Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Prosesi wisuda dimulai pukul delapan pagi. - The graduation procession starts at eight in the morning.

You can sometimes hear just “wisuda” used to mean the whole graduation event, but “prosesi wisuda” sounds a bit more formal and emphasizes the structured, ceremonial part of it (the march-in, speeches, diploma-giving, etc.).

Why is “dimulai” used instead of “mulai” or “memulai”?

Mulai = to start, to begin (intransitive or stative; often used like “to start” or “starting at”)
- Example: Acara mulai pukul delapan. – The event starts at eight.
Memulai = to start (something) (active, transitive)
- Example: Panitia memulai prosesi wisuda. – The committee starts the graduation ceremony.
Dimulai = passive form of memulai, meaning is started / is begun
- Example in your sentence: Prosesi wisuda dimulai pukul delapan pagi.
  → Literally: The graduation ceremony is started at eight in the morning.

So “dimulai” is used because the sentence focuses on the ceremony (the thing being started), not on who starts it. This is a common passive construction in Indonesian.

Who is doing the action in “Prosesi wisuda dimulai pukul delapan pagi”? There’s no subject like “they” or “the committee.”

In Indonesian passive sentences, the agent (doer) is often omitted when it’s obvious or not important.

Understood meaning: “The graduation ceremony is started at eight in the morning (by the organizers / committee / university).”

The sentence is grammatically complete without mentioning who starts it. This style is common in formal announcements and written notices.

Could you say “Prosesi wisuda mulai pukul delapan pagi” instead? What’s the difference?

Yes, you can say:

Prosesi wisuda mulai pukul delapan pagi.

Difference in nuance:

Dimulai (passive of memulai): a bit more formal, emphasizes that someone officially starts it at that time.
Mulai: sounds a bit more neutral/straightforward, like a simple “starts at”.

Both are correct. In written announcements or official schedules, “dimulai” is very common.

What is “pukul”? How is it different from “jam” when telling the time?

Both relate to time, but:

Pukul (literally “strike,” as in “clock striking”):
- Used in formal or neutral contexts for clock time.
- Common in announcements, schedules, invitations.
- Example: Rapat dimulai pukul tiga sore. – The meeting starts at 3 p.m.
Jam (literally “hour / o’clock / clock”):
- Very common in everyday speech.
- Example: Rapat mulai jam tiga sore. – The meeting starts at 3 p.m.

In your sentence, “pukul delapan pagi” is a formal-sounding way to say “at eight in the morning.”

Is “pukul delapan pagi” exactly the same as “8 a.m.”, or is there any nuance?

Yes, “pukul delapan pagi” corresponds to 8 a.m.

Pukul = at (o’clock)
Delapan = eight
Pagi = morning

So it’s simply “at eight in the morning.” No extra nuance, aside from sounding a bit formal/polished because of “pukul.”

Do I always need “pagi” after the time, or can I just say “pukul delapan”?

You don’t always need the part of the day:

Prosesi wisuda dimulai pukul delapan pagi.
→ Clear it’s 8 in the morning.
Prosesi wisuda dimulai pukul delapan.
→ Just 8 o’clock; morning/evening is not specified.

You add pagi / siang / sore / malam when:

you want to avoid ambiguity, or
it’s standard in announcements, especially if there might also be an evening session.

Common periods:

pagi: morning (approx 04.00–10.59)
siang: late morning / early afternoon (approx 11.00–14.59)
sore: late afternoon (approx 15.00–17.59)
malam: evening / night (approx 18.00–23.59)

Why is it “delapan” and not something like “kedelapan” here?

Because you’re using a cardinal number (eight), not an ordinal number (eighth).

Delapan = eight (cardinal)
Kedelapan = eighth (ordinal, “the eighth”)

For time, Indonesian uses cardinal numbers:

pukul delapan = 8:00
pukul tiga = 3:00

You’d see “kedelapan” in contexts like:

Ia duduk di baris kedelapan. – He sits in the eighth row.

Is the word order “Prosesi wisuda dimulai pukul delapan pagi” fixed, or can I move things around?

The given order is natural and standard:

Prosesi wisuda (topic/subject)
dimulai (verb)
pukul delapan pagi (time expression)

Some variations are possible but feel less neutral:

Pukul delapan pagi, prosesi wisuda dimulai.
→ Still correct; puts extra emphasis on “at eight in the morning.”
Dimulai pukul delapan pagi, prosesi wisuda…
→ More like a written, stylistic variant, often leading into a longer sentence.

For simple statements, keep:

[Subject] + [Verb] + [Time]
Prosesi wisuda dimulai pukul delapan pagi.

How formal is this sentence? Would people say this in everyday conversation?

The vocabulary and structure are fairly formal:

prosesi wisuda – institutional / ceremonial term
dimulai – passive, often used in announcements
pukul – tends to be used in formal / semi-formal contexts

You would commonly see or hear this in:

university announcements
official schedules
written invitations

In casual speech, people might say:

Wisudanya mulai jam delapan pagi.
(The graduation starts at eight in the morning.)

Same meaning, but less formal word choices.

How do you pronounce “prosesi wisuda” and “pukul delapan pagi”?

Indonesian pronunciation is very regular. Rough guide (English-like):

prosesi → proh-SEH-see
wisuda → wee-SOO-dah
pukul → POO-kool
delapan → duh-LA-pan
pagi → PAH-gee

Notes:

Every vowel is pronounced clearly; no silent letters.
Stress is usually on the second-to-last syllable:
- pro-SE-si
- wi-SU-da
- PU-kul
- de-LA-pan
- PA-gi

Could I add “akan” to say “will start”? For example: “Prosesi wisuda akan dimulai pukul delapan pagi.” Is that better?

Yes, that’s perfectly correct:

Prosesi wisuda akan dimulai pukul delapan pagi.
→ The graduation ceremony will be started at eight in the morning.

Difference:

Without akan:
- Prosesi wisuda dimulai pukul delapan pagi.
- Often used for fixed schedules (similar to a timeless fact or timetable English present: The train leaves at 8.)
With akan:
- Emphasizes future (upcoming) event.

Both are natural in announcements; “akan dimulai” can sound a bit more explicitly future-focused.