Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Kuliah dimulai pukul tujuh. - The lecture starts at seven o'clock.

In this sentence, kuliah means a university-level class or lecture session (the event you attend). It does not mean “school” in general. It can also, in other sentences, refer to the activity of going to/being in college (e.g., Saya kuliah di UI = “I study at UI”).

Could I use kelas instead of kuliah?

You can say Kelas dimulai pukul tujuh, and people will understand. However, kuliah is more specifically “a university lecture,” while kelas can mean a class (any level), a classroom, or a group. At university, both are heard; kuliah feels more precise for the lecture itself.

Why is it dimulai and not mulai?

Dimulai is the passive form (“is started/begins”), which is common for schedules: Kuliah dimulai pukul tujuh. You can also use active/intransitive mulai: Kuliah mulai pukul tujuh. Both are correct; dimulai often sounds a bit more formal/impersonal.

Is bermulai a word in Indonesian?

No. Standard Indonesian uses mulai, memulai (active transitive), and dimulai (passive). Bermula exists in Malay, not in Indonesian; bermulai is incorrect.

What’s the difference between mulai, memulai, and dimulai?

mulai: intransitive “to start/begin” (event starts). Example: Acara mulai jam tujuh.
memulai: active transitive “to start (something).” Example: Kami memulai rapat jam tujuh.
dimulai: passive “is started/commences.” Example: Rapat dimulai jam tujuh.

Do I need to say who starts it, like oleh dosen?

Usually no. In schedule statements the agent is omitted: Kuliah dimulai pukul tujuh. If you really want to name the agent, you can say Kuliah dimulai oleh dosen, but it’s uncommon unless you’re emphasizing who starts it.

What’s the difference between pukul and jam?

Both can introduce clock time. Pukul is a bit more formal and common in announcements/schedules; jam is very common in everyday speech. For duration, use jam (hours): Saya belajar 2 jam, not “2 pukul.” So you can say either pukul tujuh or jam tujuh for “7 o’clock.”

Does pukul tujuh mean 7 a.m. or 7 p.m.?

It’s ambiguous unless context clarifies. To be explicit:

pukul tujuh pagi (around 4–10 a.m. window)
pukul tujuh malam (around 6 p.m.–midnight window) In writing, 24‑hour clock is common: pukul 07.00 (7 a.m.), pukul 19.00 (7 p.m.).

How do I say 7:30, 7:15, or 6:55?

7:30 = pukul setengah delapan (literally “half to eight,” meaning 7:30).
7:15 = pukul tujuh lewat lima belas (menit). You’ll also hear tujuh lewat seperempat, but “lewat 15” is more neutral.
6:55 = pukul tujuh kurang lima (menit). You can use lewat (“past”) and kurang (“to/before”). Some speakers use lebih instead of lewat: tujuh lebih lima menit.

Where can the time expression go in the sentence?

Common options:

End position: Kuliah dimulai pukul tujuh.
Fronted for emphasis: Pukul tujuh, kuliah dimulai.
With active verb: Kuliah mulai pukul tujuh. Avoid awkward orders like placing the time in the middle of the verb phrase without clear punctuation.

Do I need pada before the time?

It’s optional. (Pada) pukul tujuh are both fine; pada makes it a bit more formal: Kuliah dimulai pada pukul tujuh. Don’t use di for time here; di pukul is wrong, and dipukul means “was hit.”

How do I say “at 7 sharp” or “around 7”?

“At 7 sharp”: pukul tujuh tepat (also colloquial jam tujuh pas).
“Around 7”: sekitar pukul tujuh or kira-kira pukul tujuh (also kurang lebih pukul tujuh).

Can I add -nya as in Kuliahnya dimulai pukul tujuh?

Yes. -nya here makes it definite (“the lecture”) or refers to a previously known lecture. It’s natural if you’re talking about a specific class you and the listener know about.

Does Indonesian mark plural in kuliah?

No. Kuliah can mean “a lecture” or “lectures” depending on context. If you need to be explicit, you can say semua kuliah dimulai pukul tujuh (“all lectures start at seven”) or kuliah-kuliah to mark plurality, though reduplication isn’t always necessary.

Is it okay to drop pukul/jam and just say the number?

No. You need a time marker or context. Say pukul tujuh or jam tujuh. Kuliah dimulai tujuh sounds odd.

How should I write the time in formal text?

Indonesian often uses a period as the separator: 07.00, 19.30. Colons are also seen, but 07.00 is common in formal writing. In speech, use words: pukul tujuh, pukul tujuh tiga puluh (though setengah delapan is more natural for 7:30).

Does pukul also mean “to hit”? Is that related?

Yes, pukul can mean “to hit/strike.” The time sense comes historically from the idea of a clock striking the hour. In time expressions, context makes it clear it means “o’clock.”