setengah dua
The Indonesian phrase for "half past" is setengah dua when referring to half past one.
In Indonesian, instead of saying "half past [the current hour]", you indicate that you are halfway to the next hour.
Meaning: "half past one" as example of usage in other languages (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase setengah dua literally means "half [of] two".
How does it change in a sentence?
To express "half past" a specific hour, you use the word setengah followed by the next hour in the sequence.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly say setengah satu when they want to say "half past one". However, in Indonesian, setengah satu actually means "half past twelve" (halfway to one).
Did you know?
- The word setengah is actually a combination of the prefix se- and the word tengah, which means 'middle' or 'center'.
- The logic used in setengah dua extends to other times using the word kurang, which means 'less'. To say it is 10:55, an Indonesian speaker describes it as five minutes 'less' than eleven.
- While dua sounds similar to the English 'two' and the Sanskrit dvá, these similarities are purely coincidental. dua descends from the Proto-Austronesian root *duSa.
Examples in context
- Sudah jam setengah dua.It's already half past one.This sentence is useful for stating that it is already half past one using setengah dua.Tatoeba #13434581 by HAGNi, translation #13410203 by glossboss
- Sekarang pukul setengah dua belas.It's half past eleven.This sentence is useful for stating the current time is half past eleven using setengah dua.Tatoeba #13675175 by HAGNi, translation #13385223 by glossboss
- Tapi sekarang sudah hampir jam setengah dua belas.But it's almost half past eleven.This sentence is useful for saying it is almost half past eleven using setengah dua.Tatoeba #12488486 by Pacific, translation #39315 by AlanF_US
Example conversation
Maya and Adi are planning a meeting time.
- MayaKita bertemu jam berapa besok?What time shall we meet tomorrow?
- AdiBagaimana kalau jam setengah dua siang?How about half past one in the afternoon?
- MayaBoleh, saya akan datang jam setengah dua.That works, I will come at half past one.
- AdiOke, sampai jumpa besok, Maya.Okay, see you tomorrow, Maya.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “half past” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dua, setengah, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
