Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Dia tidak mau boros uang; dia membayar tunai hanya saat ada diskon. - He/She does not want to be wasteful with money; he/she pays cash only when there is a discount.

dia is gender-neutral: it can mean he or she (context tells you which).
Alternatives:
- ia: also he/she, mostly in written/formal Indonesian, typically as a subject (you wouldn’t say “dengan ia”; use dia there).
- beliau: respectful he/she (for elders, officials).
- Plural “they” is mereka; dia never means “they.”

Why is it tidak, not bukan, in tidak mau boros uang?

Use tidak to negate verbs and adjectives: tidak mau (doesn’t want), tidak boros (not wasteful).
Use bukan to negate nouns or pronouns: Itu bukan uangnya (That’s not his/her money).
Here you’re negating the verb phrase mau boros, so tidak is correct.

Does mau here mean “want to” or “going to”?

Is boros uang grammatical? Why not boros dengan uang?

Yes, boros uang is natural and idiomatic; it specifies the resource you’re wasteful with.
Pattern: boros + noun (boros uang, boros listrik, boros bensin).
boros dengan uang can be understood but sounds less idiomatic; prefer boros uang or boros dalam hal uang in careful writing.

Could I just say Dia tidak mau boros and drop uang?

Yes. Dia tidak mau boros is fine and usually understood as “with money” when the subject is a person. Adding uang just makes it explicit.

Are there verb/noun forms related to boros?

Verb (transitive): memboroskan = to waste (something). Example: Jangan memboroskan uang.
Noun: pemborosan = waste/wastefulness. Example: Itu pemborosan.
Strong colloquial alternative: menghambur-hamburkan uang (to splurge/throw money around).

Is the semicolon natural in Indonesian? Could I use a connector instead?

A semicolon is fine to join two related independent clauses in writing.
Common alternatives:
- Dia tidak mau boros uang, jadi dia membayar tunai hanya saat ada diskon.
- Karena dia tidak mau boros uang, dia membayar tunai hanya saat ada diskon.

What’s the difference between membayar and bayar?

membayar is the standard/formal verb “to pay.”
bayar is the colloquial/short form, very common in speech and informal writing.
Both are correct; choose based on formality: dia membayar (formal) vs dia bayar (informal).

Why membayar tunai and not membayar dengan tunai?

membayar tunai is the idiomatic way to say “pay cash.”
dengan tunai is understandable but uncommon; if you use dengan, it’s more natural as membayar dengan uang tunai.
Synonyms for tunai: kontan; colloquial: bayar cash.

Where should hanya go, and does its position change the meaning?

Yes; hanya limits the phrase immediately following it.

Dia hanya membayar tunai saat ada diskon. Focus on the whole action under that condition (natural, same meaning as the original).
Dia membayar tunai hanya saat ada diskon. Focus on the time/condition; he pays cash only when there’s a discount (not at other times).
Hanya saat ada diskon, dia membayar tunai. Strong emphasis on the condition at the start.
Be careful: Dia hanya membayar tunai (without the time clause) means “He pays only in cash (always),” which is a different meaning.

What’s the difference among saat, ketika, waktu, and kalau?

All can mean “when,” with nuance:

saat: slightly formal/literary.
ketika: neutral and common in writing/speech.
waktu: casual; literally “time.”
kalau: “if/when” in everyday speech; more conditional in feel. In this sentence, any of saat/ketika/kalau would work: … hanya saat/ketika/kalau ada diskon.

Do I need ada in saat ada diskon? Could I say saat diskon?

ada makes the existential meaning explicit: “when there is a discount.”
saat diskon is a common shorthand in casual speech/ads; in careful writing, saat ada diskon (or saat sedang diskon) is clearer.

Are there other words for diskon?

diskon = discount (very common).
potongan harga = price cut (neutral/formal).
promo = promotion (broad; not always a simple discount).
obral = clearance sale (big markdowns). Pick based on context; diskon is the default.

Can I drop the second dia?

Yes. Indonesian allows subject omission when clear from context. For example:

Dia tidak mau boros uang; hanya saat ada diskon, (dia) membayar tunai. You can also merge: Dia tidak mau boros uang, jadi hanya saat ada diskon ia/dia membayar tunai.

How would I express the idea with hemat or irit?

hemat/irit = thrifty/frugal (positive). Examples:
- Dia orangnya hemat; dia membayar tunai hanya saat ada diskon.
- Dia irit, jadi dia hanya bayar tunai kalau ada diskon.
Avoid pelit (stingy/cheap) unless you want a negative tone.

How do I say “unless there’s a discount”?

Use kecuali:

Dia tidak membayar tunai, kecuali (kalau) ada diskon. = He doesn’t pay cash unless there’s a discount.

If I want “cash only” (he never uses cards), how should I say it?

Dia hanya membayar tunai. or Dia selalu membayar tunai. This is different from the original, which limits cash payments to times when there’s a discount.