Breakdown of Tabungan kecilku dipakai untuk membayar tagihan sebelum jatuh tempo.
untuk
to
kecil
small
sebelum
before
membayar
to pay
dipakai
to be used
tagihan
the bill
tabungan
the savings
ku
my
jatuh tempo
the due date
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Indonesian grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Tabungan kecilku dipakai untuk membayar tagihan sebelum jatuh tempo.
What does the suffix -ku in kecilku mean, and why is it attached to the adjective?
The suffix -ku means “my.” In Indonesian noun phrases, -ku can attach to the last word of the phrase, not just the head noun, so tabungan kecilku = “my small savings.” This is common and natural (e.g., rumah kecilku, “my small house”). Orthographically, -ku is written attached with no space: kecilku, not “kecil ku.”
Is there a difference between tabungan kecilku and tabunganku kecil?
Yes. Tabungan kecilku is a noun phrase: “my small savings” (used as the subject or object). Tabunganku kecil is a full sentence/clause: “my savings are small,” stating a property rather than naming the thing.
Does kecil here mean size or amount? Could I use sedikit instead?
With money, kecil means “small/modest (in amount).” So tabungan kecilku implies “my modest savings.” Sedikit means “a little/few” and is usually used before a noun or as a quantity: sedikit tabungan or tabungan saya sedikit. Saying tabungan sedikitku is unnatural.
Can I say tabungan kecil saya instead of kecilku? Is there a formality difference?
Yes. tabungan kecil saya is neutral/formal and very common. -ku (as in kecilku) and aku are more informal/intimate. saya is polite/neutral, suitable in formal writing and speech.
Why is the passive dipakai used instead of the active memakai/pakai?
Indonesian often uses passives to foreground the patient/topic. Tabungan kecilku dipakai… emphasizes “my small savings” as the topic. Active alternatives are fine: Saya/Aku memakai tabungan kecilku… (formal/neutral) or Aku pakai tabungan kecilku… (colloquial).
Who is the agent in dipakai? How do I say “by me” explicitly?
The agent is omitted and understood from context (often “I” here). To state it: dipakai oleh saya (formal) or dipakai sama saya (colloquial). Using olehku is rare; prefer oleh saya.
What’s the difference between dipakai and digunakan?
They’re near-synonyms: both mean “used.” dipakai feels everyday and casual; digunakan is more formal/technical. Active forms are memakai/pakai and menggunakan.
Is untuk necessary in dipakai untuk membayar?
Not strictly. You can say dipakai membayar tagihan (natural) or, in casual speech, dipakai buat bayar tagihan. untuk explicitly marks purpose; buat is its colloquial counterpart.
Why membayar and not just bayar?
Both are possible. untuk membayar is standard; untuk bayar is acceptable and more casual. Without untuk, you can also say dipakai bayar tagihan. membayar is the meN- verb form of bayar.
What exactly does tagihan mean? How does it differ from rekening?
tagihan is “a bill/invoice (to be paid).” rekening can mean “account” (bank) or “bill/check” in restaurants; in utilities, both tagihan listrik and rekening listrik are used. For general “bills,” tagihan is safest.
How do I express plural “bills” in Indonesian?
Context usually covers plurality, so tagihan can mean “bill” or “bills.” If you must mark plural: tagihan-tagihan, berbagai tagihan (“various bills”), or semua tagihan (“all bills”). Don’t use para (it’s only for people).
What does sebelum jatuh tempo literally mean, and where is it used?
Literally “before it falls due.” jatuh tempo is a fixed phrase for due/maturity, used with payments, loans, invoices, subscriptions, etc. So sebelum jatuh tempo = “before the due date.”
Is jatuh tempo a noun or a verb phrase?
It behaves like a predicate: Tagihan itu jatuh tempo besok (“That bill is due tomorrow”). It also appears in the noun phrase tanggal jatuh tempo (“due date”). Both uses are standard.
Can I say sebelum tanggal jatuh tempo instead? Any nuance?
Yes. sebelum tanggal jatuh tempo is a bit more explicit/formal (“before the due date”). sebelum jatuh tempo is slightly more compact and equally correct.
How would this sound in casual everyday speech?
Common colloquial variants:
- Tabungan kecilku dipake buat bayar tagihan sebelum jatuh tempo.
- Aku pakai tabungan kecilku buat bayar tagihan sebelum jatuh tempo. Here dipake (colloquial spelling) and buat sound informal.
Can I make it active and keep the same meaning?
Yes: Saya memakai tabungan kecilku untuk membayar tagihan sebelum jatuh tempo. More casual: Aku pakai tabungan kecilku buat bayar tagihan sebelum jatuh tempo. The meaning stays the same; only focus/register changes.
What about using the ku- prefix on the verb, as in kupakai?
That’s a concise, somewhat literary way to mark “I” as the agent while keeping the patient first: Tabungan kecilku kupakai untuk membayar tagihan… It’s natural in writing and formal speech; in casual conversation most people stick to active or di- passive.
Any tips on pronunciation and stress?
- tabungan: ta-BOONG-an
- kecil: kə-CHIL
- dipakai: dee-PA-kai (final ai like “eye”)
- tagihan: ta-GEE-han (hard g)
- jatuh tempo: JA-tooh TEM-po Indonesian tends to stress the penultimate syllable.
Could I add -nya in sebelum jatuh temponya?
Yes, when referring to a specific, previously mentioned bill/account: sebelum jatuh temponya = “before its due date.” Without -nya, it’s general.
Are there other synonyms for untuk here?
Yes. guna and untuk both mean “for/to” (purpose). guna membayar is formal; untuk membayar is neutral; buat bayar is colloquial.