Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Bos perempuan kami mengingatkan bahwa tarif ojek naik saat hujan. - Our female boss reminds us that the motorcycle taxi fare goes up when it rains.

perempuan: neutral and widely preferred in modern usage; fine in both formal and informal contexts.
wanita: also common, slightly more formal/institutional (signage, organizations), but some style guides prefer perempuan for general reference to women.
cewek: casual/slang; use it only in informal speech, not in professional contexts.
More formal alternatives to bos: atasan, pimpinan, kepala (e.g., atasan perempuan kami).

Why is kami used instead of kita?

kami = we/us (excluding the listener).
kita = we/us (including the listener).
bos perempuan kami means the boss belongs to the speaker’s group but does not necessarily include the listener in that group.

Are there other natural ways to say “our female boss”?

bos perempuan kami (very natural).
bos kami yang perempuan (literally “our boss who is female”; also natural).
atasan perempuan kami (a bit more formal).
If you name her: Bos kami, Bu Rina, … or Atasan kami, Ibu Rina, … (using the respectful address Bu/Ibu for an adult woman).

Why is the possessor after the noun (bos kami) and not before, like in English?

Indonesian puts possessive pronouns after the noun: bos kami, rumah saya, teman mereka.
You can also use punya for “have” in existential statements: kami punya bos perempuan, but that structure emphasizes existence/possession rather than forming a noun phrase like “our boss.”

Does mengingatkan need an explicit person as its object?

Not necessarily. In … mengingatkan bahwa …, the content clause (the bahwa-clause) functions as the object. The audience is understood from context.
You can add it for clarity: … mengingatkan kami bahwa … or more formally … mengingatkan kepada kami bahwa ….
Other common patterns:
- mengingatkan [orang] untuk [VP] (remind someone to do something)
- mengingatkan [orang] agar [clause] (remind someone so that/that …)
- mengingatkan [orang] tentang/akan [noun] (remind someone about …)

How does bahwa compare with kalau after verbs like mengingatkan?

bahwa = “that” (more formal/neutral, common in writing or careful speech).
kalau can also mean “that” in informal speech after verbs of saying/thinking: … mengingatkan kalau tarif …. It’s very common in conversation.
Don’t use yang here; yang introduces relative clauses, not complement clauses.

What is the morphology and core meaning of mengingatkan?

Root: ingat (to remember).
meng- + ingat = mengingat (to remember; in formal writing, also “consider”).
mengingat + -kan = mengingatkan = “to remind (make someone remember).”

What’s the difference among tarif, harga, ongkos, and biaya?

tarif: a set/official rate for services (phone, transport, ride-hailing). Best choice here.
harga: price (general goods/services).
ongkos: fare/cost of a service, often transport (more conversational).
biaya: cost/fee/expense (often administrative or aggregated).

What exactly is an ojek?

A motorcycle taxi. Today it’s often booked via apps (ride-hailing).
Terms:
- ojek online (ojol): app-based motorcycle taxi.
- ojek pangkalan (opang): stand-based, offline ojek.
Brand names like Gojek/Grab are companies; ojek is the generic service.

How does naik work here, and how do I say “raise” vs “rise”?

naik (intransitive): to go up/increase; also “to get on/board” (context decides).
- tarif ojek naik = the fare increases.
menaikkan (transitive): to raise something.
- Perusahaan menaikkan tarif.
dinaikkan (passive): be raised.
- Tarif dinaikkan saat hujan.
kenaikan (noun): an increase.
- ada kenaikan tarif.

Would adding -nya in tarif ojeknya change the meaning?

-nya often marks definiteness or “the/that/its.”
- tarif ojeknya naik ≈ “the ojek fares (specific/known) go up.”
- Without -nya, it’s more general/habitual: tarif ojek naik.

Is saat hujan the same as ketika hujan, waktu hujan, or pas hujan?

Broadly similar:
- saat/ketika/waktu hujan: neutral; ketika can feel a bit more formal than waktu.
- pas hujan: colloquial.
You may also see pada saat hujan (more formal) and the common but sometimes style-critiqued di saat hujan. saat hujan alone is perfectly good.

Does saat hujan mean “when it rains” or “if it rains”? How about kalau hujan?

saat/ketika hujan: “when it rains” (time reference).
kalau hujan can mean “if it rains” or “when(ever) it rains,” depending on context. It’s very common in speech for a general condition.

There’s no tense marking. How do I say this happened in the past or will happen?

Can I front the time phrase? Is punctuation needed?

Is there a passive version focusing on “us” being reminded?

Yes: Kami diingatkan (oleh) bos perempuan kami bahwa tarif ojek naik saat hujan.
In everyday Indonesian you can drop oleh: Kami diingatkan bos perempuan kami …

Is bos the best word in professional settings?

bos is very common and fine, but neutral-formal options include atasan, pimpinan, or kepala (context-dependent). For a female person, you can also address her as Bu/Ibu plus her name.

How do I pronounce the tricky words?

bahwa: BAH-wah (the h is audible, the second syllable is light).
mengingatkan: muh-NGEE-ngat-kan (the NG is like the ng in “sing,” not a hard g).
ojek: OH-jek (short e like in “bet”).
hujan: hoo-JAN (a as in “father,” final n pronounced).