Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Setiap semester, kami berdiskusi dengan dosen pembimbing tentang rencana skripsi. - Every semester, we discuss our thesis plans with the academic advisor.

Setiap semester = Every semester
- Very natural and common.
- Used like an adverb of frequency at the beginning of the sentence.
Pada setiap semester = In/On every semester
- Also correct, slightly more formal or heavier.
- The preposition pada is often optional with time expressions, especially in speech.

In this sentence, Setiap semester, kami… is the most natural and concise way to say it.

What is the nuance of kami here? Why not kita?

Indonesian distinguishes two kinds of “we”:

kami = we (but not you) → exclusive
kita = we (including you) → inclusive

In Setiap semester, kami berdiskusi…, kami suggests:

The speaker is talking about a group (for example, students in a program) that does this.
The listener is not automatically included in that group.

If the speaker wanted to explicitly include the listener (e.g., talking to classmates in the same group), they might say kita, but kami is appropriate if the listener is not part of that “we”.

What does the prefix ber- do in berdiskusi? Why not just diskusi?

The base word is diskusi (discussion). With the prefix ber-, it becomes a verb:

diskusi = a discussion (noun)
berdiskusi = to have a discussion / to discuss (verb)

The prefix ber- often:

Turns nouns/adjectives into intransitive verbs (no direct object).
Can carry the idea of “doing” or “being involved in” something.

So kami berdiskusi literally means we have a discussion or we discuss, which is why berdiskusi is used, not bare diskusi.

Could we say mendiskusikan instead of berdiskusi? What’s the difference?

Yes, you can, but the grammar changes slightly:

berdiskusi tentang X = to discuss about X
- berdiskusi is intransitive; you use a preposition (tentang) and a noun phrase.
- Example: Kami berdiskusi tentang rencana skripsi.
mendiskusikan X = to discuss X
- mendiskusikan is transitive; it takes a direct object (no tentang).
- Example: Kami mendiskusikan rencana skripsi.

So both are correct, but:

berdiskusi tentang rencana skripsi = slightly more neutral, emphasizes the activity of discussing.
mendiskusikan rencana skripsi = feels a bit more formal and focuses on the thing being discussed.

Is dengan necessary after berdiskusi? Can I say kami berdiskusi dosen pembimbing?

Dengan is necessary here.

Kami berdiskusi dengan dosen pembimbing = We discuss with the academic advisor.

You cannot drop dengan:

✗ kami berdiskusi dosen pembimbing is ungrammatical.
When you mention the person you are discussing with, you must use dengan (with):
- berdiskusi dengan teman
- berdebat dengan guru
- berbicara dengan orang tua

What exactly does dosen pembimbing mean? Is it just “lecturer”?

Dosen pembimbing is more specific than just “lecturer”:

dosen = university/college lecturer or professor.
pembimbing = supervisor, mentor, advisor (literally guide).

Together, dosen pembimbing usually refers to:

Your thesis supervisor / academic advisor (especially for a final project or thesis).
A specific lecturer assigned to guide your research or thesis.

So translating it as thesis supervisor or academic advisor is often more accurate than just lecturer.

What is skripsi, and how is it different from tesis?

Both refer to academic research papers, but at different levels (in Indonesian usage):

skripsi
- Usually the final undergraduate thesis (Bachelor’s level).
- Required to complete an S1 (Sarjana) degree.
tesis
- Usually the final thesis for a Master’s program (S2).

So rencana skripsi = plan for an undergraduate thesis (or bachelor’s thesis plan), not just any essay.

Why is the phrase tentang rencana skripsi at the end? Could we say tentang skripsi rencana?

The natural, correct order is:

tentang rencana skripsi = about the thesis plan

Structure:

tentang (preposition) + rencana (head noun: plan) + skripsi (noun modifying rencana).

In Indonesian:

Modifiers usually follow the head noun, so:
- rencana skripsi = thesis plan (literally plan [of] thesis).

✗ tentang skripsi rencana is wrong word order. That would sound like about thesis plan but scrambled, and is not grammatical.

How is tense expressed here? Why isn’t there a word like “will” or “do” as in English?

Indonesian does not mark tense (past/present/future) with verb changes the way English does. Instead, it relies on:

Time expressions: setiap semester (every semester), kemarin (yesterday), besok (tomorrow), etc.
Optional aspect markers: sudah (already), sedang (currently), akan (will), etc.

In Setiap semester, kami berdiskusi…:

The phrase setiap semester already tells us that this is a regular, repeated action.
berdiskusi stays the same; context covers the idea of “we (always / regularly) discuss”.

Can we move kami to the front, like Kami berdiskusi dengan dosen pembimbing setiap semester? Is there any difference?

Yes, that sentence is also correct:

Setiap semester, kami berdiskusi…
Kami berdiskusi dengan dosen pembimbing setiap semester.

Both mean the same thing. The difference is slight in emphasis:

Setiap semester, kami…
- Puts more focus at the start on the time/frequency (every semester).
Kami berdiskusi … setiap semester.
- Starts with the subject (“we”), adding setiap semester as extra information at the end.

In everyday speech and writing, both orders are natural.