Kami kekurangan waktu sebelum ujian, jadi belajar setenang mungkin.

We lacked time before the exam, so we studied as calmly as possible.

Breakdown of Kami kekurangan waktu sebelum ujian, jadi belajar setenang mungkin.

• kami: we
• waktu: the time
• belajar: to study
• sebelum: before
• jadi: so
• ujian: the exam
• setenang mungkin: as calmly as possible
• kekurangan: to lack

Questions & Answers about Kami kekurangan waktu sebelum ujian, jadi belajar setenang mungkin.

Is the word in the middle, kekurangan, a verb or a noun here? How is it different from kurang and tidak cukup?

In this sentence, kekurangan functions as a verb meaning “to lack; to be short of.” So Kami kekurangan waktu = “We’re short on time.”

• Verb usage:
  • Kami kekurangan waktu. (We lack time.)
  • Dia kekurangan uang. (He/She lacks money.)
• Noun usage (same form can be a noun meaning “a shortage/shortcoming”):
  • Kekurangan waktu menjadi masalah. (The lack of time is a problem.)
  • Kekurangannya adalah kurang teliti. (His/Her shortcoming is being not meticulous.)

Differences:

• kurang = “insufficient/less.” Colloquial verb-like use:
  • Kami kurang waktu. (We don’t have enough time.)
• tidak cukup = “not enough” (explicit and neutral):
  • Kami tidak punya cukup waktu. (We don’t have enough time.)

All are correct; kekurangan is slightly more formal/neutral than kurang waktu and more compact than tidak cukup waktu.

Can I say Kami kurang waktu or Waktu kami kurang instead of Kami kekurangan waktu?

Yes. All are natural, with small nuances:

• Kami kekurangan waktu: neutral–formal; common in speech and writing.
• Kami kurang waktu: very common, a bit more colloquial.
• Waktu kami kurang: shifts focus to “time” (topic-fronting); also natural.

You can also say:

• Kami tidak punya cukup waktu.
• Waktu kami tidak cukup.

Why is it Kami and not Kita? Which one should I use?

• kami = “we” excluding the listener.
• kita = “we” including the listener.

Use kita if you’re talking to your study group (including your audience):

• Kita kekurangan waktu sebelum ujian, jadi mari belajar setenang mungkin.

Use kami if you’re telling an outsider about your group’s situation:

• Kami kekurangan waktu sebelum ujian, jadi kami akan belajar setenang mungkin.

What exactly is jadi here? Are there more formal or informal alternatives?

jadi is a result connector meaning “so/therefore.” It’s very common in speech and informal writing.

Alternatives by register:

• Informal: makanya (that’s why/so)
• Neutral–formal: karena itu, oleh karena itu
• Formal/concise: maka
• Cause-result within one sentence: …, sehingga …

Examples:

• Kami kekurangan waktu, sehingga kami harus belajar setenang mungkin.
• Kami kekurangan waktu. Oleh karena itu, kami harus belajar setenang mungkin.

Is it okay that the second clause has no subject (jadi belajar setenang mungkin)? Who is supposed to study?

Yes. Indonesian often drops the subject when the meaning is clear, especially for suggestions/imperatives. … jadi belajar setenang mungkin reads like “so (let’s) study as calmly as possible.”

To make it explicit:

• Suggestion: … jadi mari belajar setenang mungkin.
• Imperative: … jadi belajarlah setenang mungkin.
• Statement: … jadi kami/kita harus belajar setenang mungkin.

How do I say “as … as possible” in Indonesian?

Use the pattern se- + adjective/adverb + mungkin.

• setenang mungkin (as calm as possible)
• secepat mungkin (as fast as possible)
• sejelas mungkin (as clearly as possible)
• sebanyak mungkin (as much as possible)

Notes:

• mungkin here means “possible,” not “maybe.”
• Variants: sebisa mungkin / semampu mungkin = “as … as one can.”
• Another intensifying pattern is se- + adj + -nya (often reduplicated): setenang-tenangnya, secepat-cepatnya.

