. Casual features include kita (inclusive), colloquial nyatet, and -nya for definiteness (acaranya).

How do I say “our seat numbers” explicitly?

Add a possessive:

Kami mencatat nomor kursi kami.
More explicit/formal: Kami mencatat nomor kursi milik kami. Use kita if you want to include the listener: nomor kursi kita.

How do I negate it? When do I use tidak, bukan, or belum?

Verb negation: tidak → Kami tidak mencatat nomor kursi…
“Not yet”: belum → Kami belum mencatat nomor kursi…
Noun/adjective negation: bukan (not used with this verb). Example: Itu bukan nomor kursi.

Can I replace acara with something more specific?

Yes. Examples:

rapat (meeting), seminar, konser, pertunjukan (show), upacara (ceremony) e.g., Kami mencatat nomor kursi sebelum konser dimulai.

Any pronunciation tips?

mencatat: the c is “ch” (men-CHA-tat). The final t is crisp.
nomor: both vowels are “o” (NO-mor). You may hear colloquial “nomer.”
dimulai: stress is even; -ai sounds like English “eye” (dee-moo-LAI).
r is a tapped/trilled “r.”

I saw sebelum dimulainya acara. Is that correct?

Yes. Dimulainya nominalizes the clause (“the starting of”). It’s more formal: Sebelum dimulainya acara, kami mencatat nomor kursi. You’ll also see similar forms like berakhirnya acara (“the end of the event”).