Kami bermain bola di lapangan sore ini.

We are playing ball on the field this afternoon.

Breakdown of Kami bermain bola di lapangan sore ini.

• kami: we
• di: on
• lapangan: the field
• bola: the ball
• sore ini: this afternoon
• bermain: to act

Questions & Answers about Kami bermain bola di lapangan sore ini.

What is the difference between kami and kita? Both seem to mean we.

Indonesian has two different words for we:

• kami = we (but not you) – excludes the person you are talking to
• kita = we (including you) – includes the listener

So:

• Kami bermain bola di lapangan sore ini.
  = We (my group, not including you) are playing ball at the field this afternoon.

If you wanted to say you and I are playing ball, you would say:

• Kita bermain bola di lapangan sore ini.

How do you know the tense? Could this sentence mean we played, we are playing, or we will play?

Indonesian verbs do not change form for tense. Bermain can mean play / played / are playing / will play depending on context.

In this sentence:

• sore ini = this afternoon

That time phrase usually refers to the (near) future or the present day. So natural English translations would be:

• We will play ball at the field this afternoon.
• We are playing ball at the field this afternoon.

It could also be understood as past (We played … this afternoon) if you say it later in the evening and the context is clear, but usually you would add a past marker like tadi:

• Kami bermain bola di lapangan tadi sore.
  = We played ball at the field this afternoon (earlier today).

Why is there no word like are or will in the Indonesian sentence?

Indonesian normally does not use auxiliary verbs like am / is / are / will with action verbs.

• bermain by itself already means to play / playing / played / will play
• No extra word like are or will is needed.

If you really want to emphasize future, you can add akan:

• Kami akan bermain bola di lapangan sore ini.
  = We will play ball at the field this afternoon.

But in everyday speech, akan is often omitted when time is already clear from sore ini.

What does bermain mean, and why is there a ber- at the beginning?

• main is a root word meaning play.
• ber- is a common verb prefix that can mean to do / to have / to be engaged in something.

So bermain literally means to play / to be engaged in play. It is the normal dictionary form of the verb to play:

• Anak-anak bermain. = The children are playing.
• Saya suka bermain gitar. = I like to play the guitar.

Do you need bola after bermain? What’s the difference between bermain and bermain bola?

• bermain = to play (in general, play a game, play around, have fun)
• bermain bola = to play ball (a ball game, often soccer/football depending on context)

Examples:

• Anak-anak bermain di taman.
  The children are playing in the park. (general play)

• Anak-anak bermain bola di lapangan.
  The children are playing ball at the field. (specifically a ball game)

So in your sentence, bola narrows it from generic play to play ball.

Does bola mean any kind of ball, or specifically soccer?

Literally, bola just means ball.

However:

• In many contexts, especially di lapangan (on a field), people often assume it is sepak bola (soccer / football).
• If you want to be explicit:
  • sepak bola = soccer / football
  • bola basket = basketball
  • bola voli = volleyball

So:

• Kami bermain bola di lapangan sore ini.
  = We are playing ball at the field this afternoon. (likely soccer, but not guaranteed)

• Kami bermain sepak bola di lapangan sore ini.
  = We are playing soccer at the field this afternoon. (unambiguous)

What does di mean here, and how is it different from ke?

di and ke are both very common prepositions:

• di = in / at / on (location, where something is)

  • di lapangan = at the field / on the field

• ke = to / toward (direction, movement to a place)

  • ke lapangan = to the field

Compare:

• Kami bermain bola di lapangan sore ini.
  We play ball at the field this afternoon. (already there)

• Kami akan pergi ke lapangan sore ini.
  We will go to the field this afternoon. (movement toward the field)

What exactly does lapangan mean? Is it field, court, or something else?

lapangan is a general word for an open area for activities, especially sports or ceremonies. Depending on context, it can be translated as:

• field (soccer field, sports field)
• court (e.g. badminton, though lapangan is more general)
• yard / open ground / parade ground

In this sentence, with bermain bola, lapangan is most naturally field:

• di lapangan = at the field

Why is the time phrase sore ini at the end? Can it be put somewhere else?

In Indonesian, time expressions are flexible in position, but they very commonly go at the beginning or end of the sentence.

Your sentence:

• Kami bermain bola di lapangan sore ini.
  (Subject – Verb – Object – Place – Time)

You could also say:

• Sore ini kami bermain bola di lapangan.
  = This afternoon we are playing ball at the field.

Both are natural. Indonesians often prefer Time – Subject – Verb – … in more careful or written style, but putting sore ini at the end, as in your sentence, is also completely normal.

Can I say ini sore instead of sore ini?

No. For this meaning (this afternoon), the natural order is:

• sore ini = this afternoon

The pattern is generally:

• pagi ini = this morning
• siang ini = this (mid)day / this noon
• sore ini = this afternoon
• malam ini = this evening / tonight

ini sore does not sound natural for time expressions.

Is there any difference in politeness or formality with kami in this sentence?

Kami itself is neutral in terms of politeness and formality; it just means we (not including you).

What affects formality more is:

• Your choice of you pronoun if you mention the listener elsewhere (e.g. Anda more formal, kamu / kalian more casual).
• Vocabulary choices overall.

So Kami bermain bola di lapangan sore ini. is:

• neutral, suitable for casual speech
• also fine in relatively formal contexts (e.g. reporting your team’s plan) as long as the rest of your language matches the formality level.

How would I say clearly We played ball at the field this afternoon (past) or We will play ball at the field this afternoon (future)?

To make tense more explicit, Indonesians often add time words or aspect markers:

Past (earlier today):

• Kami bermain bola di lapangan tadi sore.
  We played ball at the field this afternoon.
  
  • tadi marks earlier today.

Future:

• Kami akan bermain bola di lapangan sore ini.
  We will play ball at the field this afternoon.
  
  • akan marks future.

Your original sentence Kami bermain bola di lapangan sore ini. is most naturally understood as present/future from context, but without tadi or akan it is grammatically tense-neutral.