Pada akhir acara, kami mengucapkan terima kasih kepada semua tamu.

Pada akhir acara means at the end of the event.

The preposition pada is often used with:

• points in time
• formal expressions
• abstract “locations” like parts of an event or text

In everyday Indonesian, many speakers would also say di akhir acara. Both are natural, but pada akhir acara sounds a bit more formal or polished.

In Indonesian, noun phrases often work as head noun + modifier.

So:

• akhir acara = the end of the event
• literally, something like end event

The main noun is akhir (end), and acara (event) tells you which end.

This is very common in Indonesian:

• nama sekolah = the name of the school
• pintu rumah = the door of the house
• akhir acara = the end of the event

You can say akhir dari acara, but it is less compact and usually less natural here.

This is a very important distinction in Indonesian.

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

So kami mengucapkan terima kasih means the speaker is speaking on behalf of a group that does not include the person being addressed.

That makes sense in contexts like:

• event organizers speaking to guests
• a host speaking to an audience
• a team making an announcement

If the listener were included in we, then kita would be used instead.

The base is ucap, which is related to to say / utter.

Mengucapkan is built from:

• ucap = say, utter
• meng- = active verb prefix
• -kan = suffix often used to make the verb transitive or to show something is being expressed/directed outward

So mengucapkan means something like:

• to say
• to utter
• to express

In this sentence, mengucapkan terima kasih is a very common expression meaning to express thanks.

Yes, you could.

Both are natural, but they are a little different in tone:

• mengucapkan terima kasih = to express / say thanks
• berterima kasih = to be thankful / to thank

In formal speeches or announcements, mengucapkan terima kasih is very common because it sounds polished and ceremonial.

For example:

• Kami mengucapkan terima kasih kepada semua tamu.
• Kami berterima kasih kepada semua tamu.

Both work, but the first one often sounds slightly more formal.

Usually, no. It is best to learn terima kasih as a fixed expression meaning thank you / thanks.

Historically, the words are:

• terima = receive
• kasih = love, kindness, affection

But in modern use, terima kasih functions as one set phrase. Native speakers do not normally think through the literal parts when using it.

So for learners, the safest approach is:

• memorize terima kasih as thanks
• memorize mengucapkan terima kasih as to express thanks

Kepada is commonly used before a person or group that receives an action, especially in more formal Indonesian.

Here, the guests are the recipients of the thanks:

• kepada semua tamu = to all the guests

This is very natural after expressions like:

• mengucapkan terima kasih kepada...
• memberikan penghargaan kepada...
• menyampaikan salam kepada...

English speakers sometimes want to use untuk, but untuk usually means for, not to in this kind of structure.

So here, kepada is the better choice.

Because semua usually comes before the noun when it means all:

• semua tamu = all the guests
• semua siswa = all the students
• semua buku = all the books

If you put semua after the noun, the meaning or tone can change, and it is often more colloquial or used differently.

So in standard neutral Indonesian, semua tamu is the expected form here.

Also notice that Indonesian does not use articles like the or a, so semua tamu can naturally mean all the guests.

Yes. Indonesian word order is fairly flexible.

This sentence:

• Pada akhir acara, kami mengucapkan terima kasih kepada semua tamu.

could also be:

• Kami mengucapkan terima kasih kepada semua tamu pada akhir acara.

Both are grammatical.

Putting pada akhir acara at the beginning does two things:

• sets the scene immediately
• sounds natural in formal narration or speech

So the original version is especially good for announcements, speeches, and written descriptions of events.

Yes, it sounds fairly formal and well-suited to:

• speeches
• event hosting
• written reports
• official announcements

Several things make it sound formal:

• pada instead of the more everyday di
• mengucapkan terima kasih instead of a shorter casual expression
• kepada before the recipient

A more casual version might be something like:

• Di akhir acara, kami bilang terima kasih kepada semua tamu.

But the original sentence is more elegant and more natural for formal situations.

Sometimes yes, because Indonesian often omits subjects when they are clear from context.

For example, in conversation, someone might simply say:

• Pada akhir acara, mengucapkan terima kasih kepada semua tamu.

However, that sounds incomplete or less standard in careful writing.

In formal, complete sentences, especially in speeches or written text, it is better to keep kami:

• Pada akhir acara, kami mengucapkan terima kasih kepada semua tamu.

That makes the sentence clear, complete, and natural.