Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Rapat berikutnya akan berlangsung singkat, kira-kira dua puluh menit saja. - The next meeting will take place briefly, approximately twenty minutes only.

No. Indonesian doesn’t require a future tense marker. Akan makes the future time explicit, but context often makes it clear. All of these are acceptable:

Rapat berikutnya akan berlangsung singkat… (explicit “will”)
Rapat berikutnya berlangsung singkat… (often fine if the schedule is known)
Colloquial: Rapat berikutnya bakal berlangsung singkat… (more casual than akan)

What does berlangsung add? Could I drop it?

Berlangsung means “to take place/run/last.” It’s the natural verb for events. Without it, you could say:

Rapat berikutnya singkat. (grammatical, but sounds bare; less idiomatic)
More natural is to keep the event verb: berlangsung, diadakan (“be held”), or use a duration phrase: berlangsung selama… Each has a nuance:
berlangsung = how the event unfolds/its duration
diadakan = be held/organized (focus on arrangement)
terjadi = happen/occur (more for incidents, not scheduled meetings)

Why use singkat instead of words like pendek or sebentar?

singkat = brief/concise (best for time/duration or speech)
sebentar = for a short while; adverbial feel (e.g., Sebentar, ya. “Just a moment.”)
pendek = short in physical length; less natural for time. For time, prefer singkat or sebentar. So for a meeting’s length, singkat is the most idiomatic.

What does saja mean here? Is it the same as hanya?

Both mean “only/just,” but their placement and tone differ:

dua puluh menit saja = “only twenty minutes,” with the softening saja at the end; very natural.
hanya dua puluh menit = also “only twenty minutes,” with a slightly more fronted emphasis. You can use either:
kira-kira dua puluh menit saja
hanya kira-kira dua puluh menit (okay) / more natural: hanya sekitar dua puluh menit

Is kira-kira the best way to say “about/approximately”? Alternatives?

All are fine; choose by tone:

kira-kira = everyday neutral
sekitar = neutral, slightly tidier/formal feel
kurang lebih = “more or less,” neutral to formal
Symbolic: ± 20 menit (in writing) Avoid hampir (“almost/nearly”) if you mean a rough estimate rather than “nearly 20.”

Why is there a comma before kira-kira dua puluh menit saja?

It separates a clarifying apposition (“short, about twenty minutes only”). You could remove the comma by moving the phrase:

Rapat berikutnya akan berlangsung kira-kira dua puluh menit saja. Punctuation choices like a dash or parentheses are also possible in writing:
… singkat—kira-kira dua puluh menit saja.
… singkat (kira-kira dua puluh menit saja).

Can I say selama dua puluh menit instead of using singkat?

Yes, if you want to state the duration directly:

Rapat berikutnya akan berlangsung selama dua puluh menit. Compared:
berlangsung singkat, kira-kira dua puluh menit = emphasizes “briefness,” then gives an estimate.
berlangsung selama kira-kira dua puluh menit = states the estimated duration plainly.

Where can I place kira-kira and saja?

Natural options:

kira-kira dua puluh menit saja
sekitar dua puluh menit saja
hanya sekitar dua puluh menit Less natural:
dua puluh menit kira-kira (rare)
kira-kira saja dua puluh menit (awkward) Saja typically follows the phrase it limits.

What’s the difference between berikutnya, selanjutnya, mendatang, and yang akan datang?

berikutnya = the next in a sequence (very common for meetings/events)
selanjutnya = the one that follows/then; can feel procedural/sequence-oriented
mendatang = upcoming (slightly formal)
yang akan datang = that will come (more verbose/formal) All of these are acceptable, but the most natural here is rapat berikutnya.

Is it okay to say rapat singkat to mean “a short meeting”?

Yes, as a noun phrase it’s fine: rapat singkat = “a brief meeting.” But in the original sentence we’re describing how the meeting will run, so akan berlangsung singkat is more idiomatic. Both are correct, with slightly different structures:

Description of type: Ini rapat singkat.
Predicate about the event: Rapat akan berlangsung singkat.

Do I need a plural marker for minutes? Why not menit-menit?

No plural marking is needed with numerals in Indonesian. Use:

dua puluh menit (not “menit-menit”) Indonesian doesn’t change the noun for plural after numbers.

Is there any difference between writing numbers as words vs digits here?

Both are acceptable:

Words: dua puluh menit
Digits: 20 menit In formal prose, numbers under ten are often written in words; “20” is commonly written as digits in schedules/announcements. Don’t fuse the words: it’s dua puluh, not “duapuluh.”

Is the hyphen in kira-kira required?

Yes, standard spelling is kira-kira with a hyphen. Alternatives like sekitar avoid the hyphen if you prefer.

Can I replace akan with bakal?

Yes, but note the register:

akan = neutral/standard
bakal = more colloquial So in a formal notice, prefer akan.

What’s the nuance difference between ending with saja vs putting hanya before the number?

… dua puluh menit saja. Soft, afterthought-like emphasis: “only twenty minutes.”
… hanya dua puluh menit. Fronted limitation, a bit more assertive or matter-of-fact. Both are common; choose based on the tone you want.

Could I say the meeting will be “exactly” 20 minutes?

Yes:

tepat dua puluh menit
pas dua puluh menit (colloquial) Examples:
Rapat berikutnya akan berlangsung tepat dua puluh menit.
Rapat berikutnya akan berlangsung pas 20 menit.

What’s the difference between rapat and pertemuan?

rapat = meeting in a formal/organizational/work context; agendas, decisions
pertemuan = a meeting/encounter more generally; can be formal or informal In workplace scheduling, rapat is the default.

Is there anything tricky about pronouncing words like berlangsung and singkat?

ng is a single nasal sound [ŋ]. In singkat, you get [siŋ-kat] (the “ng” stays with the first syllable).
berlangsung = [bər-laŋ-suŋ]; both “ng” sounds are [ŋ].
Trill or tap the Indonesian r lightly; it’s not an English “r.”