Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Tolong sampaikan salam untuk pemilik usaha kecil di seberang jalan. - Please pass on greetings to the owner of the small business across the street.

Tolong politely asks someone to do you a favor; it softens an imperative.
Mohon is more formal/elevated (emails, announcements): Mohon sampaikan….
Silakan invites/permits someone to do something for themselves, not really a request for your benefit. Silakan sampaikan… can sound like “feel free to convey…,” not a favor request.

Why is it sampaikan and not menyampaikan or disampaikan?

sampaikan is the imperative (command/request) form: “convey/deliver.”
menyampaikan is the active verb with a subject: Saya menyampaikan salam… (I convey…).
disampaikan is passive: Salam disampaikan… (The greeting is conveyed). In formal requests you might see Mohon disampaikan….

Is untuk correct here, or should it be kepada, ke, or buat?

All are used; nuance differs slightly.

Most standard after sampaikan salam: kepada (recipient) → sampaikan salam kepada….
untuk is common and fine, slightly more casual.
ke is colloquial speech.
buat is very informal slangy. Meaning is the same: target recipient.

Do I need to say whose greetings they are, like salam saya?

Not strictly, but it’s clearer. Common options:

Tolong sampaikan salam saya kepada… (my regards)
Tolong sampaikan salam dari saya kepada… (greetings from me)
You can swap saya for kami, dia, etc.

What’s the difference between sampaikan salam, titip salam, ucapkan salam, and beri salam?

sampaikan salam: neutral/polite “convey my regards.”
titip salam: very common casual “pass along my regards” (literally “entrust greetings”): Titip salam buat/kepada…
ucapkan salam: “say/give a greeting,” often about saying the worded greeting; less common for “my regards.”
beri salam: “give a greeting,” often in contexts of greeting someone or religious practice; less used for “my regards.”

Is pemilik usaha kecil natural? Are there more specific alternatives?

It’s natural and generic (“owner of a small business”). If you know the type, many natives would be more specific:

pemilik warung (small shop/stall)
pemilik toko kecil/kios/kedai Colloquial: yang punya warung/toko… Also possible: pengusaha kecil (a small-scale entrepreneur), which is broader.

Do I need yang before di seberang jalan?

No. pemilik usaha kecil di seberang jalan is fine. Adding yang—pemilik usaha kecil yang di seberang jalan—can make it extra clear or contrast with other owners, but it isn’t required.

Is di necessary in di seberang jalan? How does this relate to menyeberang?

Location uses di: di seberang jalan = “across the street” (on the opposite side).
In casual speech after a noun, you might hear seberang jalan without di, but standard writing keeps di.
The verb “to cross” is menyeberang (jalan).

How can I make the sentence more formal or more casual?

More formal: Mohon sampaikan salam saya kepada pemilik usaha kecil di seberang jalan. / Mohon disampaikan salam hormat saya kepada…
More casual: Titip salam ya buat yang punya warung di seberang. / Sampaikan salam ya ke pemilik toko di seberang. Adding ya softens it in friendly speech.

Should I add -lah as in sampaikanlah?

You can. sampaikanlah adds a soft, persuasive tone. With Tolong, using both can feel a bit heavy; either Tolong sampaikan… or Sampaikanlah… is usually enough.

Should there be a comma after Tolong?

Optional. Both Tolong sampaikan… and Tolong, sampaikan… appear; everyday writing typically omits the comma.

How do I show “the” vs “a” small business owner?

Indonesian has no articles, so context does the work.

To stress definiteness: add itu/tersebut → pemilik usaha kecil di seberang jalan itu.
To stress indefiniteness (a certain person): add seorang → kepada seorang pemilik usaha kecil di seberang jalan (less common unless you truly mean “some owner”).

Should I use titles like Bapak/Ibu?

If you want extra politeness or know the person’s gender/age:

…kepada Bapak/Ibu pemilik warung di seberang jalan itu. If unknown, stick with pemilik… to remain neutral.

Any spelling traps here (like di vs di-)?

di as a preposition is separate: di seberang.
di- as a passive prefix attaches: disampaikan.
seberang is spelled with the full vowel sequence; avoid the casual misspelling sebrang in standard writing.

Why is it usaha kecil and not kecil usaha?

Adjectives typically follow nouns in Indonesian: usaha kecil, toko besar, rumah baru. Pre-nominal adjectives are rare and marked; use the post-nominal order.

What are common learner mistakes with a sentence like this?

Using Silakan sampaikan… to make a request (sounds like permission, not a favor).
Dropping di in careful writing: prefer di seberang jalan.
Saying pemilik kecil (wrong target; kecil modifies usaha, not the owner).
Overusing ke in formal contexts; prefer kepada after sampaikan salam.
Misspelling seberang or writing di sampaikan (should be disampaikan if you use the passive).