Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Ayo kirim paket ini sekarang supaya sampai besok. - Let’s send this package now so it arrives tomorrow.

ayo is an informal exhortation meaning “let’s” or “come on,” used to encourage someone (including yourself) to take action immediately. It’s very common in daily speech.

mari is more formal or literary, also meaning “let’s,” but you’ll hear it less often in casual conversation.
Example:
• Ayo pergi! (Come on, let’s go!)
• Mari kita mulai. (Let us begin.)

Why is the verb kirim used without the prefix meng-? Does that change the meaning?

In Indonesian imperatives, speakers often drop the meN- prefix and use the bare root form. Here kirim is the root of mengirim (“to send”). The prefix is implied by the command context, so it doesn’t change the meaning—kirim still means “send.”

Why is the demonstrative ini placed after the noun (paket ini) instead of before (ini paket)?

The standard word order for demonstratives in Indonesian is NOUN + ini/itu. So paket ini means “this package,” and paket itu means “that package.” Putting ini before works in very limited cases (e.g., titles or headlines), but for normal speech it follows the noun.

What does the conjunction supaya mean here? Could we use agar or biar instead?

supaya means “so that,” introducing a purpose clause. You can substitute:
• agar (neutral/formal)
• biar (colloquial/informal)
All three work:
• Ayo kirim paket ini sekarang supaya sampai besok.
• Ayo kirim paket ini sekarang agar sampai besok.
• Ayo kirim paket ini sekarang biar sampai besok.

How should we interpret sampai in supaya sampai besok? Is it “until” or “arrive”?

Here, sampai is the verb “to arrive.” So supaya sampai besok means “so that it arrives by tomorrow.” As a preposition, sampai besok can also mean “until tomorrow,” but when paired with something being sent, it means “arrive.”

Why is sekarang placed where it is in the sentence? Could we move it?

Time adverbs like sekarang usually go after the object or at the very beginning. In this sentence, it sits after paket ini:
• Ayo kirim paket ini sekarang supaya sampai besok.
You could also say:
• Sekarang, ayo kirim paket ini supaya sampai besok. (Emphasizes “now”)
Moving it closer to ayo (e.g., “Ayo sekarang kirim…”) is possible but slightly changes the rhythm/emphasis.

Can we add kita after ayo (i.e., “Ayo kita kirim paket ini…”)? Does that sound natural?

Yes. Ayo kita kirim paket ini sekarang supaya sampai besok is perfectly natural. Adding kita makes the “let’s” aspect explicit (“let us send…”), while leaving it out is a bit more direct (“send now…”). Both are common.

Why isn’t there an article like “the” before paket ini in Indonesian?

Indonesian does not use articles (a, an, the). Definite meaning is shown by demonstratives or context. Here, paket ini already means “this package,” so no article is needed or possible.