Questions & Answers about Pada awal rapat, kami membahas jadwal.
What does pada mean here, and can I use di instead?
Pada marks a time/abstract point, roughly like at. Both Pada awal rapat and Di awal rapat are acceptable; pada is a bit more formal/standard, di is very common in everyday speech.
Why is it awal rapat and not awal dari rapat?
Indonesian often expresses an of-relationship by placing two nouns together: awal rapat. awal dari rapat is usually unnecessary and can sound wordy; use dari mainly with pronouns or when you need extra clarity in long phrases.
Can I move Pada awal rapat to the end? Is the comma required?
Yes: Kami membahas jadwal pada awal rapat is fine. The comma after a fronted time phrase is recommended for clarity but not strictly required.
How do we know it’s past? Do we need sudah or telah?
Indonesian verbs don’t change for tense; context supplies time. To make completion explicit, add sudah (neutral/common) or telah (formal): Pada awal rapat, kami sudah/telah membahas jadwal. For recent-past nuance, you can add tadi or barusan.
What’s the difference between kami and ?