Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Tolong kirim bukti pembayaran lewat pesan singkat. - Please send the proof of payment via a text message.

bold Tolong bold softens an imperative into a polite request, much like “please.” It’s neutral–polite and widely used in speech and writing. Alternatives:

More formal: bold Mohon bold (e.g., bold Mohon kirimkan … bold), bold Harap bold (directive/official tone).
Inviting/permission-like: bold Silakan kirim … bold (OK, go ahead and send …).
Extra softeners: add bold ya bold at the end (bold … ya bold) for friendliness; avoid bold dong bold in formal contexts because it’s casual.

Is bold kirim bold an imperative? How does it relate to bold mengirim bold and bold kirimkan bold?

Yes. Indonesian imperatives often use the bare verb: bold kirim bold = “send.”

Active verb forms: bold mengirim bold / bold mengirimkan bold (“to send”).
Imperatives: bold kirim bold / bold kirimkan bold. bold Kirimkan bold can sound a bit more formal or complete, especially if you mention a recipient (bold Kirimkan … kepada saya bold). In everyday speech, bold kirim bold and bold kirimkan bold are both common.

Can I use bold kirimi bold or bold kirimkan bold? What’s the nuance?

bold Kirimi bold focuses on the recipient: bold Kirimi saya bukti pembayaran bold (“Send me the proof of payment”).
bold Kirimkan bold focuses on the item being sent: bold Kirimkan bukti pembayaran kepada saya bold. In practice, both appear with or without an explicit recipient, but the patterns above are the traditional norms.

Where is “you”? Should I add bold Anda bold or bold kamu bold?

Imperatives omit “you.” Adding a subject is usually unnecessary.

Acceptable but stiffer in formal writing: bold Mohon Anda mengirimkan … bold.
More natural: bold Mohon/Tolong kirim(kan) … bold without bold Anda bold.
Use names or titles to direct the request politely: bold Tolong kirim … ya, Pak/Bu. bold

What exactly is bold bukti pembayaran bold?

It means “proof of payment” (e.g., a receipt photo, transfer slip, payment confirmation screenshot). To make it definite, add bold -nya bold: bold bukti pembayarannya bold (“the proof of payment”). Plurals aren’t marked; use bold beberapa bukti pembayaran bold for “several proofs.”

Do I need a classifier like bold sebuah bold here?

No. Indonesian normally omits a classifier in this phrase. bold Bukti pembayaran bold is fine. If you must specify quantity, use bold satu bukti pembayaran bold, but it’s rarely necessary.

Why bold lewat bold? Can I use bold melalui bold or bold via bold?

bold Lewat bold = “through/via,” neutral and common in speech.

bold Melalui bold is a bit more formal.
bold Via bold is borrowed and common in casual and business contexts.
All three work: bold lewat pesan singkat bold / bold melalui pesan singkat bold / bold via pesan singkat bold.

What does bold pesan singkat bold refer to in real life?

Literally “short message,” it typically refers to SMS/text messages. In everyday Indonesian, people often specify the platform:

bold lewat SMS bold (SMS)
bold lewat WA/WhatsApp bold (very common in Indonesia)
bold lewat chat bold / bold pesan teks bold (generic)

Can I change the word order?

Yes, but keep it natural:

Default: bold Tolong kirim bukti pembayaran lewat pesan singkat. bold
Also natural: bold Tolong kirimkan bukti pembayaran melalui pesan singkat. bold
Less common but OK: bold Tolong kirim bukti pembayaran melalui pesan singkat itu. bold Avoid splitting the object awkwardly (e.g., putting bold lewat … bold before the object in a way that feels choppy).

How do I add “to me” or “to us”?

Add a recipient phrase:

Neutral: bold ke saya/kami bold (bold Tolong kirim bukti pembayaran ke saya lewat pesan singkat. bold)
More formal: bold kepada saya/kami bold (bold Mohon kirimkan bukti pembayaran kepada saya melalui pesan singkat. bold)

How do I make this more formal for email or invoices?

Use bold mohon bold and a -kan verb or passive:

bold Mohon mengirimkan bukti pembayaran melalui pesan singkat. bold
bold Mohon bukti pembayarannya dikirim melalui pesan singkat. bold
Very formal: bold Mohon kesediaannya untuk mengirimkan bukti pembayaran melalui pesan singkat. bold

How do I say “please don’t send it by text”?

Use bold jangan bold:

bold Tolong jangan kirim lewat pesan singkat. bold
Alternative: bold Jangan kirim lewat pesan singkat, ya. bold

Is there a passive version?

Yes, common in service contexts:

bold Tolong bukti pembayarannya dikirim lewat pesan singkat. bold
bold Mohon bukti pembayaran dikirim melalui pesan singkat. bold Passive shifts focus to the item rather than the doer.

How do I express time (already, soon, later) since Indonesian has no tense?

Add time/aspect words:

Already: bold Sudah saya kirim lewat pesan singkat. bold
Soon: bold Akan/Segera saya kirim lewat pesan singkat. bold
Later: bold Nanti saya kirim lewat pesan singkat. bold

Is bold bukti pembayaran bold different from bold bukti transfer bold?

Yes. bold Bukti transfer bold is specifically proof of a bank transfer (transfer slip/screenshot). bold Bukti pembayaran bold is broader: any proof that payment was made (could be cash receipt, e-wallet confirmation, etc.).

Can I say bold lewat WA bold instead of bold lewat pesan singkat bold?

Yes, very common in Indonesia:

bold Tolong kirim bukti pembayaran lewat WA. bold You can also say bold melalui WhatsApp bold or bold via WhatsApp bold in semi-formal contexts.

Any pronunciation tips for key words?

bold kirim bold: roll the bold r bold lightly; bold i bold as in “machine.”
bold bukti bold: bold u bold as in “food,” stress is even.
bold pembayaran bold: vowels are pure; syllables: pem-ba-ya-ran.
bold lewat bold: bold e bold like the schwa in many accents; bold a bold as in “father.”

Does bold lewat bold also mean “late” or “past”?

Yes. Besides “through/via,” bold lewat bold can mean “past/beyond” in time or space:

bold Jamnya sudah lewat bold (“the time has passed”) Context makes the meaning clear.