Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Dia membayar tiket kereta di stasiun. - He/She pays for the train ticket at the station.

In Indonesian, membayar is the active transitive form created by adding the prefix mem- to the root bayar. The prefix mem- indicates the action is performed on an object (you pay something). Without the prefix, bayar can still be used in casual speech, but membayar is the standard, fully inflected verb form.

What does the prefix mem- do?

The prefix mem- (which assimilates to men-, meng- etc. depending on the initial sound of the root) turns a root word into a transitive verb. It signals that the verb takes a direct object—here, membayar requires something to be paid.

Why is there no article like “a” or “the” before tiket kereta?

Indonesian does not use articles such as a or the. Nouns stand alone, and context (or additional words) tells you whether they’re definite or indefinite. Tiket kereta can mean “a train ticket” or “the train ticket,” depending on the situation.

How do you express plural if you want to say “train tickets”?

You can use full reduplication: tiket-tiket kereta means “train tickets.” However, speakers often rely on context, so tiket kereta alone might still refer to multiple tickets.