Sebelum rapat dimulai, kami harus mengambil keputusan.

Sebelum means before.

In this sentence, it introduces a time clause:

• Sebelum rapat dimulai = Before the meeting starts / before the meeting is begun

So the structure is:

• Sebelum + clause, main clause

Here:

• Sebelum rapat dimulai = time clause
• kami harus mengambil keputusan = main clause

You can also move the time clause to the end:

• Kami harus mengambil keputusan sebelum rapat dimulai.

Both are natural.

Dimulai is the passive form of memulai (to start something).

• memulai = to start something
• dimulai = to be started / to begin

So:

• rapat dimulai = the meeting is started / the meeting begins

In Indonesian, this passive form is very common when the doer is unknown, unimportant, or not mentioned.

By contrast, rapat mulai can also appear in casual speech, but rapat dimulai sounds more standard and complete in this kind of sentence.

The prefix di- usually marks the passive voice in Indonesian.

Compare:

• Mereka memulai rapat. = They start the meeting.
• Rapat dimulai. = The meeting is started / The meeting begins.

So in dimulai:

• root idea: mulai = begin/start
• passive form: dimulai = be started

This is one of the most common Indonesian patterns to learn.

In Indonesian, the passive often leaves out the agent when it is not important.

So:

• rapat dimulai literally means something like the meeting is started
• but in natural English, we usually translate it as the meeting starts or the meeting begins

If you want to mention the doer, Indonesian can do that, but it is often unnecessary.

This is a very important distinction in Indonesian:

• kami = we, but not including the listener
• kita = we, including the listener

So kami harus mengambil keputusan means:

• We have to make a decision, but you are not part of that we

If the speaker wants to include the person being spoken to, they would say:

• kita harus mengambil keputusan

English just says we, so Indonesian is more specific here.

Yes. Harus expresses obligation or necessity.

It can mean:

• must
• have to
• sometimes need to, depending on context

So:

• kami harus mengambil keputusan = we must / have to make a decision

It is a strong word. If you want something softer, Indonesian might use expressions like perlu (need to) in some contexts.

Yes, mengambil literally means to take.

But mengambil keputusan is a fixed expression meaning:

• to make a decision
• literally: to take a decision

This is similar to how some languages say take a decision instead of make a decision.

So don’t translate word by word too rigidly here. Treat mengambil keputusan as a common phrase.

Yes.

• mengambil keputusan = to make/take a decision
• memutuskan = to decide

So this sentence could also be expressed as:

• Sebelum rapat dimulai, kami harus memutuskan.

However, that version can sound a little less complete unless the context already makes clear what is being decided.

A closer equivalent with the same structure would be:

• Sebelum rapat dimulai, kami harus memutuskan sesuatu. = Before the meeting starts, we have to decide something.

Mengambil keputusan sounds very natural when talking about reaching a formal or important decision.

Both can relate to a meeting, but they are not always identical.

• rapat usually means a meeting, especially a formal, work, committee, or planning meeting
• pertemuan is broader and can mean meeting, gathering, or encounter

In this sentence, rapat is the best choice if the context is something like an office meeting, board meeting, or organized discussion.

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

• Sebelum rapat dimulai, kami harus mengambil keputusan.

It works like English:

• Before the meeting starts, we have to make a decision.

If the time clause comes second, the comma is usually omitted:

• Kami harus mengambil keputusan sebelum rapat dimulai.

Yes. Indonesian is flexible with this kind of time clause.

These two are both natural:

• Sebelum rapat dimulai, kami harus mengambil keputusan.
• Kami harus mengambil keputusan sebelum rapat dimulai.

The meaning stays basically the same.

The first version emphasizes the time frame first. The second version starts with the main action first.

Indonesian does not use articles like a, an, or the the way English does.

So:

• rapat can mean a meeting or the meeting
• keputusan can mean a decision or the decision

The exact meaning depends on context.

In this sentence, English often uses the meeting and a decision, but Indonesian does not need separate words for that.

Mengambil comes from the root ambil (take).

The prefix meng- is an active verb prefix. So:

• ambil = take
• mengambil = to take

This is a very common pattern in Indonesian:

• root word + meN- prefix = active verb

Some examples:

• baca → membaca = read
• lihat → melihat = see
• ambil → mengambil = take

So mengambil keputusan literally breaks down as take decision.

It sounds neutral to fairly formal and very natural.

Why?

• rapat often appears in work or organizational contexts
• dimulai is a standard passive form
• mengambil keputusan is a common formal/neutral phrase

So this sentence would fit well in:

• workplace Indonesian
• news or announcements
• formal conversation
• written Indonesian

In very casual speech, people might simplify some parts, but this version is perfectly standard.