Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Pertemuan tatap muka itu dibagi menjadi dua tahap. - That face-to-face meeting is divided into two stages.

Literally, tatap = look/stare, muka = face. Together, tatap muka means face-to-face (in person).
It’s a fixed compound used to describe mode/format:
- As a modifier after a noun: pertemuan tatap muka (a face-to-face meeting), kelas tatap muka (an in-person class).
- As a predicate: Pertemuan itu tatap muka (That meeting is face-to-face).

Why does itu come after the noun phrase instead of before, like in English?

In Indonesian, demonstratives follow the noun phrase. So you say pertemuan tatap muka itu for that/the face-to-face meeting. Placing itu at the end marks definiteness (“that/the”).

What’s the difference between pertemuan tatap muka itu and pertemuan itu tatap muka?

pertemuan tatap muka itu = that/the face-to-face meeting (attributive, part of the noun phrase).
Pertemuan itu tatap muka = That meeting is face-to-face (a full sentence with a nominal predicate). You can optionally add adalah: Pertemuan itu adalah tatap muka.

Is dibagi passive? What would the active version look like?

Yes. dibagi is the di- passive of the verb bagi (to divide/split). Active:

Panitia membagi pertemuan tatap muka itu menjadi dua tahap. Passive (no agent): Pertemuan tatap muka itu dibagi menjadi dua tahap. Passive (with agent): Pertemuan tatap muka itu dibagi oleh panitia menjadi dua tahap.

Where do I put the agent with the passive?

Common options:

After the verb: … dibagi oleh panitia menjadi dua tahap.
At the end: … dibagi menjadi dua tahap oleh panitia. Both are acceptable; placing oleh + agent after the verb is slightly more canonical, while putting it at the end is also common for flow.

Why is it dibagi menjadi and not dibagi ke?

The standard collocation is (di)membagi … menjadi … = divide … into …
Alternatives:
- dibagi ke dalam … (also acceptable, a bit heavier/more formal).
- dibagi atas … (formal/older style).
- Colloquial: dibagi jadi …
dibagi ke … by itself is not the usual pattern for “divide into.”

Can I drop menjadi and just say dibagi dua tahap?

Generally no; it sounds off. Use:

dibagi menjadi dua tahap, or
dibagi ke dalam dua tahap, or
If you omit the noun, you can say dibagi dua (split in two/in half).

What’s the nuance of tahap vs bagian, fase, langkah, tingkat?

tahap = stage/phase in a process, usually sequential over time (best fit here).
bagian = part/section (neutral; not necessarily sequential).
fase = phase (often technical/scientific; from Dutch/English).
langkah = step (an action step).
tingkat = level/tier (hierarchical level).
So dua tahap suggests two sequential phases, not just two arbitrary parts.

Do I need a classifier or plural marking in dua tahap?

No. Numerals directly modify nouns: dua tahap is correct. Don’t reduplicate with a number (avoid tahap-tahap with numerals). Classifier buah isn’t used here; dua buah tahap sounds odd.

What does the morphology of pertemuan tell me?

Root temu (meet). per- … -an forms a noun meaning an event/result: pertemuan = a meeting. Related forms:

bertemu (to meet), menemui (to meet/visit someone), menemukan (to find), temuan (a finding).

What’s the difference between dibagi, dibagikan, and bagian?

dibagi = is divided into parts (focus on splitting something).
dibagikan = is distributed/handed out to recipients.
bagian = a part/section/share.
Example: Kue itu dibagi menjadi lima bagian (The cake is divided into five parts).
Kue itu dibagikan kepada anak-anak (The cake was handed out to the children).

Is di in dibagi the same as the preposition di?

No. In dibagi, di- is a bound prefix for passive verbs and must attach to the verb with no space: dibagi. The preposition di (at/in/on) is written separately, e.g., di rumah. Writing di bagi here would be incorrect.

Why does tatap muka come after pertemuan?

In Indonesian noun phrases, modifiers typically follow the noun they modify. So you get pertemuan tatap muka (meeting [that is] face-to-face), not the English order.

Can I omit itu? What changes?

Yes.

Pertemuan tatap muka itu … = that/the specific meeting (definite, previously known).
Pertemuan tatap muka … = a/the meeting in general; could be generic or indefinite, depending on context.

Is the sentence formal? How would it sound in casual speech?

Neutral-to-formal. In casual speech you might hear:

Pertemuan tatap muka itu dibagi jadi dua tahap. (using jadi)
Or with a pronoun clitic for “that one”: Pertemuan tatap mukanya dibagi jadi dua tahap. (colloquial, context-dependent)

Could I use terbagi instead of dibagi?

Yes, with a slight nuance shift:

… dibagi … often implies an agent did the dividing.
… terbagi … describes the state/result (is divided), downplaying any agent.
Example: Pertemuan tatap muka itu terbagi menjadi dua tahap.

Is dibagi dua different from dibagi menjadi dua tahap?

Yes:

dibagi dua = split into two parts/halves (generic; often implies equal parts).
dibagi menjadi dua tahap = divided into two stages (specifically stages/phases, not just two slices).

Can I say dibagi ke dua tahap?

Avoid that. Use dibagi menjadi dua tahap or dibagi ke dalam dua tahap. Note that ke- before a number forms ordinals (kedua = second), which is a different function.

Is tersebut interchangeable with itu here?

Often, yes, but tersebut is more formal and signals “aforementioned.”

Pertemuan tatap muka tersebut dibagi menjadi dua tahap. (formal, in reports)
… itu … is neutral and widely used in speech and writing.