Breakdown of Pada awal bulan, saya membayar biaya langganan lewat transfer.
saya
I
pada
at
membayar
to pay
bulan
the month
lewat
via
transfer
the transfer
biaya langganan
the subscription fee
awal
the beginning
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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.