Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Kelas daring kami dimulai setengah delapan. - Our online class starts at half past seven.

Daring is the Indonesian equivalent of “online,” formed from dalam jaringan (“in-network”). It’s widely used in education and official contexts. You’ll also hear online used informally, and both are acceptable: kelas daring and kelas online both mean “online class.”

Why is kami used instead of kita? What would change if I say kita?

Kami = “we/our” excluding the listener. Kita = “we/our” including the listener.

If you’re speaking to someone who is not in the class, kelas daring kami is right.
If you’re speaking to classmates (including them), use kelas daring kita: “our (you and I) online class.”

Does setengah delapan mean 7:30 or 8:30?

It means 7:30. Literally “half (to) eight,” i.e., halfway from seven to eight.

setengah tujuh = 6:30
setengah delapan = 7:30
setengah sembilan = 8:30
This is a very common source of confusion for English speakers.

Do I need to say jam or pukul before the time?

You can say the time with or without jam/pukul:

Natural/casual: setengah delapan or jam setengah delapan
More formal/written: pukul 07.30
Both jam and pukul mean “o’clock/time,” but pukul is preferred in formal announcements and schedules.

How do I specify morning or evening (AM/PM)?

Add a time-of-day word after the time:

pagi (morning, roughly 05.00–11.00)
siang (midday/early afternoon, ~11.00–14.00)
sore (late afternoon/early evening, ~15.00–18.00)
malam (night, ~19.00–04.00)
Example: Kelas daring kami dimulai setengah delapan pagi.

Why use dimulai instead of just mulai?

mulai is the base verb “to start/begin” and can be used intransitively: Kelas… mulai setengah delapan.
memulai is active/transitive: Guru memulai kelas… (“The teacher starts the class”).
dimulai is passive: Kelas… dimulai… (“The class is started/begins”).
Your sentence uses the passive, which is common and natural with events like classes.

Is dimulai one word or two? How do I know?

It’s one word. di- here is a verbal prefix forming the passive (dimulai). When di is a preposition meaning “at/in/on,” it’s written separately: di sekolah (“at school”).
So: dimulai (one word) vs. di mulai (incorrect).

Why is daring placed after kelas? Could I say daring kelas kami?

In Indonesian, descriptive words typically follow the noun. So kelas daring (“online class”) is the normal order. Daring kelas is not natural.
You can also say kelas online, which follows the same noun–modifier pattern.

Do I need pada before the time (like “at”)?

Not in everyday speech: Kelas… dimulai setengah delapan is fine.
In more formal style you can use pada with pukul/jam: Kelas… dimulai pada pukul 07.30. Avoid pada setengah delapan without pukul/jam in formal writing.

What are other natural ways to say 7:30 in Indonesian?

setengah delapan (very common in speech)
jam tujuh tiga puluh (clear and neutral)
pukul 07.30 (formal/written style)

How would I ask “What time does your online class start?” in Indonesian?

Kelas daring kamu mulai jam berapa? (What time does your online class start?)
More formal: Kapan kelas daring Anda dimulai?
Use jam berapa for exact time; kapan asks “when” more generally.

How could I make the original sentence more formal?

Use pukul and numerals: Kelas daring kami dimulai pukul 07.30.
You can add tepat for “exactly”: … dimulai tepat pukul 07.30.

What if I want to include the listener in “our” class?

Change kami to kita: Kelas daring kita dimulai setengah delapan.
This tells the listener they are part of the group.

Any quick pronunciation tips for the key words?

daring: DAH-ring (a as in “father,” ng as in “sing”)
dimulai: dee-moo-LAI (ai like “eye”)
setengah: suh-TUH-ngah (e like a schwa)
delapan: duh-LAH-pan (e like a schwa)
Indonesian stress is light and regular; keep vowels pure.