Kita akan bertemu di lobi sebelum mesyuarat bermula.

We will meet in the lobby before the meeting starts.

Breakdown of Kita akan bertemu di lobi sebelum mesyuarat bermula.

• kita: we
• di: in
• sebelum: before
• akan: will
• mesyuarat: the meeting
• bermula: to start
• lobi: the lobby
• bertemu: to meet

Questions & Answers about Kita akan bertemu di lobi sebelum mesyuarat bermula.

What does kita mean, and how is it different from kami?

kita means “we” including both the speaker and the listener(s).
kami also means “we,” but excludes the listener(s).
Example:

• Kita akan bertemu = We (you and I) will meet
• Kami akan bertemu = We (not you) will meet

What is the function of akan in this sentence?

akan is a future tense marker, equivalent to “will” in English. It clarifies that the action is going to happen. In Malay, you can sometimes drop akan and rely on context, but including it makes the future meaning explicit.

Why do we say bertemu instead of just temu?

Malay verbs often use affixes. temu is the root meaning “meet.”

• bertemu is the intransitive form “to meet” (the subject meets someone).
• menemui is a transitive form “to meet/find someone.”
  Here, the action is “we meet,” so bertemu is the correct intransitive verb.

What does di lobi translate to, and why is there no article?

di = “at” (locative preposition)
lobi = “lobby”
di lobi = “in/at the lobby.”
Malay does not use articles like “the” or “a,” so you simply say di lobi without adding an article.

Can we use jumpa instead of bertemu?

Yes. jumpa is a colloquial verb meaning “to meet” or “to see someone.”

• Formal: bertemu
• Informal/conversational: jumpa
  E.g. Kita akan jumpa di lobi sebelum mesyuarat bermula.

What does sebelum mean, and how is it used with a verb clause?

sebelum means “before.” It can introduce:

• A noun phrase: sebelum mesyuarat = before the meeting
• A full clause: sebelum mesyuarat bermula = before the meeting starts
  It functions like the conjunction “before” in English, linking time phrases or clauses.

Why is bermula used here, and what’s the difference with memulakan?

bermula is the intransitive verb “to begin/start by itself.”
memulakan is the transitive verb “to cause something to begin.”
Since the meeting itself starts, we use mesyuarat bermula (“the meeting begins”).
If you wanted to say “They start the meeting,” you’d say Mereka memulakan mesyuarat.

Can we omit akan and still convey the future tense?

Yes, you can say:

• Kita bertemu di lobi sebelum mesyuarat bermula.
  Context implies the future. However, adding akan makes the timing unambiguous, especially in formal or written contexts.

Can we start the sentence with Sebelum mesyuarat bermula?

Yes. Malay allows flexible word order for time clauses.

• Original: Kita akan bertemu di lobi sebelum mesyuarat bermula.
• Alternative: Sebelum mesyuarat bermula, kita akan bertemu di lobi.
  Both are correct and mean the same.

How would you turn this into a yes/no question in Malay?

You can add Adakah at the beginning:
Adakah kita akan bertemu di lobi sebelum mesyuarat bermula?
Alternatively, you can simply raise intonation in speech:
Kita akan bertemu di lobi sebelum mesyuarat bermula?