Pada awal bulan, saya membayar biaya langganan lewat transfer.

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Questions & Answers about Pada awal bulan, saya membayar biaya langganan lewat transfer.

Do I need the preposition pada here?

Not strictly. All of these are natural:

  • Pada awal bulan, saya membayar…
  • Di awal bulan, saya membayar… (very common in speech)
  • Awal bulan, saya membayar… (no preposition; also fine)

In formal writing, pada is the safest. In everyday speech, di or no preposition is very common.

Why is there a comma after the time phrase?

Indonesian often places a comma after a fronted time/place phrase for readability, but it’s optional. So:

  • Pada awal bulan, saya membayar…
  • Pada awal bulan saya membayar… Both are acceptable.
How do I show past vs. future? Saya membayar looks “present.”

Indonesian verbs don’t change for tense. Use time words:

  • Past: Pada awal bulan, saya sudah membayar… / Awal bulan lalu, saya membayar…
  • Future: Awal bulan depan, saya akan membayar… / Nanti di awal bulan, saya membayar… (more naturally: …saya akan membayar)
What’s the difference between membayar and bayar?
  • membayar = standard/formal.
  • bayar = colloquial but very common.
    Examples:
  • Saya membayar biaya langganan…
  • Aku bayar biaya langganan… (casual)
When should I use membayarkan instead of membayar?

Use membayarkan when you pay something on someone else’s behalf (benefactive -kan):

  • Saya membayarkan biaya langganan adik saya. (I paid my sibling’s subscription for them.) If you’re paying your own fee, membayar is best:
  • Saya membayar biaya langganan…
Is lewat transfer the best way to say “by bank transfer”? What about melalui, via, or dengan?

All are acceptable; nuance/register differs:

  • lewat transfer = casual-neutral, very common.
  • melalui transfer (bank) = more formal.
  • via transfer = trendy/concise.
  • dengan transfer = understandable but less idiomatic than lewat/melalui.
    To be explicit: lewat/melalui transfer bank.
Can I turn transfer into a verb?

Yes:

  • Active: Saya mentransfer biaya langganan. / Saya mentransfer uang untuk biaya langganan.
  • Passive: Biaya langganan ditransfer (oleh saya).
    Colloquial writing sometimes shows nge-transfer, but standard is mentransfer/ditransfer.
What exactly does transfer imply here?

Usually a bank transfer. If you mean other methods, specify:

  • lewat transfer bank
  • lewat mobile banking
  • lewat e-wallet (dompet digital)
  • lewat transfer antar-bank
Is biaya langganan the only way to say “subscription fee”?

Common options:

  • biaya langganan (very standard)
  • biaya berlangganan (also fine)
  • tagihan langganan (the bill/invoice for the subscription)
  • abonemen (sector-specific/older style for fixed monthly charges, e.g., utilities)
    Avoid just saying “pay the subscription” as Saya membayar langganan; say Saya membayar biaya/tagihan langganan.
What’s the difference between langganan and berlangganan?
  • langganan = noun/adjective-like: subscription; regular/favorite.
    Warung langganan saya (my regular eatery).
    biaya langganan (subscription fee).
  • berlangganan = verb “to subscribe.”
    Saya berlangganan majalah itu.
How do I say “at the beginning of every month”?

Use setiap or tiap:

  • Setiap awal bulan, saya membayar…
  • Tiap awal bulan, saya membayar…
How do I say “at the beginning of this/next/last month”?
  • This month: awal bulan ini
  • Next month: awal bulan depan
  • Last month: awal bulan lalu (also heard: awal bulan kemarin)
    Examples: Awal bulan depan, saya akan membayar…
How would a passive version look?
  • Biaya langganan dibayar lewat transfer. (Agentless; general statement.)
  • Biaya langganan saya dibayar lewat transfer. (My subscription fee is paid by transfer.) If you want to state the agent: …dibayar oleh saya, though Indonesian often omits the agent when obvious.
Should I use saya or aku? Can I drop the subject?
  • saya = neutral/formal; safe in most contexts.
  • aku = casual/intimate.
    Dropping the subject is possible when context is clear:
  • (Saya) bayar biaya langganan lewat transfer.
    But keep saya in formal writing.
How do you pronounce langganan?
lan–GGA–nan. The ng is like the “ng” in “sing,” followed immediately by a hard g sound: laŋg-ganan.
How do I make “the subscription fee” explicit (definite) in Indonesian?

Add -nya when it’s specific/known:

  • Biaya langganannya sudah saya bayar. (I’ve paid the subscription fee.)
    Without -nya it’s more generic: Saya membayar biaya langganan…
Can I say “settle the bill” instead of “pay”?

Yes. Use melunasi or membayar lunas:

  • Saya melunasi tagihan langganan lewat transfer.
  • Saya membayar lunas biaya langganan lewat transfer.