Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Tolong transfer uang ke rekening bank saya sekarang. - Please transfer money to my bank account now.

It’s a politeness marker meaning “please (help by)…”. It softens an imperative and makes it a request. Without it, Transfer uang ke… can sound blunt.

More formal: Mohon transfer… (very polite, often written)
For notices/instructions: Harap transfer…
For inviting someone to do something for their own benefit: Silakan transfer… (not a request for help)

Can I drop the word “uang” (money)?

Yes. It’s common and natural to say: Tolong transfer ke rekening saya sekarang. The idea of “money” is understood. Keep uang if you’re contrasting with other kinds of transfers (files, points, balance) or want to emphasize it.

Is “transfer” a loanword? How do I use it outside imperatives?

Yes, it’s borrowed from English. In regular sentences you use Indonesian affixes:

Active: mentransfer (He transferred): Dia sudah mentransfer uang ke rekening saya.
Passive: ditransfer (was transferred): Uangnya sudah ditransfer ke rekening saya. Colloquial: ngetransfer is informal speech/texting.

Could I use “kirim” instead of “transfer”?

Often, yes. Kirim means “send” and is common for money too: Tolong kirim uang ke rekening saya.
Nuance:

Transfer = specifically a funds transfer (bank/e-wallet).
Kirim = broader “send”; can be cash, goods, or digital money.

Why “ke” and not “kepada” or “di”?

ke = to/toward a destination. Correct with accounts: ke rekening…
kepada = to (a person/recipient). You’d use it with people, e.g., kepada Budi.
di = at/in (location). Not used for the destination of a transfer.
So: transfer … ke rekening saya, not di rekening.

Do I need to say “rekening bank saya,” or is “rekening saya” enough?

Rekening saya is usually enough; “rekening” almost always means a bank account. Rekening bank saya adds clarity or formality but can feel redundant in casual speech. Don’t say bank saya alone here—that means “my bank (institution).”

Does “rekening bank saya” mean “my bank account,” not “the account at my bank”?

Yes, it means “my bank account.” In the noun phrase rekening bank saya, the head is rekening (“account”), modified by bank, and possessed by saya. If you want “my account at Bank X,” say: rekening saya di Bank X.

Where should I put “sekarang”? Can it go elsewhere?

Default is at the end: … saya sekarang. You can move it for emphasis:

Sekarang tolong transfer uang ke rekening saya. (fronted, urgent)
Tolong sekarang transfer uang ke rekening saya. (focus on “now”)
Alternatives:
segera (immediately, formal)
sekarang juga (right now, emphatic)
secepatnya / sesegera mungkin (as soon as possible)

How can I make this request softer or more polite?

Bisa tolong transfer …? (Could you please…?)
Add a friendly tag: …, ya?
To urge (informal): …, dong.
More formal written request: Mohon ditransfer ke rekening saya.
Avoid piling too many markers (e.g., Mohon bisa tolong…)—it can sound awkward.

Is there a passive request form?

Yes, common and polite:

Tolong ditransfer ke rekening saya sekarang.
Tolong uangnya ditransfer ke rekening saya sekarang.
This deemphasizes the agent and focuses on the action.

Is “transferkan” correct? When would I use it?

Yes. Transferkan (with -kan) is more formal/instructional and a bit less common in casual speech:

Silakan transferkan pembayarannya ke rekening kami.
It can sound like a written instruction from a business.

What about pronoun choices: saya, aku, gue, -ku, -mu?

Formal/neutral: saya → rekening saya
Informal: aku → rekeningku (attach -ku to the noun)
Colloquial Jakarta: gue → rekening gue (no clitic)
Speaking to “you” politely: address with Bapak/Ibu/Mas/Mbak rather than Anda in speech.
Examples: Tolong transfer ke rekeningku sekarang (informal), Tolong, Pak, transfer ke rekening saya (polite).

Is “di rekening saya” ever correct?

Not for the destination of a transfer. Use ke rekening saya.
Use di rekening saya only for location/state: Uangnya sudah ada di rekening saya (“The money is in my account”).

Should I say “nomor rekening” (account number) instead?

Use rekening to name the destination account. Nomor rekening is the number itself.

Natural: Transfer ke rekening saya.
If you must mention the number: Transfer ke rekening saya, nomor rekeningnya 123…
Colloquially people say ke nomor rekening saya; it’s widely understood, though less precise.

Any tips for addressing the person to be extra polite?

Use a vocative before or after the request:

Pak/Bu, tolong transfer …
Tolong transfer …, Pak/Bu.
This is more natural than inserting Anda in speech.

How do I say “Please don’t transfer now” or “Transfer later instead”?

Prohibition softened by tolong: Tolong jangan transfer sekarang.
Suggest later: Nanti saja transfernya, or Tolong transfernya nanti saja.

How do I pronounce key words naturally?

rekening: re-KE-ning (first e is a schwa, like “uh”); final -ng as in “sing.”
transfer: TRAN-sfer (both r’s are tapped/flapped; a is like “father”).
sekarang: se-KA-rang (first e is schwa).
Stress typically falls toward the second syllable in these words in Indonesian.

Are there texting shortcuts I might see?

Yes, very common:

trf/tf = transfer
rek/norek = (nomor) rekening
skrg = sekarang Example: Trf ke norek saya skrg ya. (informal texting)

Do I need a comma after “Tolong”?

No comma is standard: Tolong transfer uang …
You might see Tolong, … in writing to mark a pause, but it isn’t necessary and is less common in everyday text.