Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Cuaca buruk berdampak pada acara malam ini.

The prefix ber- turns the noun dampak (impact) into an intransitive verb: berdampak = “to have an impact.” It does not take a direct object; instead, it’s followed by a preposition (commonly pada/terhadap) to mark what is affected.

Why is the preposition pada used here? Could I use something else?

pada is the neutral, common choice after berdampak: berdampak pada X = “have an impact on X.”
terhadap is also correct and a bit more formal: berdampak terhadap X.
Avoid di here; it marks location (“at/in”), not a target of impact.
Avoid ke; it implies movement “to/toward.”
kepada is mainly for recipients (often people), not ideal here.
You’ll also see bagi in set phrases, especially with evaluative adjectives: berdampak buruk/baik bagi masyarakat (“a bad/good impact for society”).

How is berdampak different from memengaruhi (“to affect”)?

berdampak
- pada/terhadap
  - noun phrase; intransitive; slightly formal/neutral; emphasizes resulting impact/consequences.
    - Example: Cuaca buruk berdampak pada acara malam ini.
memengaruhi
- direct object; transitive; often feels more direct/causal.
  - Example: Cuaca buruk memengaruhi acara malam ini.
Passive/affected forms:
- Acara malam ini terdampak (oleh) cuaca buruk.
- Acara malam ini dipengaruhi cuaca buruk.

Is the spelling memengaruhi right? I often see mempengaruhi.

Yes. The standard form is memengaruhi (per KBBI/PUEBI), though mempengaruhi is extremely common in everyday writing and widely understood. In formal writing, prefer memengaruhi.

Could I say berdampak di acara malam ini?

Better not. di marks a place (“at the event”), not the thing being impacted. Use pada/terhadap: berdampak pada/terhadap acara malam ini.

Why is it cuaca buruk and not buruk cuaca?

Indonesian adjectives usually follow the noun: cuaca buruk = “bad weather.” If you want to emphasize or restrict, you can use yang: cuaca yang buruk (“the weather that is bad”), but the default is noun + adjective.

Does malam ini mean “tonight” or “this evening”? Is ini malam okay?

malam ini covers both “this evening/tonight” (the evening-night of today).
ini malam is not the standard way to say “tonight.” You might see Ini malam, … only if ini is a demonstrative starting a sentence (“This evening, …”), not as a time phrase modifying a noun.

Do I need to say something like “tonight’s” with a possessive? Why is it just acara malam ini?

Indonesian often expresses “X’s Y” by placing a descriptor after the noun. acara malam ini literally “event night this” = “tonight’s event.” No possessive marker or apostrophe is needed.

If I want to talk about future or completed impact, how do I show tense/aspect?

Indonesian has no verb tense. Add particles/adverbs:

Future: akan/bakal (Cuaca buruk akan berdampak pada…)
Possibility: bisa/dapat/berpotensi (… berpotensi berdampak pada…)
Completed: sudah/telah (… sudah/telah berdampak pada…)

Is terdampak natural, and how does it differ from dipengaruhi?

terdampak means “affected/impacted,” often as a passive-like adjective, common in news/disaster contexts: Warga terdampak banjir.
dipengaruhi is the true passive of memengaruhi: Keputusan itu dipengaruhi faktor ekonomi. Both are fine; choose based on tone and whether you want a more adjectival (terdampak) or verbal passive (dipengaruhi) feel.

Can I front the time phrase or the prepositional phrase for emphasis?

Yes, Indonesian allows fronting for topic emphasis:

Malam ini, cuaca buruk berdampak pada acara itu.
Better to front the time phrase than the pada… phrase. Fronting pada/terhadap acara malam ini is possible but can sound stiff unless you’re doing formal or contrastive focus.

Is acara the best word for “event”? What about alternatives?

acara = event/program (very general and common)
kegiatan = activity (often organizational/educational)
pertunjukan = performance/show
konser/turnamen/rapat = specific types Choose based on context; in your sentence, acara works well if the type isn’t specified.

How do I say the impact is negative or positive?

Add an adjective or a degree word:

berdampak buruk/negatif pada… = has a bad/negative impact on…
berdampak baik/positif bagi/pada… = has a good/positive impact on…

When would I use ini versus itu with time words?

malam ini = this evening/tonight (current day)
malam itu = that night (previously mentioned or in the past narrative) So: acara malam ini (tonight’s event) vs acara malam itu (the event that night).