Sesi kedua berlangsung kira-kira dua puluh menit.

the minute

Breakdown of Sesi kedua berlangsung kira-kira dua puluh menit.

• dua puluh: twenty
• kedua: second
• sesi: the session

Questions & Answers about Sesi kedua berlangsung kira-kira dua puluh menit.

What does the verb “berlangsung” mean exactly?

Berlangsung is an intransitive verb meaning “to take place,” “to be in progress,” or “to last.” It’s commonly used with events like rapat (meeting), acara (event), kelas (class), or sesi (session). It emphasizes the ongoing nature or duration of an event and does not take a direct object.

How do we know the tense—does it mean “lasted,” “lasts,” or “will last”?

Indonesian doesn’t mark tense morphologically; context decides. You can add time markers:

• Past: sudah/telah — Sesi kedua telah berlangsung kira-kira dua puluh menit.
• Ongoing: sedang — Sesi kedua sedang berlangsung.
• Future: akan — Sesi kedua akan berlangsung kira-kira dua puluh menit.

Do I need the word “selama” before the duration?

Not required with berlangsung; the duration is clear without it. Both are natural:

• Sesi kedua berlangsung kira-kira dua puluh menit.
• Sesi kedua berlangsung selama kira-kira dua puluh menit. (a bit more explicit/formal)

Where does “kira-kira” go, and what are alternatives?