Kami bisa berbeda pendapat dan tetap saling menghargai.

We can disagree and still respect each other.

Breakdown of Kami bisa berbeda pendapat dan tetap saling menghargai.

• kami: we
• dan: and
• tetap: still
• bisa: can
• saling menghargai: to respect each other
• berbeda pendapat: to disagree

Questions & Answers about Kami bisa berbeda pendapat dan tetap saling menghargai.

What is the literal, word‑for‑word breakdown of Kami bisa berbeda pendapat dan tetap saling menghargai?

Here’s a fairly literal breakdown:

• Kami = we (exclusive: we but not you)
• bisa = can / are able to
• berbeda = be different
• pendapat = opinion
• dan = and
• tetap = still / remain / keep on
• saling = each other / one another (a marker of reciprocity)
• menghargai = to respect / to appreciate (literally “to give value to”)

So a very literal rendering would be something like:

We can be different (in) opinion and still mutually respect (each other).

What is the difference between kami and kita, and could I say Kita bisa berbeda pendapat… instead?

Indonesian has two main words for we:

• kami = we (exclusive) → we, but not including the listener
• kita = we (inclusive) → we, including the listener

In Kami bisa berbeda pendapat dan tetap saling menghargai, the speaker is saying that their group (excluding the listener) can disagree and still respect each other.

If the speaker wants to include the listener (e.g. “You and I / all of us here can disagree and still respect each other”), then:

• Kita bisa berbeda pendapat dan tetap saling menghargai.

is perfectly correct, and actually very common in everyday speech, especially when encouraging harmony in a group.

What exactly does bisa mean here? Is it ability (“are able to”) or possibility (“can, it’s okay to”)?

Bisa can express both ability and possibility/permission, and here it leans more towards possibility/permission:

• Kami bisa berbeda pendapat…

  = “We can have different opinions” / “It’s possible / it’s okay for us to have different opinions.”

It doesn’t usually mean physical ability here; it’s more about saying that differing opinions are allowed or normal.

You could also use dapat in a similar way:

• Kami dapat berbeda pendapat dan tetap saling menghargai.

This sounds a bit more formal, but the meaning is very close.

Can bisa be omitted? What changes if I say Kami berbeda pendapat dan tetap saling menghargai?

Yes, you can omit bisa, and it is still grammatically correct:

• Kami berbeda pendapat dan tetap saling menghargai.

This emphasizes the fact:

• “We have different opinions and still respect each other.”

With bisa, you emphasize that it is possible/acceptable to have different opinions:

• With bisa: “We can disagree and still respect each other.” (general, potential)
• Without bisa: “We do disagree and still respect each other.” (more factual / descriptive)

Context will usually make the intended nuance clear.

What does the phrase berbeda pendapat really mean, grammatically and semantically?

Berbeda pendapat is a common fixed phrase:

• berbeda = to be different
• pendapat = opinion

Literally: “to be different in opinion” → idiomatically: “to disagree”, “to have different opinions.”

Grammar-wise:

• berbeda is a verb with the prefix ber- (“to be / to have / to do X”).
• pendapat acts like a complement specifying what is different.

Other similar patterns:

• berbeda pandangan = to differ in views
• berbeda keyakinan = to have different beliefs

So you can think of berbeda pendapat as a solid chunk meaning “disagree (in terms of opinion).”

Are there other common ways to say “disagree” instead of berbeda pendapat?

Yes, several alternatives are common:

• tidak sependapat
  Literally: “not of the same opinion.”

  • Kami tidak sependapat, tapi… = “We don’t share the same opinion, but…”

• punya pendapat yang berbeda
  Literally: “to have a different opinion.”

  • Kami punya pendapat yang berbeda, tetapi…

• berbeda pandangan
  Literally: “have different views.”

  • Kita bisa berbeda pandangan dan tetap saling menghargai.

All of these can fit in similar contexts; berbeda pendapat and tidak sependapat are especially common.

How is tense expressed in this sentence? How do I know if it’s present, past, or future?

Indonesian doesn’t mark tense with verb endings like English does. Kami bisa berbeda pendapat dan tetap saling menghargai is tenseless by itself.

The time is understood from context or from additional time words, for example:

• Kemarin kami bisa berbeda pendapat dan tetap saling menghargai.
  “Yesterday we could disagree and still respect each other.” (past)

• Besok kita bisa berbeda pendapat dan tetap saling menghargai.
  “Tomorrow we can disagree and still respect each other.” (future)

Without extra words, it usually has a general / present interpretation:

• “We can disagree and still respect each other.” (as a general principle)

What does tetap mean exactly, and why is it placed before saling menghargai?

Tetap means still, remain, or keep on. It marks continuity despite some condition.

