Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Masalah jadwal membuat kami menunda acara. - A schedule problem makes us postpone the event.

It literally means schedule problem or scheduling problem(s). Indonesian doesn’t mark plural by default, so it can mean one problem or multiple. Alternatives:

masalah penjadwalan (scheduling issues; more formal/technical)
bentrok jadwal / jadwal bentrok (schedule conflict/clash)

How is the sentence structured grammatically?

Subject: Masalah jadwal (the cause)
Verb: membuat (made/caused)
Object: kami (us)
Complement: menunda (to postpone) + object acara (the event)

So it’s a causative structure: “X made Y do Z” → Masalah jadwal membuat kami menunda acara.

Could I replace membuat with other verbs like menyebabkan or mengakibatkan?

Yes:

menyebabkan: neutral/formal “caused” → Masalah jadwal menyebabkan kami menunda acara.
mengakibatkan: often used for negative outcomes, a bit heavier → … mengakibatkan penundaan acara.
membuat is very common and natural in everyday speech.

Can I rephrase it using “because”?

Absolutely:

Kami menunda acara karena masalah jadwal.
Karena masalah jadwal, kami menunda acara. These versions put the focus on the action (“we postponed”) rather than the cause. Both are very natural.

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

Indonesian relies on time words and aspect markers:

Past/completed: sudah/telah; time words like kemarin, tadi → Kami sudah menunda acara karena masalah jadwal.
Future: akan; time words like besok, nanti → Kami akan menunda acara karena masalah jadwal.

What’s the difference between kami and kita?

kami = we/us (excluding the listener)
kita = we/us (including the listener) If you’re telling someone outside the group that postponed it, kami is correct. If the listener is part of the group, kita fits: Masalah jadwal membuat kita menunda acara.

How would I say this in the passive voice?

Common options:

Standard passive: Acara ditunda karena masalah jadwal.
Short passive (actor after verb): Acara kami tunda karena masalah jadwal. These put the focus on the event rather than the doer.

Are there nuances among menunda, menangguhkan, menunda-nunda, and diundur?

menunda: to postpone; neutral and general.
menangguhkan: to suspend/put on hold; often formal or temporary, pending a condition.
menunda-nunda: to keep postponing; procrastinate.
diundur: “moved later/postponed” (very common passive); often used with schedules: Acara diundur ke minggu depan. Related: dimajukan (moved earlier).

Is menundakan correct here?

No. Use:

Verb: menunda (to postpone)
Noun: penundaan (a postponement) Be careful: menundukkan means “to lower/subdue” (e.g., lower one’s head), not “to postpone.”

Does Masalah jadwal mean one problem or multiple problems?

It’s ambiguous; Indonesian usually doesn’t mark plural. To be explicit:

Plural: berbagai masalah jadwal, beberapa masalah jadwal
Singular: sebuah masalah jadwal (less common in speech; context usually suffices)

Should there be a preposition like pada in masalah jadwal?

No preposition is needed; masalah jadwal is the most natural. masalah pada jadwal is grammatical and more explicit (common in formal writing), while masalah di jadwal is casual. For the process, masalah penjadwalan is also good.

How can I make “the” explicit (definiteness) for “problem” or “event”?

Use itu (that/the) or -nya:

Masalah jadwal itu membuat kami menunda acara.
Masalah jadwal membuat kami menunda acara itu.
Masalah jadwalnya membuat kami menunda acaranya.

What exactly does acara cover? Are there synonyms?

acara is broad: event, program, function. Depending on context, you might use:

rapat (meeting), pertemuan (meeting/gathering), kegiatan (activity), seminar, konser, upacara, or the loanword event.