Mastering the language of time and dates is key for making plans and discussing daily schedules. Here’s the essential vocabulary to talk about time in Indonesian:
Contents
- Jam – Hour
- Menit – Minute
- Detik – Second
- Pagi – Morning
- Siang – Afternoon
- Sore – Evening
- Malam – Night
- Hari – Day
- Minggu – Week
- Bulan – Month
- Tahun – Year
- Hari ini – Today
- Besok – Tomorrow
- Kemarin – Yesterday
- Sekarang – Now
- Kurang – To (for telling time)
- Lewat – Past (for telling time)
- Tepat atau Pas – O’clock
Talking About Days
- Hari ini hari Senin. (Today is Monday.)
- Besok hari Selasa. (Tomorrow is Tuesday.)
- Kemarin hari Minggu. (Yesterday was Sunday.)
Discussing Weeks, Months, and Years
- Dia pergi berlibur ke luar negeri minggu lalu. (He went on vacation overseas last week.)
- Mereka sangat sibuk bulan ini. (They’re extremely busy this month.)
- Tahun depan saya akan lulus. (I will graduate next year.)
Telling Time in Indonesian
To tell time in Indonesian, you need to understand how to use these terms in sentences.
Full Hours
- Jam tiga tepat. (It’s three o’clock.)
- Pukul enam tepat. (It’s six o’clock.)
Minutes Past the Hour
- Jam dua lewat sepuluh menit. (It’s ten minutes past two.)
- Pukul lima lewat dua puluh menit. (It’s twenty minutes past five.)
Minutes to the Hour
- Jam enam kurang lima menit. (It’s five minutes to six.)
- Pukul delapan kurang sepuluh menit. (It’s ten minutes to eight.)
Half Past the Hour
- Jam setengah tujuh. (It’s half past six.)
- Pukul setengah lima. (It’s half past four.)
Quarter Past the Hour
- Jam tiga lewat seperempat. (It’s a quarter past three.)
- Pukul sembilan lewat seperempat. (It’s a quarter past nine.)
Quarter to the Hour
- Jam lima kurang seperempat. (It’s a quarter to five.)
- Pukul sepuluh kurang seperempat. (It’s a quarter to ten.)
Example Scenarios for Time
Asking for the Time
- Jam berapa sekarang? (What time is it now?)
- Jam berapa kamu berangkat kerja besok? (What time do you go to work tomorrow?)
Talking about Daily Activities
- Saya bangun jam enam pagi. (I wake up at six in the morning.)
- Dia berangkat kerja jam delapan lewat sepuluh menit. (He leaves for work at ten past eight.)
- Kita makan siang jam dua belas tepat. (We have lunch at twelve o’clock.)
- Mereka pulang sekolah jam tiga lewat lima belas menit. (They come home from school at a quarter past three.)
- Kami menonton TV jam delapan malam. (We watch TV at eight o’clock at night.)
Talking About Time in Plans
- Bisa bertemu jam empat sore? (Can we meet at four in the evening?)
- Saya akan datang jam lima kurang sepuluh menit. (I will arrive at ten to five.)
- Acara dimulai jam setengah tujuh malam. (The event starts at half past six in the evening.)
Talking About Time Duration
- Perjalanannya memakan waktu dua jam. (The trip takes two hours.)
- Saya belajar bahasa Indonesia setiap hari selama tiga puluh menit. (I study Indonesian every day for thirty minutes.)
- Film itu berlangsung selama dua jam setengah. (The movie lasts for two and a half hours.)
What to Read Next
- Basic Bahasa Indonesia Words: Common Objects
- Basic Bahasa Indonesia Words: Daily Routines
- Basic Bahasa Indonesia Words: Health and Medical Emergency
- Basic Bahasa Indonesia Words: Hobbies
- Basic Bahasa Indonesia Words: Markets and Bargains
- How to Order Food in Bahasa Indonesia
- Word Order in Bahasa Indonesia