Breakdown of Di halte itu, kami menunggu rekan kami yang datang terlambat.
itu
that
di
at
kami
we
menunggu
to wait
yang
who
datang
to arrive
terlambat
late
kami
our
halte
the bus stop
rekan
the colleague
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Questions & Answers about Di halte itu, kami menunggu rekan kami yang datang terlambat.
What does halte mean? Is it specifically a bus stop?
halte is a loanword (from Dutch) meaning “stop/shelter,” most commonly a bus stop. You can also say halte bus. For trains you use stasiun; for informal minibus/taxi stands you may hear pangkalan.
Why is it halte itu instead of itu halte? Where do demonstratives go?
In Indonesian, demonstratives follow the noun in a noun phrase: halte itu = “that stop,” halte ini = “this stop.” itu halte is only possible as a full clause (“That is a stop”), not as a noun phrase modifying something else.
Why is there a comma after Di halte itu?
The location phrase is fronted for emphasis/topic. A comma after such fronted adverbials is common in writing and aids readability. Without fronting, Kami menunggu … di halte itu is also fine.
Why use di and not ke or pada?
- di marks location (“at/in”): di halte itu.
- ke marks motion toward (“to”): ke halte itu (“to that stop”).
- pada is used with times, recipients, or in formal style; it’s not used for simple physical location here.
Why is kami used twice? Isn’t that redundant?
It’s not redundant. The first kami is the subject “we,” the second is possessive “our” inside rekan kami (“our colleague”). Indonesian relies on pronouns rather than articles to show possession, so this repetition is normal and clear.
What’s the difference between kami and kita?
- kami = we (excluding the listener).
- kita = we (including the listener). Use the one that matches who is included in “we.”
What does yang do in rekan kami yang datang terlambat?
yang introduces a relative clause modifying the noun: “our colleague who arrived late.” It’s needed here and works for people and things. Don’t replace it with bahwa, which introduces content clauses (“that …” in reported speech).
Can I say rekan kami terlambat datang instead of rekan kami yang datang terlambat?
Yes. datang terlambat and terlambat datang are near-equivalent. The first slightly highlights the act of arriving; the second slightly highlights the lateness. Both are natural.
If I move di halte itu to the end, does the meaning change?
It can. Kami menunggu rekan kami yang datang terlambat di halte itu tends to attach di halte itu to the nearest verb inside the relative clause, reading as “our colleague who came late at that stop.” Fronting the location (Di halte itu, …) makes it clear the waiting happened there.
What’s the difference between menunggu, tunggu, nunggu, and menanti?
- menunggu: standard active verb “to wait” in statements: Kami menunggu bus.
- tunggu: base/imperative form: Tunggu saya! (“Wait for me!”).
- nunggu: colloquial/spoken form of menunggu.
- menanti: more formal/literary synonym of menunggu.
Is menunggu transitive? Do I need a preposition like “for”?
Yes, it can take a direct object. Say menunggu seseorang/sesuatu without a preposition: menunggu rekan kami (“wait for our colleague”). For events, prefer connectors like sampai/hingga (“until”): menunggu sampai dia datang.
Can I drop the subject kami?
Indonesian allows subject drop when context is clear, but Di halte itu, menunggu rekan kami … feels like a headline or note in standard prose. For a full sentence, keep kami.
Could I use teman or kolega instead of rekan?
Yes, with nuance:
- rekan: neutral-formal “colleague/peer,” often work-related.
- teman: “friend” (casual, broader). Use teman kerja to mean “coworker.”
- kolega: formal “colleague,” common in written registers.
Is terlambat different from lambat or telat?
- terlambat: “late” (arrived after the expected time); neutral.
- telat: colloquial/informal version of terlambat.
- lambat: “slow,” not necessarily “late.”
How is tense shown here? How do we know it’s past?
Indonesian verbs don’t inflect for tense. Time is inferred from context or added time words. To make it explicitly past, add something like tadi (“earlier”): Di halte itu, tadi kami menunggu ….
What would a very casual version look like?
Di halte itu, kita nunggu temen kita yang telat. This uses inclusive kita, colloquial nunggu/temen/telat, and sounds like everyday speech.