Kami hampir kehabisan bahan bakar.

We are almost out of fuel.

Breakdown of Kami hampir kehabisan bahan bakar.

• kami: we
• hampir: almost
• kehabisan: to run out of
• bahan bakar: the fuel

Questions & Answers about Kami hampir kehabisan bahan bakar.

What’s the difference between kami and kita?

• Kami = we (excluding the listener).
• Kita = we (including the listener).
  If you’re talking to someone who is in the car with you, say: Kita hampir kehabisan bahan bakar. If you’re telling someone on the phone who isn’t with you, Kami hampir kehabisan bahan bakar.

What does hampir do here, and where does it go in the sentence?

Hampir means “almost/nearly.” It’s an adverb placed before the verb or adjective it modifies: Kami hampir kehabisan …
You don’t put hampir at the end. For emphasis on a near miss in the past, you can say hampir saja: Kami hampir saja kehabisan bahan bakar.

What exactly does kehabisan mean and how is it formed?

• Root: habis = finished/used up.
• Circumfix: ke- … -an → kehabisan = to run out of X / to be out of X (often with an unintended or undesired nuance).
  Pattern: (Subject) kehabisan (thing), e.g., kami kehabisan uang (we ran out of money).
  Similar patterns: kehilangan (to lose something), kedinginan (be cold), kelaparan (be starving), ketinggalan (be left behind).

Why not use habis instead of kehabisan?

Both are correct but they structure the sentence differently:

• Bahan bakar kami hampir habis. = Our fuel is almost finished. (Fuel is the subject.)
• Kami hampir kehabisan bahan bakar. = We almost ran out of fuel / We’re almost out. (We are the subject experiencing the lack.) Avoid: Kami hampir habis bahan bakar (unnatural).

Do I need a preposition after kehabisan?

No. Kehabisan is followed directly by the noun: kehabisan bahan bakar / uang / waktu / baterai / stok.

Is this sentence about the past or the present?

Indonesian doesn’t mark tense. Context decides. You can add markers:

• Past near miss: Kami tadi/barusan hampir saja kehabisan bahan bakar.
• Present/ongoing: Kami hampir kehabisan sekarang.
• Imminent: Sebentar lagi kami kehabisan.

Does hampir mean it didn’t actually happen?

Usually yes: it signals “not yet, but close.” Hampir saja makes the near-miss explicit (it didn’t happen). Without saja, it often means “on the verge,” which could still happen soon if nothing changes.

How do I say “We actually ran out of fuel”?

Kami kehabisan bahan bakar.
Optionally add sudah for completion: Kami sudah kehabisan bahan bakar.

How can I say “We’re low on fuel” without using hampir?

• Bahan bakar tinggal sedikit. (There’s only a little fuel left.)
• Tangki hampir kosong. (The tank is almost empty.)
• Kami kekurangan bahan bakar. (We’re short of fuel; insufficient for our needs—slightly different nuance from “almost out.”)

What exactly does bahan bakar mean? Are there more specific words?

Bahan bakar = fuel (general). Specific types:

• Bensin = gasoline/petrol
• Solar = diesel
  You may also see BBM (Bahan Bakar Minyak) for petroleum fuels.

Can I drop the subject pronoun kami?

Yes, if context is clear: Hampir kehabisan bahan bakar.
Or shift focus to the fuel: Bahan bakar kami hampir habis.

How do I turn this into a question?

• Neutral/formal: Apakah kita hampir kehabisan bahan bakar?
• Natural/spoken: Kita hampir kehabisan bensin, ya? or Kita hampir kehabisan bensin, kan?

Can hampir go at the start? What changes if I move it?

Fronting for emphasis is possible but less common: Hampir kami kehabisan bahan bakar. (emphasizes “almost”).
Be careful with scope:

• Kami hampir kehabisan bahan bakar. = almost out.
• Kami kehabisan hampir semua bahan bakar. = we ran out of almost all the fuel (but not entirely).

Pronunciation tips?

• kami [KAH-mee]
• hampir [HAM-peer] (tap the final r)
• kehabisan [kə-hah-BEE-sahn] (first vowel is a schwa)
• bahan bakar [BA-han BA-kar] (pronounce the h clearly; tap the r)

What other nouns commonly go with kehabisan?

• kehabisan uang (money), waktu (time), baterai (battery), tenaga (energy), napas (breath), ide (ideas), stok (stock), air (water).

What’s the difference between kehabisan and kekurangan?

• Kehabisan = out of / ran out (almost none or none left).
• Kekurangan = lacking/insufficient (there is some, but not enough).
  So kami hampir kehabisan ≈ nearly empty; kami kekurangan ≈ we don’t have enough for the purpose.