Gerbang sekolah dibuka setengah delapan.

The school gate opens at half past seven.

Breakdown of Gerbang sekolah dibuka setengah delapan.

• gerbang sekolah: the school gate
• setengah delapan: half past seven
• dibuka: to be opened

Questions & Answers about Gerbang sekolah dibuka setengah delapan.

Does setengah delapan mean 7:30 or 8:30?

It means 7:30. In Indonesian time-telling, setengah X literally means “half to X” (X minus 30 minutes).

• setengah delapan = 7:30
• setengah sembilan = 8:30 To say 8:30 without this pattern, use delapan lewat tiga puluh or delapan tiga puluh. Avoid delapan setengah for clock time (that sounds like “eight and a half,” not a time of day).

Do I need to add jam or pukul before the time?

Not required, but very natural.

• Everyday: jam setengah delapan
• More formal/announcements: pukul setengah delapan

How do I indicate AM vs PM?

Add a time‑of‑day word:

• pagi (~04:00–11:00): setengah delapan pagi = 07:30 a.m.
• siang (~11:00–15:00)
• sore (~15:00–18:00)
• malam (~18:00–24:00): setengah delapan malam = 19:30 You can also use the 24‑hour clock: 07.30 or 19.30.

Why use dibuka? What’s the difference among buka, membuka, dibuka, and terbuka?

• buka: base form “open,” often intransitive/state. Example: Toko buka jam 9 (The shop opens/is open at 9).
• membuka: active transitive “to open [something].” Satpam membuka gerbang.
• dibuka: passive “be opened (by someone).” Gerbang dibuka… (fits your sentence).
• terbuka: “be open” (state, not action). Gerbang sudah terbuka.

Can I say Gerbang sekolah buka setengah delapan?

Yes, in casual speech. It reads as a schedule (“the school gate opens at 7:30”). Dibuka emphasizes that someone opens it and is preferred in neutral/formal contexts.

What’s the active-voice version?

For example:

• Penjaga membuka gerbang sekolah pada pukul setengah delapan.
• Pihak sekolah membuka gerbang pada pukul setengah delapan.

Is there a difference between gerbang and pintu gerbang?

• gerbang = a gate/archway (entrance structure).
• pintu gerbang = the gate “door/leafs” that swing/slide. For schools, both gerbang sekolah and pintu gerbang sekolah are common; the latter can feel a bit more specific to the movable gate.

Why is di attached in dibuka? Should it be di buka?

It must be one word: dibuka. Here di- is a passive prefix. The spaced di is a preposition meaning “at/in/on,” as in di sekolah. So:

• Correct: dibuka
• Incorrect for passive: di buka

Do I need the preposition pada before the time?

It’s optional. Your sentence is fine as is. More formal style often uses pada: Gerbang sekolah dibuka pada pukul setengah delapan.

How do I say “was opened” or “will be opened” at 7:30?

Indonesian verbs don’t change for tense; add time words:

• Past/today: Gerbang sekolah tadi pagi dibuka setengah delapan.
• Completed: Gerbang sekolah sudah dibuka setengah delapan.
• Future: Gerbang sekolah akan dibuka pada pukul setengah delapan.
• Ongoing: Gerbang sekolah sedang dibuka.

How can I include who opens it?

Add an agent with oleh (often optional), or use active voice:

• Passive with agent: Gerbang sekolah dibuka (oleh) satpam pada pukul setengah delapan.
• Active: Satpam membuka gerbang sekolah pada pukul setengah delapan. Informally you can use a “short passive”: Gerbang sekolah saya buka jam setengah delapan.

What does the word order in Gerbang sekolah mean?

Indonesian noun + modifier order is head first, then modifier. gerbang (head “gate”) + sekolah (modifier “school”) = “school gate.” If you say gerbang di sekolah, you’re emphasizing location (“a gate at the school”).

How do I make “the school gate” explicitly definite?

Use a determiner like itu or tersebut:

• Gerbang sekolah itu dibuka… (that/the specific school gate)
• Gerbang sekolah tersebut dibuka… (the aforementioned gate) Often, context alone makes it definite in Indonesian.

Other natural ways to say 7:30?

• tujuh lewat tiga puluh
• tujuh tiga puluh (common on timetables)
• Numeric: 07.30 All are understood; setengah delapan is the most idiomatic in everyday speech.