Berapa lama kamu menunggu di peron?

you

Breakdown of Berapa lama kamu menunggu di peron?

• menunggu: to wait
• di: on
• lama: long

Questions & Answers about Berapa lama kamu menunggu di peron?

What does “Berapa lama” literally mean, and what kind of answer does it expect?

It literally means “how long (in duration).” It expects a time duration as the answer, e.g.:

• Dua jam. (Two hours.)
• Sekitar 15 menit. (About 15 minutes.) You can also answer in a full sentence: Saya menunggu selama dua jam.

Do I need to include words like “waktu” or “selama” in the question?

No. Berapa lama …? is the natural way.

• Selama berapa lama …? is grammatical but heavier/formal.
• Berapa lama waktu …? is redundant; avoid “waktu” here. Use selama in answers, not in the basic question: Saya menunggu selama dua jam.

Is the sentence past or present? How do I specify “did,” “have been,” or “will”?

Indonesian doesn’t change the verb for tense; context or particles mark time.

• Neutral (past or general): Berapa lama kamu menunggu di peron?
• Ongoing up to now (“have been”): Sudah berapa lama kamu menunggu di peron (ini)?
• Clearly past (earlier today): Tadi berapa lama kamu menunggu di peron?
• Clearly past (yesterday, etc.): Kemarin berapa lama kamu menunggu di peron?
• Future: Berapa lama kamu akan menunggu di peron?

How do I ask “How much longer will you wait?”