Kira-kira pukul tujuh, kami mulai makan malam bersama di kafe itu.

At about seven o’clock, we start having dinner together at that cafe.

Breakdown of Kira-kira pukul tujuh, kami mulai makan malam bersama di kafe itu.

• itu: that
• di: at
• kami: we
• bersama: together
• makan malam: the dinner
• mulai: to start
• pukul: at
• tujuh: seven
• kafe: the cafe
• kira-kira: approximately

Questions & Answers about Kira-kira pukul tujuh, kami mulai makan malam bersama di kafe itu.

What does the word kira-kira add here? Can I replace it with something else?

Kira-kira means “approximately/about,” so it signals an estimate rather than an exact time. Common alternatives include:

• sekitar (neutral/formal): Sekitar pukul tujuh
• kurang lebih (slightly formal): Kurang lebih pukul tujuh
• In casual speech, you might also hear: jam tujuh-an (“around seven-ish”)

Position-wise, put it before the time phrase: kira-kira pukul tujuh, not after it.

What’s the difference between pukul and jam?

• pukul is used for telling clock time (o’clock), especially in writing or formal contexts: pukul tujuh.
• jam means “hour,” but in everyday speech people also use it for clock time: jam tujuh.
• For durations, use jam: dua jam = two hours. So both kira-kira pukul tujuh and kira-kira jam tujuh are acceptable; the former is a bit more formal/neutral.

Do I need the comma after kira-kira pukul tujuh?

It’s optional but good style. A fronted time/adverbial phrase is commonly followed by a comma for clarity: Kira-kira pukul tujuh, … Without the comma is not wrong, just slightly less clear.

Can the time expression go at the end instead of the beginning?

Yes. Indonesian allows the time adverbial at the start or the end:

• Kami mulai makan malam bersama di kafe itu kira-kira pukul tujuh. Both orders are natural.

Why kami and not kita?

• kami = “we/us” excluding the listener.
• kita = “we/us” including the listener. Using kami implies the listener was not part of the dinner. If the listener was included, use kita.

Is mulai necessary? Could I just say we ate dinner around seven?

You can say either, depending on what you want to emphasize:

• Kami mulai makan malam… highlights the start time (we started at around seven).
• Kami makan malam… is looser (we had dinner around seven; it doesn’t focus on the exact start).

Can I say mulai untuk makan malam?

Avoid that. In Indonesian, mulai is followed directly by a verb or noun phrase:

• Natural: mulai makan malam, mulai rapat, mulai pertandingan
• mulai untuk + verb is unnecessary and sounds influenced by English.

What’s the difference between mulai and memulai here?

Both work:

• mulai can function intransitively before a verb phrase: Kami mulai makan malam.
• memulai is a transitive verb and prefers a direct object: Kami memulai makan malam (we initiated/started the dinner). It can sound a bit more formal or “bookish.”

How does bersama work? Can I use bersama-sama or place it elsewhere?

• bersama means “together/with.” In your sentence, makan malam bersama is very natural.
• You can add a companion: makan malam bersama mereka (dine together with them).
• bersama-sama intensifies the idea of togetherness: makan malam bersama-sama (“all together”).
• Placement: the common spot is after the verb phrase or before the companion noun/pronoun:
  • Kami makan malam bersama di kafe itu.
  • Kami makan malam bersama mereka di kafe itu.
  • Avoid: Kami bersama makan malam (sounds awkward).

Why is it di kafe itu and not ke kafe itu?

• di marks location (at/in/on): makan di kafe itu (eat at that café).
• ke marks movement/direction (to): pergi ke kafe itu (go to that café). Since the action is eating at the café, di is correct.

What does itu add after kafe?

itu makes the noun definite/specific: kafe itu = “that (particular) café” (assumed known from context). Without itu, di kafe can be generic or indefinite. A more formal alternative is kafe tersebut.

Is there any tense marking here? How do I show it happened in the past?

Indonesian doesn’t have verb tense. Time is shown with context words:

• Recent past: tadi (earlier today): Tadi kira-kira pukul tujuh, kami mulai…
• General past: kemarin (yesterday), tadi malam (last night)
• Completion: sudah (already): Kami sudah mulai… The base sentence can describe past, present, or future depending on context.

Is the hyphen in kira-kira required?

Yes, standard spelling writes reduplication with a hyphen: kira-kira. Writing kira kira (with a space) is nonstandard.

Can I say jam tujuh-an to mean “around seven-ish”?

Yes. jam tujuh-an (or sekitar jam tujuh / kira-kira jam tujuh) all mean “about seven.” Avoid doubling the approximation (e.g., kira-kira jam tujuh-an)—use just one form.

Why makan malam and not just makan? Is makan malam a verb or a noun?

makan malam literally “eat night,” idiomatically “have dinner.” It commonly functions as a verb phrase (to dine), but it can also be a noun in some structures:

• Verb use: Kami makan malam di kafe itu.
• Noun use: Makan malam dimulai pukul tujuh. (Dinner starts at seven.)

Could I use pada with the time, like pada pukul tujuh?

Yes, pada pukul tujuh is correct and somewhat formal when the time is exact. With approximation, people usually drop pada and say kira-kira/sekitar pukul tujuh rather than pada kira-kira pukul tujuh.