Indonesian · BIPA 1 (A1) · Chapter 16
Jam berapa?What time is it?
How to tell the time. Ask "Jam berapa sekarang?" and answer "Jam …" — Indonesian does NOT use "adalah" for time: just "Jam tujuh", not "Sekarang adalah jam tujuh". English speakers often add "adalah" (from "it is"). Minutes past use "lewat": jam tujuh lewat sepuluh (7:10). Half hour uses "setengah" (setengah delapan = 7:30, half toward the 8th hour). The part of day goes after the hour: jam tujuh pagi. New words: sekarang, jam, menit, setengah, pagi, siang, sore, malam, tepat, lewat.
Dialogue
i
Study this section in the Bookverse app
- Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
- Practice tasks with pass tracking
- A teacher on every study screen
- Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
- Audio playback for dialogues and words
- Speaking practice with feedback
- Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app
Sign up and start studying in the Bookverse app.
You will be asked to register first.
adalah jam tujuh? jam tujuh?
- BudiMike, jam berapa sekarang?Mike, what time is it now?
- MikeSekarang adalah jam tujuh.It's seven o'clock now. (slip: Indonesian time takes no "adalah" — say "Sekarang jam tujuh")
- BudiTanpa "adalah" — "Sekarang jam tujuh". "adalah" hanya untuk definisi.No "adalah" — "Sekarang jam tujuh". "adalah" is only for definitions.
- MikeOh, sekarang jam tujuh pagi. Sudah pagi!Oh, it's seven in the morning now. It's already morning!
Dialogue
i
Study this section in the Bookverse app
- Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
- Practice tasks with pass tracking
- A teacher on every study screen
- Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
- Audio playback for dialogues and words
- Speaking practice with feedback
- Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app
Sign up and start studying in the Bookverse app.
You will be asked to register first.
Pagi atau sore?— Morning or Afternoon?
- SariBudi, jam berapa sekarang?Budi, what time is it now?
- BudiJam setengah tiga sore.Half past two in the afternoon (2:30 p.m.).
- SariPagi atau sore?Morning or afternoon?
- BudiSore. Sekarang jam setengah tiga sore.Afternoon. It's now 2:30 in the afternoon.
Vocabulary
i
Study this section in the Bookverse app
- Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
- Practice tasks with pass tracking
- A teacher on every study screen
- Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
- Audio playback for dialogues and words
- Speaking practice with feedback
- Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app
Sign up and start studying in the Bookverse app.
You will be asked to register first.
- sekarang
nounnow
- jam
nounhour, o'clock; clock
- menit
nounminute
- setengah
nounhalf
- pagi
nounmorning
- siang
nounmidday, noon
- sore
nounafternoon
- malam
nounnight, evening
- tepat
adverbexact, sharp
- lewat
prepositionpast (after the hour)
Grammar
i
Study this section in the Bookverse app
- Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
- Practice tasks with pass tracking
- A teacher on every study screen
- Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
- Audio playback for dialogues and words
- Speaking practice with feedback
- Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app
Sign up and start studying in the Bookverse app.
You will be asked to register first.
Telling time (no "adalah")
Explanation
Ask the time: "Jam berapa sekarang?". Answer with just "Jam + number": Jam tiga, Jam sembilan. Indonesian does NOT use "adalah" for time — English speakers translate "it is" as "Sekarang adalah jam tujuh", but "Sekarang jam tujuh" is enough. "adalah" is only for definitions (Dia adalah guru = He is a teacher). Minutes past: "jam tujuh lewat sepuluh" (7:10). Half: "setengah delapan" = 7:30 (half toward the 8th hour — careful, this is BEFORE 8). Part of day after the hour: jam tujuh pagi, jam dua siang, jam lima sore, jam delapan malam. Tepat = sharp: jam tiga tepat.
Examples
- Jam berapa sekarang? — Jam tiga.What time is it now? — Three o'clock.
- Jam tujuh lewat sepuluh.Ten past seven (7:10).
- Sekarang setengah delapan (7:30).It's now half past seven (7:30).
- Kelas mulai jam sembilan pagi.The class starts at nine in the morning.
Want to actually learn this — with audio, spaced repetition and progress tracking?
Study in the app →