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Alarm telepon berbunyi tepat pukul tujuh.

Alarm telepon berbunyi tepat pukul tujuh.
The phone alarm rings exactly at seven o’clock.

Breakdown of Alarm telepon berbunyi tepat pukul tujuh.

tepat
exactly
pukul
at
tujuh
seven
berbunyi
to ring
alarm telepon
the phone alarm
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Questions & Answers about Alarm telepon berbunyi tepat pukul tujuh.

What does the verb berbunyi mean here, and is there a difference from berdering?
  • Berbunyi literally means “to make a sound/to sound.” It’s general and works for alarms, bells, horns, etc.
  • Berdering means “to ring,” and fits things that ring (phones, bells). Alarms can use it too if the sound is a ringing tone.
  • Both are correct for an alarm. If you want to emphasize a ringing sound, use berdering; if you just mean “went off/made a sound,” berbunyi is perfect.
  • Examples:
    • Alarm telepon berbunyi. = The phone’s alarm went off.
    • Telepon berdering. = The phone is ringing.
    • Bel sekolah berbunyi. = The school bell rings.
Why is it pukul and not jam? What’s the difference?
  • Both can mean “o’clock/at [time].”
  • Pukul is more formal and often used in announcements or writing: pukul tujuh.
  • Jam is very common in everyday speech: jam tujuh.
  • Your sentence with jam is equally fine: Alarm telepon berbunyi tepat jam tujuh.
What does tepat add? Is it necessary? Can it move?
  • Tepat means “exactly/on the dot.”
  • Without it, pukul tujuh just means “at seven,” not necessarily to the minute.
  • Placement is flexible:
    • tepat pukul tujuh
    • pukul tujuh tepat
    • tepat jam tujuh
  • Informal alternative: pas (e.g., pas jam tujuh).
How do I make it clear whether it’s 7 a.m. or 7 p.m.?

Add a time-of-day word or use 24-hour time:

  • pagi (morning), siang (midday/early afternoon), sore (late afternoon/evening), malam (night).
  • Examples:
    • … pukul tujuh pagi. = 7 a.m.
    • … pukul tujuh malam. = 7 p.m.
  • 24-hour option: … pukul 07.00 or … pukul 19.00.
Is Alarm telepon the natural way to say “the phone’s alarm”? How does possession work?

Yes. Indonesian places the head noun first:

  • alarm telepon = the phone’s alarm
  • To be explicit about the owner:
    • alarm teleponku = my phone’s alarm
    • alarm teleponmu = your phone’s alarm
    • alarm teleponnya = his/her phone’s alarm
    • Polite: alarm telepon saya / alarm ponsel saya
  • You can also say alarm di telepon saya (“the alarm on my phone”).
How do I make the sentence clearly past or future?

Indonesian doesn’t mark tense on the verb; use time words:

  • Past:
    • Tadi / tadi pagi: Tadi pagi, alarm telepon berbunyi tepat pukul tujuh.
    • Sudah (already/done): Alarm telepon sudah berbunyi…
  • Future:
    • Akan: Alarm telepon akan berbunyi tepat pukul tujuh.
    • Nanti: Nanti, alarm telepon berbunyi…
Can the time phrase go at the beginning?

Yes. Both orders are natural:

  • Tepat pukul tujuh, alarm telepon berbunyi.
  • Alarm telepon berbunyi tepat pukul tujuh.
Do I need pada before the time, like pada pukul tujuh?
It’s optional. Pada pukul tujuh sounds a bit more formal. In everyday speech, people simply say pukul tujuh or jam tujuh.
Pronunciation tips for telepon, tepat, pukul, tujuh?
  • telepon: tuh-LEH-pon (the e is a schwa, like the first sound in “about”).
  • tepat: tuh-PAHT (short vowels; e is a schwa).
  • pukul: POO-kool (both u like “oo” in “food”).
  • tujuh: TOO-jooh (final h is lightly pronounced; j like English “j”). Indonesian stress is light and fairly even; don’t stretch vowels unless indicated.
Is menyala okay for an alarm “going off”?

Use sound verbs for alarms:

  • Prefer berbunyi or berdering for “go off.”
  • Menyala means “to turn on/light up” (lights/screens). You can say layarnya menyala (the screen lit up), but not for the alarm sound itself.
  • To “turn on/enable” an alarm (settings), use menyalakan/mengaktifkan alarm.
What are other common words for “phone” in this context?
  • HP/hape (very common, informal): Alarm HP berbunyi…
  • ponsel (neutral/formal): Alarm ponsel berbunyi…
  • gawai (device; formal/media use): Alarm gawai berbunyi… All are understood; choose based on formality.
How do I negate it? “The phone alarm didn’t go off.”
  • General negation: tidak
    • Alarm telepon tidak berbunyi.
  • “Not yet”: belum
    • Alarm telepon belum berbunyi.
How do I say “exactly at 7:05”?
  • tepat pukul tujuh lewat lima (menit)
  • Numeric formats are common: tepat pukul 07.05 or 07:05
  • Other patterns:
    • tujuh lebih lima menit (more formal)
    • Avoid mixing “lewat” with “lebih” in one phrase.
How do I say “at half past seven”?
  • Indonesian uses the “half to” pattern:
    • setengah delapan = 7:30 (literally “half to eight”)
  • With pukul/jam:
    • pukul setengah delapan / jam setengah delapan
  • Alternative: pukul tujuh tiga puluh
How do I make it clearly “the” alarm vs “an” alarm?

Indonesian has no articles; use these:

  • Definite “the”: add itu or -nya
    • Alarm telepon itu/Alarm teleponnya berbunyi…
  • Indefinite “an”: add sebuah
    • Sebuah alarm telepon berbunyi…
Can I drop telepon and just say Alarm berbunyi…?
Yes, if context already makes it clear which alarm you mean. Alarm alone is natural but less specific; alarm telepon/HP/ponsel clarifies it’s the phone’s alarm.