Breakdown of Kami berdiskusi tentang tujuan rapat di perpustakaan.
di
at
kami
we
tentang
about
rapat
the meeting
perpustakaan
the library
berdiskusi
to discuss
tujuan
the goal
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Questions & Answers about Kami berdiskusi tentang tujuan rapat di perpustakaan.
What’s the difference between kami and kita, and why is kami used?
kami = we (excluding the listener). kita = we (including the listener). The sentence reports what a group did without including the addressee, so kami is appropriate. If you mean “you and I,” use kita: Kita berdiskusi ...
Why use berdiskusi? How is it different from mendiskusikan or membahas?
- berdiskusi is intransitive (“to have a discussion”), so you introduce the topic with a preposition (e.g., tentang).
- mendiskusikan is transitive (“to discuss [something]”), so it takes a direct object (no tentang).
- membahas is also transitive and very common. Examples:
- Kami berdiskusi tentang tujuan rapat.
- Kami mendiskusikan tujuan rapat.
- Kami membahas tujuan rapat.
Do I need tentang here? Can I say berdiskusi tujuan rapat?
With berdiskusi, yes—use tentang, mengenai (formal), or soal (informal). Kami berdiskusi tujuan rapat is ungrammatical. If you don’t want a preposition, use a transitive verb: Kami mendiskusikan tujuan rapat or Kami membahas tujuan rapat.
Where can I put di perpustakaan? Does position matter?
It’s flexible; these are all natural:
- Kami berdiskusi tentang tujuan rapat di perpustakaan.
- Kami berdiskusi di perpustakaan tentang tujuan rapat.
- Di perpustakaan, kami berdiskusi tentang tujuan rapat. Position changes emphasis, not the core meaning.
Does di mean “at” or “in”? When do I use ke or dari?
di marks location (“at/in”): di perpustakaan = “at/in the library.” Use ke for movement toward: ke perpustakaan (“to the library”), and dari for movement away: dari perpustakaan (“from the library”).
How do I show past, ongoing, or future time with this sentence?
Indonesian uses time words/aspect markers:
- Past: Kami sudah/telah berdiskusi ...; or add a time word: Kami berdiskusi tadi siang ...
- Ongoing: Kami sedang berdiskusi ... (neutral), Kami lagi berdiskusi ... (informal)
- Future: Kami akan berdiskusi ...; or use a future time word like besok/nanti.
Is rapat the right word for “meeting”? How about pertemuan?
rapat = formal/organizational meeting (work/committee). pertemuan = general meeting/encounter. tujuan rapat is the standard phrase for “meeting objectives” in work/official contexts; tujuan pertemuan is also fine, just broader.
Is tujuan rapat the same as tujuan dari rapat?
They’re close. tujuan rapat (noun–noun compound) is more concise and preferred. tujuan dari rapat is acceptable but more explanatory/formal, used for emphasis or clarity.
Can I drop the subject and just say Berdiskusi tentang tujuan rapat di perpustakaan?
You can omit subjects when context is obvious, but this sounds fragmentary. Better:
- Kami berdiskusi ...
- Ongoing: (Kami) sedang/lagi berdiskusi ... Dropping kami also loses the exclusive “we” nuance.
What would a passive version look like?
Common options:
- Tujuan rapat dibahas di perpustakaan.
- Tujuan rapat dibahas oleh kami di perpustakaan. (more formal)
- Object-fronting (very natural): Tujuan rapat kami diskusikan di perpustakaan. In the last, the object is fronted, so the verb appears as diskusikan.
How formal is this sentence, and what are casual alternatives?
Neutral–slightly formal. More casual:
- Kami/Kita bahas tujuan rapat di perpustakaan.
- Kita ngobrol soal tujuan rapat di perpustakaan.
- Progressive, informal: Kita lagi bahas soal tujuan rapat di perpustakaan. Remember: kita includes the listener.
Could di perpustakaan be modifying rapat instead of the verb? How do I avoid ambiguity?
Most readers take di perpustakaan as the place of discussion. If you mean “the objectives of the meeting held in the library,” make it explicit:
- Kami berdiskusi tentang tujuan rapat yang diadakan di perpustakaan.
How do I say “the library” vs “a library”?
No articles in Indonesian. Use context or markers:
- Specific: di perpustakaan itu, di perpustakaannya, di perpustakaan kampus.
- Unspecific: di perpustakaan.
Can diskusi act as a verb without ber-?
In informal speech, yes: Kita diskusi nanti sore is common. In standard/neutral writing, prefer berdiskusi (intransitive) or mendiskusikan (transitive). Kami diskusi tentang ... is colloquial; Kami berdiskusi tentang ... is standard.
Is tentang interchangeable with mengenai or soal?
Often, with nuance:
- tentang: neutral/common.
- mengenai: slightly more formal.
- soal: informal/conversational. Examples: berdiskusi tentang/mengenai ...; ngobrol soal ...; membahas ... (no preposition).
Can I use pada instead of di with places?
No. Use di for physical locations. pada is for time/abstract relations or formal contexts (e.g., pada hari Senin, pada topik ini), not for places like perpustakaan.