Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Pertemuan kami di perpustakaan selesai tepat waktu. - Our meeting at the library finished on time.

Indonesian places the possessor after the noun: Noun + possessor. So pertemuan kami = “our meeting.” You can also use possessive clitics for singular persons: pertemuanku (my meeting), pertemuanmu (your meeting), pertemuannya (his/her/their meeting). There is no clitic for plural “our,” so you must say pertemuan kami/kita.

What’s the difference between kami and kita here?

kami = we (exclusive), excludes the listener. The listener was not part of the meeting.
kita = we (inclusive), includes the listener.
If the listener also attended, say Pertemuan kita di perpustakaan....

Could I say Kami bertemu di perpustakaan instead of Pertemuan kami? Does it change the nuance?

Yes, but you have to restructure the sentence. With a verb:

More natural: Kami mengadakan pertemuan di perpustakaan, dan pertemuan itu selesai tepat waktu.
Colloquial: Kami bertemu di perpustakaan, dan selesai tepat waktu. (understood but a bit vague—what exactly “finished”?)
Using the noun keeps it tight and formal: Rapat/Pertemuan kami di perpustakaan selesai tepat waktu.

Does di perpustakaan attach to the noun phrase or the whole clause? Is there any ambiguity?

It most naturally attaches to the noun phrase, giving “our meeting at the library.” So the subject is [pertemuan kami di perpustakaan], and the predicate is selesai tepat waktu. If you move the phrase, you can change the attachment:

Di perpustakaan, pertemuan kami selesai tepat waktu. (location of the event)
Pertemuan kami selesai tepat waktu di perpustakaan. (can be read as “it finished (there), at the library”)

What part of speech is selesai, and what are alternatives?

selesai is a stative verb/adjective meaning “finished/over” used as the predicate: Pertemuan ... selesai. Alternatives:

berakhir = ended (neutral)
usai = over (slightly literary)
rampung = completed (often for tasks) Transitive forms: mengakhiri/menutup (to end/close something), menyelesaikan (to finish something). You don’t say pertemuan menyelesaikan; rather kami mengakhiri pertemuan or pertemuan diakhiri.

How do I show past time or completion? Is sudah needed?

Indonesian has no tense. Context and words like sudah (already) mark completion:

Pertemuan kami ... sudah selesai tepat waktu. (explicit completion) To place it in time, add adverbs: tadi, kemarin, tadi pagi, etc. Example: Kemarin, pertemuan kami di perpustakaan selesai tepat waktu.

Is di perpustakaan written as one word or two? How is it different from the prefix di-?

Preposition di (at/in) is separate: di perpustakaan.
Passive prefix di- attaches to verbs: dibaca (is/was read), dikatakan (is/was said).
Don’t confuse them: preposition = spaced; passive prefix = attached.

When do I use di vs ke vs pada with places?

di = static location: di perpustakaan (at the library).
ke = movement toward: ke perpustakaan (to the library).
pada is generally not used for physical locations; it’s used with times or abstract references: pada pukul 5, pada bab ini.

What does tepat waktu mean exactly, and are there synonyms?

tepat waktu = on time/punctual. Common alternatives:

tepat pada waktunya (more formal/wordy)
sesuai jadwal (as scheduled)
pas waktu (colloquial, informal) You usually place it after the verb: selesai tepat waktu, datang tepat waktu.

Can I move di perpustakaan elsewhere in the sentence?

Yes, Indonesian word order is flexible:

Subject-internal: Pertemuan kami di perpustakaan selesai tepat waktu. (most natural)
Fronted location: Di perpustakaan, pertemuan kami selesai tepat waktu.
Final position: Pertemuan kami selesai tepat waktu di perpustakaan. (acceptable; heard as “it finished there”)

Should I use pertemuan, rapat, or janji temu?

pertemuan = meeting (general; neutral-to-formal).
rapat = meeting for work/organization (formal, agenda-driven).
janji temu = appointment (doctor, client, 1–1).
Pick based on context. With work meetings, Rapat kami... is often better.

How do I make “meetings” plural?

Use context, quantifiers, or reduplication:

beberapa pertemuan kami di perpustakaan selesai tepat waktu (several of our meetings…)
pertemuan-pertemuan (formal plural by reduplication) Indonesian doesn’t require a plural marker if another word already implies plurality.