Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Tim kecil kami, termasuk dua murid berbakat, berlatih setiap sore. - Our small team, including two talented students, practices every afternoon.

kami = we/us (not including the listener)
kita = we/us (including the listener) In Tim kecil kami…, the speaker signals that the listener is not part of the team. If the listener were part of the team, you would say Tim kecil kita….

Why do kecil and kami come after tim? Can I put them before?

In noun phrases, Indonesian generally orders elements as Noun + Adjective + Possessor:

tim kecil kami = our small team Placing them before would be ungrammatical. If you say Tim kami kecil, that becomes a full sentence meaning Our team is small (not a single noun phrase).

What exactly is termasuk here? Is it a verb or a preposition, and are the commas necessary?

In this sentence, termasuk functions like a preposition meaning including. The phrase termasuk dua murid berbakat is a parenthetical insert, so it’s set off with commas to show it’s non-essential information:

Tim kecil kami, termasuk dua murid berbakat, berlatih… Without commas, readers might momentarily parse it as part of the core clause. The commas help clarity.

Can I say Tim kecil kami yang termasuk dua murid berbakat berlatih…?

You can, but it changes the nuance. Yang makes it a restrictive clause:

Tim kecil kami, termasuk dua murid berbakat, … = parenthetical, just extra info
Tim kecil kami yang termasuk dua murid berbakat berlatih… = specifies which small team (the one that includes two talented students), implying contrast with other small teams. Use this only if you’re distinguishing among multiple teams.

Do I need the classifier orang: dua murid or dua orang murid?

Both are acceptable:

dua murid (perfectly fine)
dua orang murid (very common, emphasizes “two people who are students”) With human nouns, Indonesian often uses orang as a classifier, but it’s not obligatory here.

Should I use plural reduplication: murid-murid? Why not dua murid-murid?

Don’t combine numerals with reduplication. Use either:

murid-murid = students (plural in general)
dua (orang) murid = two students So never say dua murid-murid.

What’s the difference between dua and kedua/keduanya?

dua = two (plain cardinal)
kedua = the two/both (often implies the pair is identified/known)
keduanya = both of them Examples:
dua murid berbakat = two talented students (not necessarily previously known)
kedua murid berbakat = the two talented students (a specific pair already in context)
Keduanya berbakat. = Both of them are talented.

Why berlatih and not latihan or melatih? How do these differ?

They come from the root latih (train):

berlatih (intransitive verb) = to practice (yourself)
- Kami berlatih setiap sore.
melatih (transitive verb) = to train/coach someone
- Pelatih kami melatih tim setiap sore.
latihan (noun) = practice/training session
- Kami ada latihan setiap sore.
pelatih (noun) = coach

Does berlatih change for tense or number?

No. Indonesian verbs don’t inflect for tense or agreement. Time is shown by context or time expressions:

berlatih can mean practiced/practice/will practice, depending on context.
setiap sore marks a habitual action.

Can I use tiap instead of setiap?

Yes. tiap is a common, slightly more casual variant of setiap. Both mean every:

setiap sore = tiap sore

What time of day is sore? Is petang the same?

Approximate time ranges (can vary by region):

pagi = morning (roughly 4–11 a.m.)
siang = midday/early afternoon (roughly 11 a.m.–3 p.m.)
sore = late afternoon/early evening (roughly 3–6/7 p.m.)
malam = night (after ~6/7 p.m.) petang overlaps with sore and is more literary/formal in many contexts.

Do I need pada before setiap sore? Should it be pada setiap sore?

Not required. Time expressions commonly appear without a preposition:

berlatih setiap sore is natural. You might see pada sore hari in formal writing, but pada setiap sore is less common and can feel wordy.

Can I move termasuk dua murid berbakat to a different position?

Yes, with minor nuance changes:

Middle (parenthetical): Tim kecil kami, termasuk dua murid berbakat, berlatih setiap sore. (most natural for inserting extra info)
End: Tim kecil kami berlatih setiap sore, termasuk dua murid berbakat. (can imply those two are also among the ones who practice; acceptable)
Start: Termasuk dua murid berbakat, tim kecil kami berlatih setiap sore. (possible, but the initial adverbial feels heavier; use sparingly) Dashes can also set it off: Tim kecil kami—termasuk dua murid berbakat—berlatih…

What’s the difference between tim kecil kami and tim kami yang kecil?

tim kecil kami = our small team (simple description within the noun phrase)
tim kami yang kecil = our team that is small (adds a contrastive or specifying feel, as if distinguishing it from another team we have) Use the yang version when you want to emphasize or contrast the adjective.

Is tim just the English word team? Are there alternatives?

Yes, tim is a common loanword meaning team. Alternatives:

regu = team/squad (often in competitions or work units)
kesebelasan = an eleven (specifically a soccer team) In most modern contexts, tim is the default.

Do I need yang before berbakat in dua murid berbakat?

No. Attributive adjectives normally follow the noun directly:

dua murid berbakat = two talented students You use yang for a relative clause:
dua murid yang berbakat = two students who are talented (a bit heavier; use if you’re contrasting them with other, non-talented students).