Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Di kelas debat, kami berdiskusi tentang pemilu dan belajar menghormati opini yang berbeda. - In debate class, we discuss elections and learn to respect differing opinions.

Di kelas debat = “in the debate class” or “in debate class”
You use di before a place: di rumah (at home), di kantor (at the office), di sekolah (at school).

So di is used because kelas debat is treated as a place where the action happens.

Is kelas debat a fixed phrase? Could you say it another way?

Kelas debat literally means “debate class”. It’s not a strict idiom; it’s just kelas (class) + debat (debate).

You could also say:

kelas debat bahasa Indonesia – Indonesian debate class
kelas perdebatan – technically possible, but sounds more abstract and less natural for a school subject
kelas diskusi debat – a class for debate discussions (slightly different nuance)

For an ordinary school subject, kelas debat is the most natural.

What does the prefix ber- in berdiskusi mean?

The prefix ber- often indicates:

doing an activity,
having or being in a state, or
doing something reciprocally (with each other).

Diskusi = discussion
ber-diskusi = to have a discussion, to discuss (usually with others)

So berdiskusi roughly means “to discuss / to have a discussion”, and it emphasizes an ongoing, mutual activity.

Is berdiskusi transitive? Can it take a direct object?

Berdiskusi is typically intransitive; it does not directly take an object.

You don’t say:
✗ berdiskusi pemilu

Instead you add a preposition:

berdiskusi tentang pemilu – discuss about the election(s)
berdiskusi mengenai topik itu – discuss regarding that topic

So the pattern is: berdiskusi + preposition (tentang/mengenai) + topic.

What is the difference between tentang and mengenai in berdiskusi tentang pemilu?

Both can mean “about / regarding”, but:

tentang – very common, neutral, can be used in most situations.
mengenai – a bit more formal or written; feels slightly more “official”.

So you could say:

berdiskusi tentang pemilu – very natural in speech and writing
berdiskusi mengenai pemilu – also correct, slightly more formal

In this sentence, tentang is perfectly appropriate.

What exactly is pemilu? Is it singular or plural?

Pemilu is a short form of pemilihan umum, meaning “general election(s)”.

It can refer to a specific election:
pemilu tahun ini – this year’s election
Or elections in general:
sistem pemilu di Indonesia – the electoral system in Indonesia

Indonesian doesn’t mark singular/plural like English, so pemilu can be translated as “election” or “elections” depending on context.

Why is it belajar menghormati, not belajar untuk menghormati?

Both are possible, but the most natural pattern is:

belajar + bare verb

So:

belajar menghormati opini yang berbeda – learn to respect different opinions

You can say belajar untuk menghormati, and it’s grammatically correct, but untuk is often dropped when the second verb is directly linked as the thing you are learning to do. The version without untuk feels smoother and more natural in everyday language.

What does menghormati mean, and how is it formed?

Menghormati means “to respect / to honor”.

It comes from the root hormat (respect, honor) plus the prefix meng- and suffix -i, which often form an active transitive verb (takes an object):

menghormati orang tua – to respect one’s parents
menghormati aturan – to respect the rules
menghormati opini yang berbeda – to respect different opinions

So here, opini yang berbeda is the object of menghormati.

What is the difference between opini and pendapat?

Both can mean “opinion”, but there are slight differences:

opini – from English opinion; common in media, formal or semi-formal contexts.
pendapat – native Indonesian word; very common in everyday speech and writing.

In this sentence, you could say either:

menghormati opini yang berbeda
menghormati pendapat yang berbeda

Both are correct and natural. Pendapat might sound a bit more neutral and everyday.

What does yang do in opini yang berbeda?

Yang introduces a clause that describes or specifies a noun, similar to “that / which / who” in English.

opini yang berbeda
= “opinions that are different” / “different opinions”

Structure:

opini – noun
yang – linker/relativizer
berbeda – “to be different”

So yang berbeda is a descriptive clause modifying opini.

Why is it berbeda and not berbedaan in opini yang berbeda?

berbeda = “to be different” (adjectival/verb-like)
berbedaan = “difference” (a noun)

In opini yang berbeda, you want to say “opinions that are different”, so you need the describing form:

opini yang berbeda – opinions that are different
not ✗ opini yang berbedaan

Berbedaan would be used like:

perbedaan opini – difference of opinion

Why is kami only written once? Does it apply to both berdiskusi and belajar?

Yes. In Indonesian, one subject can be shared by multiple verbs connected by dan:

kami berdiskusi … dan belajar …
= we discussed … and learned …

You don’t need to repeat kami before belajar. It’s understood that kami is the subject of both verbs.

What is the difference between kami and kita? Could you use kita here?

Both mean “we / us”, but:

kami = we (excluding the listener)
kita = we (including the listener)

In the given sentence, kami implies the speaker is talking about their group only, not including the person they’re talking to.

If the listener was also part of that debate class, kita would be more natural:

Di kelas debat, kita berdiskusi tentang pemilu dan belajar menghormati opini yang berbeda.

Otherwise, kami is correct.