Kami lagi rapat kecil; tolong dorong kursi sedikit agar tidak mengenai dinding.

We are in a small meeting; please push the chair a bit so it doesn’t hit the wall.

Breakdown of Kami lagi rapat kecil; tolong dorong kursi sedikit agar tidak mengenai dinding.

• sebuah: a
• tidak: not
• kami: we
• kecil: small

Questions & Answers about Kami lagi rapat kecil; tolong dorong kursi sedikit agar tidak mengenai dinding.

Why is it kami and not kita?

Both mean “we,” but:

• kami excludes the listener.
• kita includes the listener. Using kami signals the person being addressed is not part of the meeting. If the addressee is included, say kita lagi rapat kecil.

Is lagi the right way to say “are (currently)”? How does it compare to sedang?

Yes. In everyday Indonesian, lagi marks the progressive (“currently”). Sedang is the standard/neutral equivalent:

• Colloquial: Kami lagi rapat kecil.
• Neutral: Kami sedang rapat kecil. Here lagi does not mean “again.”

Is rapat acting like a verb here?

Indonesian allows nouns/adjectives as predicates without “to be.” So (sedang/lagi) rapat = “(are) in a meeting.” It’s natural to say Kami lagi rapat kecil. Without a marker, Kami rapat kecil is possible but can feel abrupt; adding lagi/sedang reads smoother.

Why a semicolon (;) here? Could it be a period or a comma?