Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Sesi perkenalan di klub pemrograman berlangsung kira-kira dua puluh menit. - The introduction session at the programming club lasts about twenty minutes.

Sesi perkenalan di klub pemrograman berlangsung kira-kira dua puluh menit.

The introduction session at the programming club lasts about twenty minutes.

Breakdown of Sesi perkenalan di klub pemrograman berlangsung kira-kira dua puluh menit.

the introduction session

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Questions & Answers about Sesi perkenalan di klub pemrograman berlangsung kira-kira dua puluh menit.

In sesi perkenalan, which word is the main noun, and what does perkenalan literally mean?

The main noun is sesi (session). The word perkenalan is a noun formed from:

kenal = to know / to be acquainted
per- … -an = a common prefix–suffix pair that makes an abstract noun or “event” noun

So perkenalan literally means an introduction or the act/process of getting acquainted.
sesi perkenalan = introduction session (a session whose purpose is introductions).

In klub pemrograman, which word is the head, and how does this noun phrase work?

The head noun is klub (club). In Indonesian, the pattern [head] + [modifier] is normal:

klub pemrograman = programming club
- klub = club
- pemrograman = programming (the activity/field of programming)

So pemrograman describes what kind of club it is. It’s very similar to English music club, chess club, etc., just with the modifier after the noun.

What does pemrograman mean, and how is it formed?

Pemrograman means programming (as an activity/field).

It comes from:

program = program
me-
- program → memprogram = to program (verb)
pe- … -an on the verb gives pemrograman = the activity/field of programming

So klub pemrograman is literally club (of) programming.

What exactly does berlangsung mean here, and why not use adalah or terjadi?

Berlangsung means to take place / to go on / to last (for some time).

Acara itu berlangsung dua jam. = That event lasted two hours.

In the sentence, berlangsung kira-kira dua puluh menit means lasted about twenty minutes.

Why not other verbs?

adalah is like is/are for definitions or equations:
- Dia adalah guru. = He/She is a teacher.
  It does not express duration.
terjadi means to happen / to occur, usually for events or incidents:
- Kecelakaan itu terjadi kemarin. = The accident happened yesterday.
  It doesn’t naturally express “lasted X minutes.”

For duration of an event, berlangsung (or sometimes memakan waktu) is the normal choice.

Could I say memakan waktu kira-kira dua puluh menit instead of berlangsung kira-kira dua puluh menit? Is there a difference?

Yes, you can:

Sesi perkenalan di klub pemrograman memakan waktu kira-kira dua puluh menit.

Memakan waktu literally = to consume time, and means to take (a certain amount of) time.
Nuance:

berlangsung focuses on the event itself continuing over that time.
memakan waktu focuses on how much time it takes up.

Both are natural here; berlangsung is a bit more neutral/formal.

What does kira-kira mean, and are there synonyms? Where can it go in the sentence?

Kira-kira means about / approximately / roughly (for numbers, amounts, times).

Common near-synonyms:

sekitar = around / approximately
kurang lebih = more or less
hampir = almost (slightly different: not “approx.” but “nearly”)

In the sentence, it modifies dua puluh menit:

… berlangsung kira-kira dua puluh menit.

You can also put it before the whole time phrase or at the start:

… berlangsung sekitar dua puluh menit.
… berlangsung kurang lebih dua puluh menit.
Kira-kira dua puluh menit sesi perkenalan itu berlangsung. (more marked/emphatic word order)

Most natural in everyday speech is exactly where you see it: right before dua puluh menit.

Is there any difference between kira-kira and sekitar in this context?

In this sentence, kira-kira and sekitar are practically interchangeable:

… berlangsung kira-kira dua puluh menit.
… berlangsung sekitar dua puluh menit.

Small nuance (often ignored in everyday use):

kira-kira comes from kira (to estimate), so it slightly emphasizes estimation/guessing.
sekitar originally means around / surrounding, so in numbers it’s around (this value).

But for duration and quantities in normal speech, they feel the same to most speakers.

Why is it dua puluh menit and not something like dua puluh menits? How does plural work here?

Indonesian does not add -s for plural nouns. The noun form usually stays the same:

satu menit = one minute
dua puluh menit = twenty minutes
banyak menit = many minutes

Plural is understood from context, numbers, or words like banyak, beberapa, para, etc.

You may see menit-menit (reduplication) in special contexts to emphasize various minutes / minute after minute, but not for simple counting like twenty minutes.

Why is there no word for the or a in Sesi perkenalan di klub pemrograman? How do I know if it is the or a session?

Indonesian normally has no separate words for a/an or the. The same phrase can mean:

Sesi perkenalan di klub pemrograman
= the introduction session at the programming club
or
= an introduction session at a programming club

The definiteness is inferred from context. If you want to be more explicit, you can add:

sebuah sesi perkenalan = an introduction session (indefinite)
sesi perkenalan di klub pemrograman itu = the introduction session at that programming club (definite, using itu).

Why is di used before klub pemrograman? Could we use pada or di dalam instead?

Di is the normal preposition for in/at/on (location):

di rumah = at home
di sekolah = at school
di klub pemrograman = at the programming club

Alternatives:

pada is more formal/abstract and is rarely used for simple physical location with a place noun like klub.
- pada appears more with time, abstract objects, or in formal writing.
di dalam klub pemrograman literally = inside the programming club, emphasizing inside (physically). This would sound more like a physical space (e.g., inside a building), and is not needed here unless you want that nuance.

So di klub pemrograman is the most natural choice.

Could I leave out sesi and just say Perkenalan di klub pemrograman berlangsung kira-kira dua puluh menit?

Yes, that’s possible and still correct:

Perkenalan di klub pemrograman berlangsung kira-kira dua puluh menit.

Nuance:

With sesi perkenalan, you highlight that it is a session (one specific event on a schedule).
With just perkenalan, you talk more generally about the introduction as an activity or moment.

Both are natural; in a context like a schedule or program, sesi perkenalan fits very well.

How formal or informal is this whole sentence? Would it sound natural in conversation?

The sentence is neutral to slightly formal, and it sounds natural in:

school/college contexts
written reports
announcements
narrating an event in a clear, neutral style

In more casual speech, someone might say, for example:

Tadi sesi perkenalan di klub pemrograman sekitar dua puluh menit aja.
(adding tadi, aja for a more colloquial feel)

But as written, it’s perfectly normal and good Indonesian for general use.