Saya mengisi ulang kartu bus tadi pagi.

I topped up the bus card this morning.

Breakdown of Saya mengisi ulang kartu bus tadi pagi.

• saya: I
• tadi pagi: this morning
• mengisi ulang: to top up
• kartu bus: the bus card

Questions & Answers about Saya mengisi ulang kartu bus tadi pagi.

What does mengisi ulang literally mean and how is it formed?

Breakdown:

• isi = fill, contents
• meng- + isi → mengisi = to fill (meN- prefix; with a vowel-initial root it becomes meng-)
• ulang = again/repeat So mengisi ulang is “to fill again” → “to refill/reload,” the standard verb for topping up a card, phone credit, etc.

Can I just say mengisi without ulang?

If you say mengisi kartu bus, it sounds incomplete/odd. For topping up balance, use:

• mengisi ulang (kartu bus), or
• mengisi saldo kartu bus / menambah saldo. Mengisi alone is fine if you name what you fill (e.g., mengisi formulir, mengisi saldo).

Is isi ulang a noun too, or only a verb?

Both:

• Noun: isi ulang = a refill/top-up (e.g., tempat isi ulang air “water refill station”).
• Verb (informal/neutral): bare isi ulang: Saya isi ulang kartu bus… In formal writing, prefer mengisi ulang.

Why not say mengisi lagi instead of mengisi ulang?

Lagi means “again/more” in general. Mengisi lagi can mean “fill some more,” and can work in context, but the set phrase for refilling balances is mengisi ulang (or isi ulang). Use mengisi ulang to sound standard and unambiguous.

Why is it kartu bus and not “bus kartu”?

Indonesian puts the head noun first, then the modifier: kartu bus = “card (for) bus.” More examples:

• tiket kereta = train ticket
• kartu mahasiswa = student card

Do I need to add possession, like kartu bus saya?

Not required. Saya mengisi ulang kartu bus… usually implies your card from context. To be explicit:

• kartu bus saya (neutral/formal)
• kartu busku (friendly)
• kartu bus gue (Jakarta casual)

Where can the time phrase tadi pagi go?

All of these work:

• Tadi pagi saya mengisi ulang kartu bus.
• Saya mengisi ulang kartu bus tadi pagi. (your original)
• Saya tadi pagi mengisi ulang kartu bus. (less common; adds focus on time) Fronting the time phrase is very common.

What’s the difference between tadi pagi and pagi tadi?

They mean the same (“this morning, earlier today”). Tadi pagi is more common in everyday speech; pagi tadi appears more in news or to emphasize “morning.” No difference in timeframe.

Does mengisi ulang mark past tense?

No. Indonesian verbs don’t inflect for tense. The past meaning comes from tadi pagi. You can add aspect words:

• sudah (already): Tadi pagi saya sudah mengisi ulang…
• baru/baru saja/barusan (just): Saya barusan mengisi ulang…

How do I say the negative naturally?

• Not yet (and possibly will later): Saya belum mengisi ulang kartu bus.
• Did not (at that time): Saya tidak mengisi ulang kartu bus tadi pagi. Use belum for “not yet,” tidak for plain negation.

How do I say it in the passive?

• Agentless passive: Kartu bus saya diisi ulang tadi pagi.
• With agent: Kartu bus saya diisi ulang oleh petugas tadi pagi.
• “Short passive” (object fronting): Kartu bus saya saya isi ulang tadi pagi. Passive often downplays or omits the agent.

Can I drop the meN- and say Saya isi ulang …? What about ngisi?

Yes. In casual/neutral speech you’ll hear:

• Saya isi ulang kartu bus tadi pagi. Even more casual (spoken): Aku ngisi ulang… (ngisi is the colloquial form of mengisi). Avoid ngisi in formal writing.

Is it bus or bis?

Modern standard spelling is bus (per KBBI). Bis is an older/ informal variant you’ll still see. In formal contexts, write bus.

How do I pronounce the words?

• u is “oo” like in food: bus = “boos”, kartu = “KAR-too”
• g is always hard: pagi = “PAH-gee”
• ng is the velar nasal: mengisi ≈ “muhng-EE-see”
• Vowels are clear and not reduced: tadi = “TAH-dee”

Is tadi pagi the same as nanti pagi?

No. tadi pagi = earlier this morning (past). nanti pagi = later this morning (future, only if it’s morning now). For tomorrow morning, say besok pagi.

Do I need an article like “a/the”?

Indonesian has no articles. kartu bus can mean “a bus card” or “the bus card,” depending on context. Use a possessive (kartu bus saya) or a number (satu kartu bus) if you must be explicit.

Is using top up in Indonesian acceptable?

Colloquially yes, especially in cities: Saya top up kartu bus tadi pagi or Aku nge-top up kartu bus… In formal Indonesian, prefer mengisi ulang or menambah saldo.