Saya memeriksa bukti sebelum rapat dimulai.

I check the proof before the meeting starts.

Breakdown of Saya memeriksa bukti sebelum rapat dimulai.

• saya: I
• sebelum: before
• rapat: the meeting
• dimulai: to start
• memeriksa: to check
• bukti: the proof

Questions & Answers about Saya memeriksa bukti sebelum rapat dimulai.

Can I use a different word for “I” instead of “Saya”?

Yes. Indonesian has several first-person pronouns:

• saya: neutral/polite and safe in most contexts.
• aku: informal/intimate, with friends or equals.
• gue/gua: very casual, Jakarta slang. Your sentence is neutral/polite with saya. With friends, you might say Aku memeriksa…

What exactly does the verb “memeriksa” mean here?

Memeriksa means “to examine/inspect/check carefully.” It suggests a thorough look, often in formal or serious contexts (documents, patients, evidence, luggage). For a lighter “to check,” Indonesians also use mengecek (casual) or cek (very casual/elliptical). For deeper analysis, you might see menelaah or meneliti (“to study/research”).
Here, with bukti (evidence), memeriksa is natural and precise.

How is “memeriksa” formed from the base word?

The base is periksa (“check/examine”). The meN- prefix makes an active verb:

• meN- + periksa → memeriksa (the initial p is dropped; meN- becomes mem- before p). Related forms:
• pemeriksa = examiner/inspector
• pemeriksaan = examination/inspection/interrogation

Is “bukti” singular or plural here?

Indonesian doesn’t mark plural by default, so bukti can mean “evidence” (uncountable) or “pieces of evidence” depending on context. To emphasize plurality, you can use:

• bukti-bukti (reduplication)
• beberapa bukti / sejumlah bukti (several/some pieces of evidence) To make it definite, add itu/tersebut: bukti itu/bukti tersebut (“that/the said evidence”).

When should I use “bukti” vs “barang bukti”?

• bukti is general “evidence/proof.”
• barang bukti is “physical evidence” (police/legal context), e.g., a weapon, seized items. With documents or data, bukti is enough; with seized objects in a legal case, barang bukti is standard.

Why say “sebelum rapat dimulai” instead of just “sebelum rapat”?

Both are correct:

• sebelum rapat = “before the meeting (in general).”
• sebelum rapat dimulai = “before the meeting starts/begins” (explicitly marks the start point and sounds a bit more formal).
  You’ll hear both; the longer one can sound slightly more formal or precise.

What’s going on with “rapat dimulai”? Why passive voice?

Dimulai is the passive form of memulai (“to start something”) from the root mulai:

• Active transitive: Ketua memulai rapat. (“The chair starts the meeting.”)
• Passive: Rapat dimulai (oleh ketua). (“The meeting is started (by the chair).”)
• Intransitive: Rapat mulai pukul 9. (“The meeting starts at 9.”)
  In your sentence, passive rapat dimulai sounds formal and is very common in announcements and writing.

Is the “di” in “dimulai” the same as the preposition “di” (at/in)?

No. Here di- is a verbal prefix marking the passive and is written together with the verb: di-mulai → dimulai.
The locative preposition di (“at/in”) is written separately: di kantor (“at the office”). Never write “di mulai.”

Can I say who started the meeting?

Yes:

• Passive with agent: Rapat dimulai oleh ketua.
• Active: Ketua memulai rapat.
  In everyday speech, Indonesians often prefer the active form when mentioning the agent explicitly.

Does the sentence tell me past, present, or future?

Indonesian doesn’t mark tense by default; context decides. You can add markers:

• Past/completed: sudah/tadi (e.g., Saya sudah memeriksa…)
• Progressive: sedang (e.g., Saya sedang memeriksa…)
• Future: akan/nanti (e.g., Saya akan memeriksa…)
  Without markers, it could be a habitual statement or context-dependent past/future.

Can I move the time clause to the front?

Yes. Sebelum rapat dimulai, saya memeriksa bukti.
When the “before/after” clause comes first, use a comma. When it comes after, no comma is needed.

Can I omit “Saya” or the object in casual usage?

• Subject omission: In notes or instructions, you might see ellipsis: Memeriksa bukti sebelum rapat dimulai. In normal full sentences, keep saya.
• Object omission: If context makes the object clear, Indonesians sometimes drop it or replace it with -nya for definiteness: Saya memeriksanya (“I checked it / the evidence [in context]”).

Is there any difference between “rapat dimulai” and “rapat mulai”?

Both occur:

• rapat dimulai: passive, formal tone, common in announcements and writing.
• rapat mulai: intransitive use of mulai; concise, often spoken or neutral.
  Both can take a time: Rapat dimulai/mulai pukul 9.

Is the -i in “dimulai” the verb suffix -i?

No. Mulai is the root itself (ending with the diphthong “-ai”). Dimulai = di- (passive prefix) + mulai (root). It’s not the -i suffix attached to a root.

How do I make the sentence negative (including “not yet”)?

• Simple negation: Saya tidak memeriksa bukti sebelum rapat dimulai.
• “Not yet” (implies expectation it will happen): Saya belum memeriksa bukti sebelum rapat dimulai.
  Use tidak to negate verbs/adjectives; use belum for “not yet.”

Are there handy alternatives to “memeriksa” depending on nuance?

Yes:

• mengecek/cek: to check (casual/quick)
• meninjau/menelaah: to review/examine (more academic/analytical)
• meneliti: to research/investigate (systematic) Choose based on how thorough/formal the action is.