Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Dia sudah mengundang saya lewat pesan singkat tadi pagi. - He/She has already invited me via a short message this morning.

Sudah is an aspect marker meaning “already.” It tells us the invitation took place before now. In Indonesian, you use sudah with verbs to show an action is complete.

Why is the verb mengundang formed with meng- instead of diundang?

Mengundang is the active form (actor-focused) of the verb undang (invite). The prefix meng- marks an active, transitive verb where the subject (“he/she”) performs the action.
By contrast, diundang is the passive form, focusing on the person being invited (e.g., “I was invited”).

Why is there no preposition before saya after mengundang?

In Indonesian, mengundang is a direct (transitive) verb, so its object (saya) follows immediately without a preposition. English “invite someone” matches Indonesian mengundang seseorang directly.

What does lewat mean, and could I use melalui instead?

Lewat means “via” or “through” in the sense of a medium.
Yes, you can use melalui (more formal) instead of lewat.
Examples:
• lewat pesan singkat = via text message (casual)
• melalui pesan singkat = via text message (neutral/formal)

What is pesan singkat? Are there other ways to say this?

Pesan singkat literally means “short message,” commonly referring to an SMS or text. You might also hear:

SMS (borrowed acronym)
pesan teks (text message)

All three are understood in informal contexts.

Why is tadi pagi placed at the end of the sentence? Could its position change?

Indonesian allows flexible placement of time expressions. Tadi pagi means “earlier this morning.”
You can move it to the front for emphasis or natural flow:
• Tadi pagi dia sudah mengundang saya lewat pesan singkat.
Both versions are correct; the choice often depends on what you want to emphasize.

What is the difference between tadi pagi and kemarin pagi?

Tadi pagi = “this morning (earlier today).”
Kemarin pagi = “yesterday morning.”
Use tadi for events earlier today, kemarin for events on the previous day.

Why is saya used instead of aku or gue?

Saya is a formal/polite first-person pronoun.

aku is informal but still standard among friends or younger speakers.
gue is very informal/slang (Jakarta style).
Choosing saya here gives the sentence a neutral, polite tone.

What does dia refer to, and is gender specified?

Dia is a third-person singular pronoun meaning “he” or “she.” Indonesian does not mark gender in pronouns, so you rely on context (or additional words) to know if it’s a man or woman.