Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saat menunggu, beberapa peserta kelaparan dan membeli pisang. - While waiting, some participants were starving and bought bananas.

In reduced clauses like saat menunggu, the subject is understood to be the same as the main clause’s subject. So it’s the beberapa peserta who are waiting. To make it explicit, you can say Saat para peserta menunggu, ... or Saat kami menunggu, ... depending on context.

Why is there a comma after Saat menunggu? Is it required?

When a time/condition clause comes first, standard Indonesian puts a comma after it. It’s not strictly required in casual writing, but it improves clarity and is expected in formal text.

Can I replace saat with ketika or waktu? Any nuance?

Yes. Ketika is a near-synonym and works in most contexts; waktu is more informal. Saat often feels slightly more formal or literary. All three fit here: Saat/Ketika/Waktu menunggu, ...

What about sementara and sambil? Which one fits here?

Sementara = “while/meanwhile.” Sementara menunggu, ... is fine and neutral.
Sambil = “while (doing two actions at once) by the same subject.” Sambil menunggu, beberapa peserta membeli pisang means they bought bananas as they were waiting.

Does beberapa already make peserta plural? Should I add para or reduplication?

Beberapa already implies plural. Don’t add para here—beberapa para peserta is ungrammatical. Avoid peserta-peserta with beberapa; beberapa peserta is the natural choice. If you mean “the participants” in general, use para peserta (without beberapa).

Can I say beberapa orang peserta?

It’s possible but usually unnecessary. With numerals, tiga orang peserta is standard. With beberapa, most people simply say beberapa peserta; beberapa orang peserta can sound wordy unless you want to stress “people.”

What’s the difference between lapar, kelaparan, and merasa lapar?

lapar = hungry (neutral state).
kelaparan = starving/very hungry; also a noun meaning “starvation” in other contexts.
merasa lapar = to feel hungry (emphasizes the subjective feeling). In the sentence, kelaparan means they became very hungry.

Is kelaparan an adjective or a verb here?

It’s a stative predicate formed with ke- -an, functioning like “to be starving/very hungry.” Indonesian doesn’t strictly split adjectives and stative verbs; beberapa peserta kelaparan is a complete clause meaning “some participants were starving.” As a noun, kelaparan can also mean “starvation.”

Is dan the best connector here, or should I use something else to show sequence/causality?

Dan works and often implies sequence from context. To make the order/logic explicit:

Sequence: ... kelaparan lalu/kemudian membeli pisang.
Cause: Karena kelaparan, beberapa peserta membeli pisang.
Change-of-state: ... menjadi lapar lalu membeli pisang.

Does membeli need an object? Could I omit pisang?

Membeli is transitive and normally takes an object. Omitting the object sounds incomplete unless it’s obvious from context. Here, pisang is the needed direct object.

Why membeli and menunggu, not beli and nunggu?

The meN- prefix forms active verbs: beli → membeli; tunggu → menunggu (the initial t of tunggu drops with this prefix). In casual speech, base forms beli/nunggu are very common. In neutral/formal writing, membeli/menunggu is preferred.

How do I specify how many bananas they bought?

Numbers: membeli dua pisang.
With a classifier: beberapa buah pisang, dua buah pisang (both are fine).
For banana groupings: satu sisir pisang (a hand), satu tandan pisang (a whole bunch). Avoid pisang-pisang for mere plurality; use banyak pisang for “many bananas.”

Could beberapa peserta kelaparan mean “several starving participants” (as an attribute), not “were starving”?

Out of context it could be read either way, but here it’s clearly predicative because it’s coordinated with a verb (... dan membeli ...). To make an attributive reading explicit, use yang: beberapa peserta yang kelaparan membeli pisang (“the hungry participants bought bananas”).

Can I add sedang to emphasize the ongoing action: Saat sedang menunggu?

Yes. Saat sedang menunggu, ... is natural and underscores the ongoing nature of the waiting. Saat menunggu already implies simultaneity; sedang just adds emphasis.

How would I say it in passive voice?

You can focus on the bananas: Saat menunggu, pisang dibeli oleh beberapa peserta. It’s grammatical but sounds formal/report-like. The active voice with beberapa peserta as subject is more natural here.

How do I show it happened in the past?

Indonesian doesn’t inflect for tense. Use time/aspect markers:

tadi (earlier): Saat menunggu tadi, ...
sudah/telah (already; telah is formal): ... sudah/telah membeli pisang.
Add a time expression: Kemarin saat menunggu, ...

Does menunggu need an object (like “wait for”)? Is saat menunggu okay by itself?

Menunggu can be intransitive or transitive. Both menunggu (“to wait”) and menunggu bus (“to wait for the bus”) are fine. The reduced clause saat menunggu is perfectly acceptable without an object.