Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya membayar sewa bulanan lewat transfer.

Saya: first-person singular pronoun (I), neutral/polite.
membayar: active verb “to pay” (root bayar with the active prefix meN- → membayar).
sewa bulanan: “monthly rent” (sewa = rent (noun), bulanan = monthly). In Indonesian, modifiers follow the noun.
lewat transfer: “via/through transfer” (lewat = via/through, transfer = usually bank transfer).

Can I use bayar instead of membayar?

Yes. Saya bayar sewa bulanan lewat transfer is common and slightly more casual. membayar sounds a bit more formal or careful. Both are correct.

Is lewat transfer natural? Are there good synonyms?

Very natural. Common alternatives:

melalui transfer (bank): more formal.
via transfer: quite common in speech and writing.
pakai transfer / dengan transfer: casual; pakai feels very conversational. All mean “by bank transfer” unless you specify another platform.

Do I need to say transfer bank to be clear?

Not usually; transfer is commonly understood as a bank transfer. Add detail if needed:

lewat transfer bank
melalui m-banking/ATM
melalui e-wallet (OVO, GoPay, Dana, dll.)

How do I show past, future, or habitual meaning?

Indonesian uses particles/adverbs:

Past/already: Saya sudah membayar sewa bulanan lewat transfer.
Recently: Saya barusan membayar …
Future: Saya akan membayar …
Habitual: Biasanya saya membayar … / Saya membayar sewa tiap bulan lewat transfer.

Is the word order fixed? Can I move lewat transfer?

Default is object before manner phrase, but movement is possible:

Neutral: Saya membayar sewa bulanan lewat transfer.
Fronted (emphasis, more written): Lewat transfer, saya membayar sewa bulanan.
Very natural variant: Saya bayar sewa bulanan melalui transfer bank.

What’s the nuance difference between sewa bulanan, sewa per bulan, and pembayaran bulanan?

sewa bulanan: monthly rent (the type of rent).
sewa per bulan: rent charged per month; common in ads/listings.
pembayaran bulanan: monthly payment (focus on the act/payment, not the rent itself). You can also say tiap bulan/setiap bulan to mark frequency.

Is sewa a noun or a verb here? What’s the verb “to rent”?

Here sewa is a noun (rent). Verbs:

menyewa: to rent/lease (as a tenant).
menyewakan: to rent out/lease something to someone (as an owner).
Colloquial verb use of the root is also common: Saya sewa rumah (I rent a house).

How do I say I paid someone else’s rent?

Use causative/benefactive forms:

Neutral/formal: Saya membayarkan sewa bulanan adik saya lewat transfer.
Casual: Saya bayarin sewa bulanan dia lewat transfer. Suffix -kan/-in adds the idea “for someone/for their benefit.”

How do I make a passive or policy-style sentence?

Passive: Sewa bulanan saya dibayar lewat transfer.
More formal/administrative: Sewa bulanan dibayarkan melalui transfer bank. / Pembayaran sewa bulanan dilakukan melalui transfer bank.

Can I omit the subject Saya?

Yes, if the context is clear or in notes/instructions: Bayar sewa bulanan lewat transfer. Subject dropping is common in Indonesian.

Can I use Aku or Gue instead of Saya?

Yes, depending on formality:

Saya: neutral/polite, safe with strangers at work.
Aku: informal, friendly.
Gue/Gua: very informal, Jakarta slang.

Does lewat also mean “late”? Is there any ambiguity?

lewat mainly means “through/past.” For “late,” use terlambat. Time expressions like jam dua lewat lima mean “2:05.” In lewat transfer, there’s no ambiguity—it clearly means “via transfer.”

What are the morphology notes for membayar and bulanan?

membayar: meN-
- bayar; because the root begins with b, it becomes memb- (assimilation).
bulanan: bulan (month) + -an → “monthly” (used attributively as in sewa bulanan).

How do I pronounce the key words?

membayar: mem-BAY-ar (bay like “buy” without the diphthong).
sewa: SE-wa (e like “say” but shorter; w as in English).
lewat: LE-wat (e similar to “ay” in “say,” but a pure vowel). Indonesian stress is light, usually near the penultimate syllable.

Is transfer a noun or a verb in Indonesian? What about mentransfer, ditransfer, transferan?

transfer: used as a noun (the method).
mentransfer: active verb “to transfer (money).”
ditransfer: passive “to be transferred.”
transferan: colloquial noun for incoming transfer/funds received. You’d say dapat transferan, not lewat transferan.

How do I mark possession (my rent, his rent)?

sewa bulanan saya/aku/gue = my monthly rent.
sewa bulanannya = the monthly rent (previously known/third-person). For clarity about ownership, prefer sewa bulanan dia (their/his/her).

What’s a more formal/business-like way to say the whole sentence?

Saya melakukan pembayaran sewa bulanan melalui transfer bank.
Or impersonal: Pembayaran sewa bulanan dilakukan melalui transfer bank.

How can I swap in other payment methods?

Keep the pattern and change the method:

Cash: … lewat tunai / secara tunai / pakai cash.
Debit/credit card: … dengan kartu debit/kredit.
E-wallet: … melalui e-wallet (OVO/GoPay/Dana).
ATM/mobile banking: … lewat ATM / m-banking.