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Breakdown of Bonus akan dibayar besok asalkan laporan sudah dikirim.
sudah
already
akan
will
besok
tomorrow
dikirim
to be sent
laporan
the report
asalkan
as long as
bonus
the bonus
dibayar
to be paid
Questions & Answers about Bonus akan dibayar besok asalkan laporan sudah dikirim.
Why is the passive voice (dibayar) used here instead of the active (membayar)?
Indonesian often uses the passive when the patient/topic is what matters and the agent is obvious or unimportant. Here, the focus is on the bonus, not on who pays it. It also sounds neutral–formal, which fits business contexts.
Can I add who is paying? How would I say “by the company”?
Yes. With passive type 1, add an agent with oleh:
- Bonus akan dibayar besok oleh perusahaan/kami. You can also switch to passive type 2 or active:
- Passive 2: Bonus akan kami bayar besok.
- Active: Perusahaan akan membayar bonus besok.
What’s the difference between dibayar and dibayarkan?
- dibayar = paid (neutral).
- dibayarkan = paid out/disbursed (often highlights payment to a beneficiary). Both are acceptable here. In policy/legal language, dibayarkan is very common:
- Bonus akan dibayarkan besok kepada karyawan.
Is akan necessary when there’s already besok?
No. Besok already marks future time. Akan adds formality or emphasis on futurity/intention. All are acceptable:
- Bonus dibayar besok.
- Bonus akan dibayar besok.
Can I change the word order?
Yes. Indonesian is flexible:
- Besok bonus akan dibayar asalkan laporan sudah dikirim.
- Asalkan laporan sudah dikirim, bonus akan dibayar besok. (When the conditional clause comes first, use a comma.)
Should there be a comma before asalkan?
Not when the conditional clause comes after the main clause: Bonus akan dibayar besok asalkan … (no comma). If the asalkan clause comes first, use a comma: Asalkan laporan sudah dikirim, bonus …
How does asalkan differ from kalau, jika, and asal?
- asalkan = provided that/only if (stricter, a prerequisite).
- kalau = if (neutral, informal–neutral).
- jika/apabila = if (more formal).
- asal = provided that (informal). All work, but nuance changes:
- Bonus akan dibayar besok kalau/jika laporan sudah dikirim. (neutral)
- Bonus akan dibayar besok asal laporan sudah dikirim. (casual)
Can I use selama for “as long as” here?
No. Selama expresses duration (“during/for”), not a prerequisite condition. Use asalkan/asal for “provided that.”
What’s the role of sudah? Could I use telah or udah?
Sudah marks completed action (“already/has been”). Telah is a more formal synonym; udah is colloquial. All can fit, with register differences:
- laporan sudah dikirim (neutral)
- laporan telah dikirim (formal)
- laporan udah dikirim (casual)
Why dikirim and not dikirimkan or terkirim?
- dikirim = sent (plain passive).
- dikirimkan = sent (often implying to someone; a bit more formal/elaborate).
- terkirim = in the state of being sent/already sent (stative/result). All can work depending on nuance:
- Laporan sudah dikirim(dikan) ke HR.
- Laporan sudah terkirim. (focus on the end state)
What would a fully active version look like?
For example:
- Kami akan membayar bonus besok asalkan Anda sudah mengirim laporan. This states the agent (kami) and uses active verbs (membayar, mengirim).
Does laporan mean “the report” or “a report”? Do I need -nya?
Indonesian doesn’t require articles. Laporan can be definite or indefinite from context. To mark it as specific/known, use:
- laporannya, laporan itu, or laporan tersebut.
Is the sentence singular or plural about reports?
It’s ambiguous; laporan can be singular or plural. To force plural/specific, say:
- semua laporan (all reports), laporan-laporan (plural, more formal/written).
What is passive type 2, as in Bonus akan kami bayar?
Passive type 2 uses the base verb with a pronoun/noun agent before it. It’s common and natural:
- Bonus akan saya/kami bayar besok. It keeps the object in front while still naming the agent.
Differences among besok, esok, and lusa?
- besok = tomorrow (everyday).
- esok = tomorrow (literary/formal).
- lusa = the day after tomorrow. You’ll also hear besok lusa for “the day after tomorrow.”
How would I negate this? Do I use tidak or bukan?
Use tidak to negate the verb phrase:
- Bonus tidak akan dibayar besok jika laporan belum dikirim. Use bukan to negate a noun phrase:
- Bukan besok, tetapi lusa, bonus akan dibayar.
Why does the condition use perfect aspect (sudah dikirim) when payment is in the future?
Because the sending must be completed before the payment. Sudah signals the required prior completion: payment tomorrow happens only if, by then (or by now, depending on context), the report has been sent.
Is there a softer or more diplomatic way than asalkan?
Yes, you can soften the tone:
- Bonus akan dibayar besok setelah laporan dikirim. (temporal: after it’s sent)
- Bonus akan dibayar besok, dengan catatan laporan sudah dikirim. (with the note that)
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