Kalau busnya mogok, keterlambatan itu bisa dimaklumi.

Kalau means if in this sentence.

So Kalau busnya mogok, ... = If the bus breaks down / if the bus is out of order, ...

A few notes:

• kalau is very common in everyday Indonesian.
• A slightly more formal alternative is jika.
• In conversation, kalau can also mean when in some contexts, but here it clearly means if.

The ending -nya here makes busnya sound like the bus, that bus, or the bus in question.

So:

• bus = a bus
• busnya = the bus / that bus / the bus we’re talking about

In this sentence, it does not necessarily mean his/her bus. Although -nya can mean his/her, very often it simply points to something already known from context.

For a vehicle, mogok means to break down, to stop working, or to stall.

So busnya mogok means:

• the bus broke down
• the bus is out of order
• the bus stopped working

Be aware that mogok can also mean to go on strike for people/workers, but with bus as the subject, learners will normally understand it as the bus broke down.

Keterlambatan is a noun meaning delay or lateness.

It comes from terlambat = late.

The pattern is:

• terlambat = late
• keterlambatan = lateness / delay

This ke- -an pattern often turns an adjective or state into an abstract noun.

Examples:

• terlambat = late → keterlambatan = lateness, delay
• kurang = lacking → kekurangan = shortage, deficiency

So here, keterlambatan itu means that delay or the lateness.

Itu here works like that or sometimes the in natural English translation.

So:

• keterlambatan itu = that delay
• or more naturally in English, just the delay

In Indonesian, itu often comes after the noun:

• buku itu = that book
• rumah itu = that house
• keterlambatan itu = that delay

In this sentence, it points to the specific delay caused by the bus problem.

Bisa dimaklumi means can be understood, is understandable, or can be excused depending on context.

Breakdown:

• bisa = can, able to
• dimaklumi = be understood / be regarded with understanding / be excused

So the whole phrase means that the delay is something people can reasonably understand and not blame too harshly.

Dimaklumi comes from maklum.

In modern Indonesian usage:

• maklum relates to understanding something, being aware of it, or accepting it as understandable.
• memaklumi = to understand, to excuse, to regard with sympathy/understanding
• dimaklumi = to be understood / to be excused

So keterlambatan itu bisa dimaklumi literally means something like: that delay can be understood/accepted

This is more than just mentally understanding the reason; it also carries a sense of tolerating or excusing it.

It is passive because the sentence focuses on the delay, not on the people who understand it.

• Orang-orang bisa memaklumi keterlambatan itu. = People can understand/excuse the delay.

• Keterlambatan itu bisa dimaklumi. = The delay can be understood/excused.

Indonesian uses passive very naturally, often more often than English does in similar situations.

Here bisa is closer to can in the sense of it is possible / acceptable to say that.

So:

• not really physical ability
• more like the delay is understandable
• or the delay may reasonably be excused

A very natural English translation would often avoid can and simply say:

• the delay is understandable
• the delay can be excused

It sounds neutral to somewhat formal.

Why:

• kalau is everyday and neutral.
• busnya mogok is very normal spoken/written Indonesian.
• keterlambatan and especially dimaklumi sound a bit more formal or polished than very casual speech.

In casual conversation, someone might say something like:

• Kalau busnya mogok, telatnya masih bisa dimengerti.

That means roughly the same thing, but sounds a bit more conversational.

Yes, you could.

• Kalau bus mogok, ... = If a bus/the bus breaks down, ...
• Kalau busnya mogok, ... = If the bus / that bus / the bus in question breaks down, ...

Using -nya makes it sound more specific and context-based. Without -nya, it can sound a little more general.

Yes.

• Keterlambatan itu bisa dimaklumi = That delay / the delay can be understood.
• Keterlambatan bisa dimaklumi = Delay/lateness can be understood, or the delay can be understood depending on context.

Including itu makes it more definite and points to a specific delay. Without it, the sentence is a bit more general or abstract.

Not exactly.

• dimaklumi = understood, excused, tolerated with understanding
• dimaafkan = forgiven

If a bus breaks down, dimaklumi is the better word because the delay has a reasonable cause. It suggests: people understand why it happened

Dimaafkan would sound more like: you did something wrong, but you are forgiven

So in this context, dimaklumi is more natural than dimaafkan.

Yes.

You can also say:

Keterlambatan itu bisa dimaklumi kalau busnya mogok.

This means the same thing:
The delay can be understood if the bus breaks down.

Putting the kalau clause first is very common, especially when setting up the condition before the main point.

The comma is helpful but not absolutely essential in informal writing.

With the comma:

• Kalau busnya mogok, keterlambatan itu bisa dimaklumi.

It clearly separates:

1. the condition: Kalau busnya mogok
2. the result/comment: keterlambatan itu bisa dimaklumi

In careful writing, the comma is a good choice. In casual texting, people may leave it out.

A few natural translations are:

• If the bus breaks down, the delay is understandable.
• If the bus breaks down, the delay can be excused.
• If the bus has broken down, the lateness is understandable.

The best choice depends on context, but the delay is understandable is often the most natural everyday English rendering.