Walaupun mereka pernah bertengkar, mereka tetap saling menghargai.

Walaupun means although, even though, or though.

In this sentence, it introduces a contrast:

• Walaupun mereka pernah bertengkar = Although they once fought / argued
• mereka tetap saling menghargai = they still respect each other

So walaupun works like a conjunction that sets up a situation that might seem surprising compared with the main result.

You may also see meskipun, which is very similar in meaning.

Indonesian often repeats the subject for clarity, especially when a subordinate clause comes first.

So:

• Walaupun mereka pernah bertengkar, mereka tetap saling menghargai.

literally feels like:

• Although they once argued, they still respect each other.

The second mereka helps clearly mark the start of the main clause. In casual speech or writing, it is sometimes omitted if the meaning is already obvious:

• Walaupun mereka pernah bertengkar, tetap saling menghargai.

But the version with mereka repeated is very natural and clear.

Pernah means ever, once, or has/have at some time.

Here, pernah bertengkar means:

• have argued before
• once argued
• had a quarrel at some point

It shows that the event happened at least once in the past.

Compare:

• Mereka bertengkar = They are arguing / They argued
  (depends on context)
• Mereka pernah bertengkar = They have argued before / They once argued

So pernah adds the idea of past experience.

Both can be translated as to fight, but they are not exactly the same.

• bertengkar usually means to argue, to quarrel, or to have a dispute
• berkelahi usually means to fight physically

So in this sentence, bertengkar most likely suggests a verbal conflict, not necessarily physical violence.

That is why the sentence can naturally continue with they still respect each other.

The prefix ber- often forms intransitive verbs in Indonesian. In many cases, it gives the sense of doing an action, being engaged in something, or having some activity.

So:

• tengkar relates to quarrel / dispute
• bertengkar = to quarrel / to argue

You do not need to translate ber- separately every time. It is better to learn bertengkar as a whole verb.

Other examples:

• berjalan = to walk
• berbicara = to speak
• bermain = to play

Tetap means still, remain, or continue to.

In this sentence:

• mereka tetap saling menghargai = they still respect each other

It emphasizes that the respect continues despite the argument.

Compare:

• Mereka saling menghargai = They respect each other
• Mereka tetap saling menghargai = They still respect each other / They continue to respect each other

So tetap highlights persistence.

Saling means each other or mutually.

It shows that the action goes in both directions between two or more people.

So:

• saling menghargai = respect each other
• literally: mutually respect

More examples:

• saling membantu = help each other
• saling mencintai = love each other
• saling mengenal = know each other

This is a very common way Indonesian expresses reciprocal actions.

Without saling, menghargai just means to respect someone.

For example:

• Saya menghargai guru saya. = I respect my teacher.

But in your sentence, the meaning is reciprocal: both sides respect one another. That is why saling is used:

• mereka saling menghargai = they respect each other

If you remove saling, the sentence becomes less specific and may sound like they respect someone else, depending on context.

Menghargai means to value, to appreciate, or to respect, depending on context.

In this sentence, respect is the best translation.

It comes from the root harga, which often relates to value or price, but menghargai is not about price here. It means giving someone or something proper value in a social or emotional sense.

Examples:

• Saya menghargai pendapatmu. = I appreciate your opinion.
• Kita harus menghargai orang lain. = We must respect others.

So in your sentence, the idea is that even after conflict, they still value and respect one another.

The comma is very natural and helpful here because the sentence begins with a subordinate clause:

• Walaupun mereka pernah bertengkar, ...

Then the main clause follows:

• ... mereka tetap saling menghargai.

The comma helps separate these two parts, just like in English:

• Although they once argued, they still respect each other.

In informal writing, people sometimes omit commas, but using the comma here is standard and clear.

Yes. Indonesian allows this quite naturally.

You can say:

• Walaupun mereka pernah bertengkar, mereka tetap saling menghargai.
• Mereka tetap saling menghargai walaupun mereka pernah bertengkar.

Both mean essentially the same thing:

• They still respect each other although they once argued.

The first version puts more emphasis on the contrast right from the start. The second starts with the main point.

Yes. In most situations, walaupun and meskipun are interchangeable.

So you could say:

• Walaupun mereka pernah bertengkar, mereka tetap saling menghargai.
• Meskipun mereka pernah bertengkar, mereka tetap saling menghargai.

Both are natural and mean Although they once argued, they still respect each other.

There can be slight differences in tone depending on speaker preference, but for most learners, they can be treated as near-equivalents.

Because of pernah, it suggests a past experience at least once, not necessarily one specific, clearly dated event.

So the idea is:

• at some point in the past, they had a quarrel
• despite that, their mutual respect remains

It sounds more like a general statement about their relationship than a detailed narration of one exact incident.

If you wanted a more specific event, Indonesian might use more context or a time phrase, such as:

• Kemarin mereka bertengkar = Yesterday they argued

But pernah keeps it general: they have argued before.

Not necessarily. Mereka means they, so it can refer to two people or more, depending on context.

Because the sentence uses saling, it works best when there is a mutual relationship among the people involved. That could be:

• two people respecting each other
• several people respecting one another

So the sentence does not tell us the exact number by itself. Context would decide that.

It is very natural. It sounds like standard, correct Indonesian.

Why it sounds natural:

• walaupun clearly introduces contrast
• pernah bertengkar is a common way to say have argued before
• tetap correctly expresses still
• saling menghargai is a very natural expression for respect each other

So this is a good model sentence for learners.