Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Ada rapat mendadak malam ini.

It’s the existential “there is/are.” It introduces the existence/occurrence of something: “there is (going to be) a meeting.” It’s not the same as bold adalah bold (a copula used in definitions like “X is Y”).

Where is the tense? How do we know it’s about tonight/future?

Indonesian doesn’t inflect verbs for tense. Time is shown by time words. bold malam ini bold (“tonight/this evening”) places the event in the near future. You can add bold akan bold for clarity or emphasis: bold Akan ada rapat mendadak malam ini bold.

Can the time phrase go first?

Yes: bold Malam ini ada rapat mendadak bold. Fronting the time adds emphasis to “tonight,” but the meaning stays the same.

Do I need a preposition before bold malam ini bold?

No. bold Malam ini bold stands alone. In formal writing you might see bold pada malam ini bold, but everyday speech just uses bold malam ini bold. Avoid bold di malam ini bold in this context.

What’s the nuance of bold mendadak bold? Is it “sudden,” “urgent,” or “emergency”?

bold mendadak bold = sudden/impromptu (arranged at short notice).

Urgent: bold mendesak bold.
Emergency: bold darurat bold.
“Suddenly” (adverb): bold tiba-tiba bold.
So bold rapat mendadak bold ≈ an impromptu meeting; bold rapat darurat bold = an emergency meeting.

Why is it bold rapat mendadak bold and not bold mendadak rapat bold?

Adjectives normally follow nouns in Indonesian. bold rapat mendadak bold = “sudden meeting.” If you put bold mendadak bold before, it would read as an adverb modifying a verb (and bold rapat bold could be read as “to be tight/close”), which isn’t what you want here.

Can I drop bold ada bold and just say bold Rapat mendadak malam ini bold?

In headlines, notes, or announcements, yes—people often omit bold ada bold. In a full sentence in conversation, keep bold ada bold.

How do I make this a question like “Is there a sudden meeting tonight?”

Neutral/formal: bold Apakah malam ini ada rapat mendadak? bold
Colloquial confirmation: bold Malam ini ada rapat mendadak? bold
Intonation alone often marks questions.

How do I negate it?

Use bold tidak ada bold: bold Tidak ada rapat mendadak malam ini bold (“There isn’t a sudden meeting tonight.”).

Is this singular or plural? How do I say how many meetings?

It’s unspecified by default. To specify:

“There are two meetings”: bold Ada dua rapat bold.
“There is one meeting”: bold Ada satu rapat bold or bold Ada sebuah rapat bold.
“There are several meetings”: bold Ada beberapa rapat bold.

Is bold rapat bold the same as “meeting”? How is it different from bold pertemuan bold or bold sidang bold?

bold rapat bold: work/organizational meeting (most common for office contexts).
bold pertemuan bold: a meeting/gathering in general, often broader or more social.
bold sidang bold: a formal session (e.g., court, parliament, academic defense).

Can bold ada bold mean “have,” like “We have a sudden meeting tonight”?

Yes in many contexts: bold Kami ada rapat mendadak malam ini bold is common. You can also say bold Kami punya rapat mendadak malam ini bold, which explicitly uses “have.” bold punya bold is very common in speech.

Is bold nanti malam bold interchangeable with bold malam ini bold?

Often, yes. bold nanti malam bold is very common in speech and emphasizes “later tonight.” bold malam ini bold is neutral. Both mean “tonight” in most contexts.

Any quick pronunciation tips?

bold Ada rapat mendadak malam ini bold ≈ “AH-dah RAH-paht mehn-DAH-dahk MAH-lahm EE-nee.”
Every syllable is pronounced; stress is light and fairly even.
The final bold k bold is a glottal stop; keep vowels pure and short.