Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya berlangganan koran digital tiap bulan. - I subscribe to a digital newspaper every month.

The prefix ber- often makes an intransitive verb meaning “to have/do/be engaged in X.” So berlangganan means “to have a subscription / to subscribe.” The base langganan is a noun/adjective (“subscription,” “regular/favorite”). Related forms:

berlangganan = to subscribe
langganan = a subscription; also “regular/favorite”
pelanggan = a subscriber/customer (the person)

Do I need a preposition after berlangganan (like “to” in English)?

No preposition. You say berlangganan + direct object:

Correct: Saya berlangganan koran digital.
Not natural: ✗ berlangganan ke/pada/dengan koran digital (avoid adding a preposition here).

Is tiap the same as setiap?

Yes, in meaning they both mean “every.” Setiap is a bit more formal or neutral; tiap is slightly shorter/more casual. Both are widely used:

setiap bulan (neutral/formal)
tiap bulan (neutral/casual)

Does tiap bulan mean I’m re-subscribing every month, or just that my plan is monthly?

In everyday use it’s understood as “monthly” billing. If you want to be crystal clear about the billing cycle, you can say:

Saya berlangganan koran digital dengan paket bulanan.
Saya membayar langganan koran digital per bulan.
Langganan saya dibayar bulanan.

Can I move the time phrase? Is Tiap bulan saya berlangganan … okay?

Yes. Time expressions can go at the end or the beginning:

Saya berlangganan koran digital tiap bulan.
Tiap bulan saya berlangganan koran digital. Fronting it slightly emphasizes the frequency, but the meaning is the same.

Can I drop ber- and say Saya langganan koran digital?

In informal speech, yes—people often say Saya langganan … to mean “I (regularly) subscribe to ….” In careful or formal writing, prefer Saya berlangganan ….

What’s the difference between langganan and pelanggan?

langganan = a subscription; or “regular/favorite” (as an adjective): warung langganan (my regular/favorite food stall).
pelanggan = a subscriber/customer (the person): pelanggan koran (a newspaper subscriber).

Is koran digital the most natural phrase? What about surat kabar?

Both are fine:

koran digital (very common)
surat kabar digital (more formal/literary) You’ll also see: koran daring/online, edisi digital, or e-paper. Use whichever fits your context/register.

Do I need a word like “a/an,” e.g., sebuah koran digital?

Usually no. Indonesian doesn’t require an article here. Saya berlangganan koran digital is natural. Saying sebuah would emphasize “one (single) newspaper” and sounds odd unless you’re contrasting quantities.

Why is it koran digital (adjective after the noun), not digital koran?

In Indonesian, descriptive adjectives normally follow the noun: koran digital, majalah mingguan, paket bulanan. You can also use a noun phrase like edisi digital koran (“the digital edition of the newspaper”).

How do I pronounce berlangganan (especially the ng + g)?

Syllables: ber-lang-ga-nan. The ngg in langg- is the nasal + hard g cluster /ŋg/, like the sound in English “finger.” It’s not just /ŋ/ as in “singer.”

How do I say I don’t subscribe, or that I canceled?

Negation: Saya tidak berlangganan koran digital.
Stopped/canceled: Saya berhenti berlangganan, or Saya membatalkan langganan.

How would I ask someone if they subscribe (formal vs informal)?

Formal/neutral: Apakah Anda berlangganan koran digital?
Casual: Kamu langganan koran digital nggak? / Udah langganan koran digital belum?

Should I use saya or aku here?

Both mean “I.” Saya is neutral/polite; aku is informal/intimate. In writing or with strangers, saya is safer. Regionally informal forms like gue (Jakarta) also exist.

How do I say I subscribe annually/weekly, etc.?

Use time-based modifiers:

paket bulanan / tahunan (monthly/annual plan)
membayar per bulan / per tahun Examples: Saya berlangganan paket tahunan. / Langganan saya dibayar per tahun.

Can I say setiap bulannya or tiap bulannya with -nya?

Yes. Adding -nya can make it sound a bit more definite/emphatic or stylistic, common in writing: Saya berlangganan … setiap bulannya. Core meaning stays the same.

Is sebulan sekali different from tiap bulan?

They often overlap, but:

tiap/setiap bulan = every month (general periodicity)
sebulan sekali = once a month (explicitly one time) For subscriptions, both usually imply a monthly cycle, but sebulan sekali stresses the “once” count.