Saya tidak angkat telepon saat rapat.

I do not answer the phone during the meeting.

Breakdown of Saya tidak angkat telepon saat rapat.

• saya: I
• tidak: not
• rapat: the meeting
• saat: during

Questions & Answers about Saya tidak angkat telepon saat rapat.

Why is it tidak, not bukan?

Use tidak to negate verbs and adjectives. Here, angkat (telepon) is a verb phrase. Use bukan to negate nouns or pronouns.

• Correct: Saya tidak angkat telepon saat rapat.
• Correct: Itu bukan telepon saya.

Why use angkat? Doesn’t angkat mean “to lift”?

Yes, literally it means “to lift,” but angkat telepon is an idiomatic collocation meaning “to answer/pick up a call.” It’s the everyday way to say you answer a phone call.

Is Saya tidak mengangkat telepon saat rapat also correct? What’s the difference?

Yes, it’s correct. Mengangkat is the prefixed (more formal/complete) form. In speech, people often use the bare verb: tidak angkat telepon. Both are fine; the prefixed form tends to sound a bit more careful or formal.

How does angkat telepon compare with menjawab telepon or menerima panggilan?

• angkat telepon: most common conversational choice (“pick up/answer a call”).
• menjawab telepon: “answer the phone,” slightly more neutral/formal.
• menerima panggilan: “receive a call,” common in formal or technical contexts (policies, instructions). All three can describe not taking a call in this sentence pattern.