In dan tetap saling menghargai:

• tetap modifies the verb phrase saling menghargai (“to respect each other”).
• The idea is: even though we disagree, we still / nevertheless respect each other.

The position:

• tetap saling menghargai = still mutually respect (each other).

You normally put tetap before the verb (or verb phrase):

• Kami tetap belajar. = We keep studying / still study.
• Dia tetap bekerja. = He/she continues working.

Here it naturally goes before the full phrase saling menghargai.

What does saling do, and could we leave it out?

Saling is a reciprocal marker. It indicates that the action happens mutually between participants:

• saling menghargai = to respect one another / each other.

Without saling:

• menghargai = to respect / to appreciate (one direction: A respects B).

With saling:

• saling menghargai = A respects B and B respects A (mutual).

If you say:

• Kami tetap menghargai.

it sounds incomplete; you’d expect an object (e.g. “Kami tetap menghargai dia” = “We still respect him/her”).

So in this sentence, saling is doing important work: it shows that respect is mutual inside the group. Without saling, you would need to specify whom you respect.

What does menghargai literally come from, and how does it relate to “respect”?

Menghargai comes from:

• harga = price, value
• meng-
  • hargai (from harga
    • suffix -i) → menghargai

Literally: “to give value to” → figuratively: “to value, to appreciate, to respect.”

Usage:

• Saya menghargai pendapatmu.
  “I value/respect your opinion.”

• Kami sangat menghargai bantuan Anda.
  “We really appreciate your help.”

In the sentence Kami bisa berbeda pendapat dan tetap saling menghargai, it’s clearly in the sense of respecting each other as people, not about money.

What is the difference between menghargai and menghormati? Could I say saling menghormati instead?

Both menghargai and menghormati can translate as “to respect”, but they have slightly different nuances:

• menghargai

  • To value, appreciate, respect (someone’s efforts, opinions, feelings, help, etc.)
  • Slightly broader; often used for appreciation/acknowledgement.

• menghormati

  • To honor, show deference, pay respect (especially to people, traditions, rules).
  • Often carries a stronger or more formal sense of respect.

Saling menghormati is very common and perfectly natural here:

• Kami bisa berbeda pendapat dan tetap saling menghormati.

This stresses mutual honor/respect, perhaps a touch more formal or solemn than saling menghargai, but both are good and widely used.

Is the word order here fixed, or could I rearrange it, for example moving tetap or saling?

Some flexibility exists, but not every change sounds natural.

• ✅ Kami bisa berbeda pendapat dan tetap saling menghargai.
  (Standard, natural.)

• ❌ Kami bisa berbeda pendapat dan saling tetap menghargai.
  This sounds wrong; tetap should come before the whole verb phrase, not between saling and menghargai.

• ✅ Kami bisa tetap saling menghargai meskipun berbeda pendapat.
  Here the structure changes, but it’s natural:
  “We can still respect each other even though we disagree.”

General rule:

• Place tetap before the verb or verb phrase.
• Place saling immediately before the verb it makes reciprocal.

So: tetap saling menghargai, not saling tetap menghargai.

Is this sentence formal or informal? In what situations would it sound natural?

Kami bisa berbeda pendapat dan tetap saling menghargai is neutral to slightly formal. It’s polite and suitable for:

• Meetings and discussions
• Classrooms, seminars
• Written messages (emails, social media posts about respectful debate)
• Speeches or public talks

In a very casual conversation, people might shorten or rephrase it, for example:

• Ya, kita beda pendapat juga nggak apa‑apa, yang penting tetap saling menghargai.
  (“Yeah, it’s okay for us to disagree, what matters is that we still respect each other.”)

But the original sentence is widely applicable and never rude or inappropriate.

Could the subject kami be omitted, like in many Indonesian sentences?

Yes, Indonesian often drops pronouns when context is clear. You could say:

• Bisa berbeda pendapat dan tetap saling menghargai.

This would be understood as something like:

• “(We/people) can disagree and still respect each other.”

However:

• If you want to be explicit that you’re talking about we (this specific group), then keeping kami or kita is clearer.
• In writing or in more formal speech, explicitly stating kami/kita often sounds better, especially if this is a key statement or motto.

Could this sentence also be used with kamu or mereka instead of kami? How would it change?

Yes, you can change the subject to talk about different people:

• Kamu bisa berbeda pendapat dan tetap saling menghargai.
  “You can disagree and still respect each other.”
  → Here, kamu is singular “you,” but saling menghargai implies you and others (your group) are mutually respecting one another.

• Mereka bisa berbeda pendapat dan tetap saling menghargai.
  “They can disagree and still respect each other.”

The structure stays the same; only the subject pronoun changes the point of view.