Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya sudah punya izin dari Ibu. - I already have permission from Mother.

Mother/Mom (talking about your own mother).
Ma’am/Mrs. (a respectful title for an older woman, teacher, or female boss). Context decides which. If you mean a specific woman by name, you can say Ibu Sari. If you are speaking about your mother, you can also say ibu saya to be explicit.

How do I make it unambiguously “from my mother”?

Say dari ibu saya (lowercase ibu because it’s a common noun with a possessive). Examples:

Saya sudah punya izin dari ibu saya.
Or more informal: Saya sudah punya izin dari mama/mamaku.

Why is sudah used? Does it mean past tense?

Sudah marks aspect (“already”), not tense. It says the state is achieved/completed. Alternatives:

More formal: telah
Colloquial: udah Negative/”not yet”: belum (e.g., Saya belum punya izin).

Where should sudah go in the sentence?

Place sudah before the verb/adjective:

Natural: Saya sudah punya izin…
Unnatural: Saya punya sudah izin… It can also modify the whole clause: Sudah punya izin dari Ibu. (subject omitted, still fine in context).

Is punya the best verb here? Could I use memiliki or mempunyai?

All are possible, but register differs:

punya = everyday, neutral.
mempunyai / memiliki = more formal/written. So Saya sudah punya/memiliki/mempunyai izin… are all grammatical; punya is most natural in conversation.

I often hear “dapat/mendapat izin.” Is that better than “punya izin”?

Very common and often more idiomatic when you mean “obtained permission”:

Saya sudah dapat/mendapat izin dari Ibu.
Passive: Saya sudah diizinkan (oleh) Ibu. Use punya izin when emphasizing the current state of having permission; use dapat/mendapat to emphasize the act of getting it.

Can I drop dari and say “izin Ibu” instead?

Sometimes, yes:

With verbs like dapat/mendapat, izin Ibu is common: Saya sudah dapat izin Ibu.
With punya, speakers more often say punya izin dari Ibu; punya izin Ibu sounds less natural to many ears.

Why dari and not kepada or oleh?

dari = from (source): izin dari Ibu.
kepada = to (recipient): minta izin kepada Ibu (“ask permission from/to” her).
oleh = by (agent in passive): diizinkan oleh Ibu. So choose the preposition that matches the role.

Is izin the same as a license/permit?

Yes, izin can mean “permission” or an official “permit/license,” depending on context. With Ibu, it’s clearly “permission.” For official documents, you’ll see compounds like izin kerja (work permit) or izin tinggal (residence permit). You can mark specificity with -nya: izinnya (“the permit”).

Is izin countable? Do I need an article like “a”?

Indonesian has no articles. Izin behaves like a mass noun here; saying sebuah izin is usually odd. If you mean a specific letter/document, say surat izin (permission letter) or specify the type (e.g., izin keluar).

Can I leave out the subject Saya?

Yes, if context is clear:

Sudah punya izin dari Ibu. Pronoun choices by register:
Formal/neutral: saya
Informal: aku
Jakarta slang: gue/gua

Is Ibu always capitalized?

Capitalize Ibu when it’s a title/name or direct address (like “Ma’am/Mrs.”).
Use lowercase ibu when it’s a common noun with a determiner/possessive: ibu saya. Examples:
Saya sudah punya izin dari Ibu Sari.
Saya sudah punya izin dari ibu saya.

What about the spelling ijin vs izin?

Standard Indonesian uses izin. You’ll see ijin informally, but it’s nonstandard. Related forms follow the standard root:

mengizinkan (to allow), diizinkan (be allowed), perizinan (licensing). Avoid spellings like di ijinkan or diijinkan in formal contexts; use diizinkan.

How do I negate this naturally?

Not yet: Saya belum punya izin dari Ibu.
Do not have (no expectation): Saya tidak punya izin dari Ibu. Colloquial: belom / nggak.

If I’m talking to my teacher, can I use Ibu like “you/your”?

Yes. Titles often stand in for “you/your.” For example, to your teacher you might say:

Bu, saya sudah minta izin ke Wali Kelas. If you say Saya sudah punya izin dari Ibu directly to her, it literally means “I already have permission from you, Ma’am,” which can sound like a (polite) reminder. More neutral to others:
Saya sudah diizinkan Ibu.

Any natural alternatives to the whole sentence?

Saya sudah dapat izin dari Ibu. (very common)
Saya sudah diizinkan Ibu. (passive)
Saya sudah minta izin ke/sama Ibu. (focus on the asking) Colloquial tweaks:
Udah for sudah; sama for “to/from” in everyday speech:
- Gue udah dapet izin dari nyokap. (Jakarta slang: “I already got permission from Mom.”)

How do I pronounce the key words?

sudah: “SOO-dah”
punya: “POON-yah”
izin: “EE-zin”
Ibu: “EE-boo”