What’s the difference between setenang mungkin, setenang-tenangnya, dengan tenang, and sebisa mungkin?

• setenang mungkin: “as calm as possible” (maximize calmness within what’s possible).
• setenang-tenangnya: very strong/intense “to the utmost calm”; can sound more dramatic/emphatic.
• dengan tenang: “calmly” (describes manner, not necessarily maximizing).
• sebisa mungkin: “as best as (one) can/as far as possible” (general ability), not specifically about calmness.
  
  • Belajarlah sebisa mungkin = “Study as best you can.”
  • Belajarlah setenang mungkin = “Study as calmly as possible.”

Does tenang mean “quiet”? If I want “study quietly,” is tenang the right word?

tenang is primarily “calm/tranquil/composed.” It can imply a quiet atmosphere, but it’s about calmness, not silence.

For “quiet”:

• Environment: sunyi/hening/sepi (silent/quiet)
• Not noisy: tidak berisik
• Secretly: diam-diam
• Slowly (often confused with “quietly”): pelan-pelan = slowly, not quietly

To say “Study quietly,” common choices are:

• Belajarlah dengan tenang (calmly, often implies quiet)
• Belajarlah tanpa berisik (without making noise)

Is belajar correct here, or should it be mempelajari?

belajar = to study/learn (intransitive, or with a broad object)

• Saya belajar tiap malam.
• Saya belajar matematika.

mempelajari = to study/examine something (transitive, requires a specific object)

• Saya mempelajari struktur kalimat bahasa Indonesia.

In your sentence, belajar setenang mungkin is correct. Mempelajari setenang mungkin is ungrammatical because mempelajari needs an object.

Is sebelum used correctly? Do I need dimulai after ujian?

sebelum is correct as is. Indonesian doesn’t use articles, so sebelum ujian naturally means “before the exam.”

You can add detail if needed:

• sebelum ujian dimulai (before the exam starts)
• menjelang ujian (approaching the exam / in the run-up to the exam)

Are there other natural ways to say we’re short on time?

Yes:

• Kami kekurangan waktu. (short on time)
• Kami kurang waktu. (not enough time)
• Kami tidak punya cukup waktu. (don’t have enough time)
• Kami kehabisan waktu. (we’ve run out of time — stronger, no time left)

Do I need a comma before jadi? Could I start a new sentence?

In informal writing, …, jadi … with a comma is very common. In more formal style, it’s often cleaner to write two sentences and treat jadi as a sentence opener:

• Kami kekurangan waktu sebelum ujian. Jadi, belajarlah setenang mungkin.

Alternatively, keep one sentence but switch to a connector that comfortably links clauses:

• …, sehingga …
• …, karena itu …
• …, maka …

Is dengan setenang mungkin acceptable, or should I drop dengan?

Both are acceptable:

• Belajar(setenang mungkin) is very common and idiomatic.
• Belajar dengan setenang mungkin is also used, especially when mirroring patterns like dengan sebaik mungkin. Some speakers simply prefer Belajar dengan tenang when not emphasizing “as … as possible.”

If I want to make it clearly a suggestion to the group, how can I phrase it?

Use inclusive kita and a suggestion marker:

• Kita kekurangan waktu sebelum ujian, jadi mari belajar setenang mungkin.
• Kita kekurangan waktu sebelum ujian, jadi yuk belajar setenang mungkin. (informal)
• Kita kekurangan waktu sebelum ujian, jadi kita harus belajar setenang mungkin. (stating necessity)

Does kekurangan have other meanings I should know?

Yes. kekurangan also means “shortage/deficiency/shortcoming” depending on context:

• kekurangan gizi (malnutrition; nutrient deficiency)
• kekurangan darah (low blood supply/anemia)
• kekurangan listrik/air (power/water shortage)
• kekurangannya (his/her/its shortcoming/drawback)

Any spelling or hyphenation tips for setenang?

Write it as one word: setenang (prefix se- attaches directly). No hyphen: not se-tenang.
Similarly: secepat, sejelas, sebanyak, etc.