Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Di perpustakaan, kami berdebat sebentar tentang jadwal rapat. - At the library, we argue for a moment about the meeting schedule.

In Indonesian, you normally can’t drop the preposition for locations.
Saying just Perpustakaan, kami berdebat… sounds like a noun left hanging and is not natural as a complete clause. You need di to show it is a place where something happens.

Why is Di perpustakaan placed at the beginning with a comma? Can it go elsewhere?

Yes, the place phrase can move. All of these are grammatical:

Di perpustakaan, kami berdebat sebentar tentang jadwal rapat.
Kami berdebat sebentar tentang jadwal rapat di perpustakaan.

Putting Di perpustakaan first highlights the location (“As for at the library…”).
Putting it at the end is more neutral. The meaning is basically the same; it’s a matter of emphasis and style, similar to English “At the library, we…” vs “We … at the library.”

What is the difference between kami and kita, and why is kami used here?

Both mean “we / us”, but:

kami = we (excluding the person spoken to)
kita = we (including the person spoken to)

So kami berdebat… means “we argued (and you were not part of that group).”
If the speaker wanted to include the listener in the group that argued, they would say:

Di perpustakaan, kita berdebat sebentar tentang jadwal rapat.
→ “At the library, we (you and I) argued a bit about the meeting schedule.”

What exactly does berdebat mean? Is it always strong like “argue,” or can it be softer like “discuss”?

Berdebat comes from debat (debate) with the prefix ber-, and it means:

to debate,
to argue,
to have a (verbal) dispute, usually somewhat serious/intense but not necessarily hostile.

Comparisons:

berdebat – to debate/argue, can be formal (e.g. debate in class or parliament).
bertengkar – to quarrel, fight (more emotional, often negative).
berdiskusi / diskusi – to discuss (more neutral, less confrontational).

So kami berdebat sebentar suggests a short debate/argument; tone (friendly vs heated) depends on context.

What does sebentar add? Could I leave it out or move it?

Sebentar literally means “a short while / for a moment / briefly.”

Kami berdebat sebentar = “We argued briefly / for a bit.”

You can:

Leave it out: Kami berdebat tentang jadwal rapat.
→ Still correct, but no sense of short duration.
Emphasize with saja: Kami berdebat sebentar saja…
→ “We only argued for a little while…”

Normally sebentar goes after the verb:

✅ berdebat sebentar
❌ sebentar berdebat (odd in this sentence; would sound like “briefly, (we) argued” and is not the usual order here).

What does tentang mean here, and is it always necessary?

Tentang means “about / regarding / concerning.”

berdebat tentang jadwal rapat = “argue about the meeting schedule.”

Similar words:

mengenai – about/regarding (a bit more formal).
soal – about/regarding (more casual/colloquial).
perihal – about/regarding (formal, often written).

You usually need a preposition like tentang with berdebat when you mention the topic:

✅ berdebat tentang jadwal rapat
❌ berdebat jadwal rapat (sounds wrong with berdebat)

You could avoid tentang only by changing the verb:

memperdebatkan jadwal rapat = “to debate the meeting schedule (as an object).”
This is more formal and uses a different verb form.

How does jadwal rapat work grammatically? Why not rapat jadwal?

Jadwal rapat is a noun + noun phrase, where:

jadwal = schedule
rapat = meeting

In Indonesian noun phrases, the first noun is the main noun, and the following noun(s) describe it:

jadwal rapat = meeting schedule / schedule of the meeting
jadwal pelajaran = class schedule
ruang rapat = meeting room

So:

jadwal rapat → “schedule of the meeting”
rapat jadwal would be interpreted as “a meeting (about) schedules” or just sound odd; it’s not how you say “meeting schedule.”

Does this sentence mean past, present, or future? There’s no tense marking on berdebat.

Indonesian verbs do not change form for tense. Berdebat itself is tenseless; the time is inferred from context or time words.

Depending on context, the sentence could mean:

(Past): “At the library, we argued for a bit about the meeting schedule.”
(Present): Possible in a narrative: “At the library, we’re arguing briefly about the meeting schedule.”
(Future) (if you add a time word):
- Nanti di perpustakaan, kami berdebat sebentar…
  “Later at the library, we will argue a bit…”

To make it clearly past, you can add:

tadi (earlier today): Tadi di perpustakaan, kami berdebat sebentar…
kemarin (yesterday): Kemarin di perpustakaan, kami berdebat sebentar…

Could we drop kami like in some other Indonesian sentences?

Indonesian can omit subjects if they’re very clear from context, especially in casual speech. So in the right context:

Di perpustakaan, berdebat sebentar tentang jadwal rapat.

might be understood, but it feels incomplete or like a note/headline rather than a normal sentence.

For clear, standard sentences (especially for learners), it’s better to keep kami:

Di perpustakaan, kami berdebat sebentar tentang jadwal rapat.

What is the difference between rapat and other words for “meeting,” like pertemuan?

Common words:

rapat
- A formal or semi-formal meeting, often in an office/organization.
- e.g. staff meeting, committee meeting.
pertemuan
- Literally “a meeting” in a broader sense: any gathering or encounter (can be formal or informal).
meeting (English loan)
- Used in some offices, but more informal/mixed-language; not standard in formal Indonesian.

Jadwal rapat specifically suggests the schedule for official/organized meetings (like work, committee, or organizational meetings).

Is this sentence formal, informal, or neutral? In what situations could I use it?

The sentence is neutral standard Indonesian:

Vocabulary (perpustakaan, berdebat, sebentar, tentang, jadwal, rapat) is all standard.
It can be used in speech or writing, in both casual and semi-formal contexts.

You could say it:

To a friend: “Tadi di perpustakaan, kami berdebat sebentar tentang jadwal rapat.”
To a colleague or lecturer: same sentence is still appropriate.

To make it more casual, you might shorten sebentar to bentar in speech:

Di perpustakaan, kami berdebat bentar tentang jadwal rapat. (spoken, casual)

How do you pronounce perpustakaan, sebentar, jadwal, and rapat?

Approximate pronunciations (using English-like spelling):

perpustakaan: per-poos-ta-KA-an
- broken: per-pus-ta-ka-an (5 syllables)
sebentar: suh-bən-TAR
- stress usually toward the end: ben-TAR
jadwal: JAD-wal
- many speakers say something close to “jad-wal”
rapat: RA-pat
- final t is pronounced (often unreleased, but audible)

Stress in Indonesian is generally light and regular; it’s not as strong or contrastive as in English.