Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Anggaran bulanan kami dibuat sehingga pengeluaran tidak melebihi pendapatan. - Our monthly budget is made so that expenses do not exceed income.

Sehingga links a cause to its result, roughly “so that/as a result.” In this sentence it means “made such that,” emphasizing the outcome.
Agar/supaya express purpose/intent (“in order that/so that”).
Many speakers would prefer purpose linkers here because you design a budget with an intention. Both occur in practice, but for clear intent use:
- Anggaran bulanan kami dibuat agar/supaya pengeluaran tidak melebihi pendapatan.
For pure result (no intention), use sehingga:
- Kami terlambat, sehingga rapat ditunda.

Why is the passive dibuat used? Can I say this in active voice?

Passive focuses on the object (the budget) and keeps the doer backgrounded/unspecified.
Active is fine if you want to highlight the doer:
- Kami membuat/menyusun anggaran bulanan agar pengeluaran tidak melebihi pendapatan.
If you want to name the doer in passive, add oleh:
- Anggaran bulanan kami dibuat oleh tim keuangan agar …

In Anggaran bulanan kami dibuat, is kami the doer?

No. Kami here marks possession (“our”), modifying anggaran. The agent of dibuat is not stated. If you need to say “by us,” use oleh kami.

When should I use kami vs kita?

Kami = we (not including the listener). Suits formal statements from a group to outsiders.
Kita = we (including the listener). Use when the listener is part of the group.
Changing it changes who is included: Anggaran bulanan kita implies the listener shares the budget.

Does melebihi need dari/daripada after it?

No. Melebihi is a transitive verb that takes a direct object.

Right: pengeluaran tidak melebihi pendapatan
Avoid: pengeluaran tidak melebihi dari pendapatan

Is tidak melebihi the only way to say “not more than”?

Other common options:

pengeluaran tidak lebih dari pendapatan (comparative phrase; neutral)
pengeluaran tidak melampaui pendapatan (synonym of melebihi; slightly more formal/strong)
All are acceptable; melebihi/melampaui are concise and formal; lebih dari is very common in speech.

What’s the difference between pendapatan, penghasilan, and pemasukan? And between pengeluaran, biaya, belanja?

Income-side:
- Pendapatan: income/revenue; common in business/finance.
- Penghasilan: earnings, often personal (e.g., taxable income).
- Pemasukan: inflow; everyday term, informal-neutral.
Expense-side:
- Pengeluaran: expenditures/spending; neutral umbrella term.
- Biaya: costs/expenses tied to activities (cost of X).
- Belanja: spending, often government or household “spend.”
- In accounting, beban = expense recognized in P&L.

Is dibuat sehingga natural? Would dibuat agar/supaya be better?

It’s acceptable, but many prefer agar/supaya here to express purpose more clearly:
- Anggaran bulanan kami disusun agar/supaya pengeluaran tidak melebihi pendapatan.
Sehingga emphasizes the outcome; agar/supaya the intention.

What other verbs besides dibuat fit here, and what are their nuances?

Disusun: drawn up/put together (process/arrangement).
Dirancang: designed (planning/engineering vibe).
Ditetapkan: set/established/approved (decision/ratification).
Disiapkan: prepared (readied). Example: Anggaran bulanan kami disusun agar …

Why anggaran bulanan kami (noun + modifiers after), not kami anggaran bulanan?

Indonesian puts modifiers after the noun:

Head noun: anggaran
Adjective: bulanan
Possessor: kami Hence: anggaran bulanan kami = “our monthly budget.”

What does bulanan come from? Are there similar time-frequency adjectives?

Bulanan = bulan
- -an (“monthly”).
Common set: harian (daily), mingguan (weekly), bulanan (monthly), tahunan (yearly).
You can also say per bulan (“per month”).

Does dibuat mean “is made” or “was made”? How do I show tense/aspect?

Indonesian doesn’t mark tense morphologically. Dibuat can mean past or present depending on context. Add time/aspect markers if needed:

Past: sudah / a time adverbial: Anggaran … sudah dibuat tahun lalu.
Progressive: sedang: Anggaran … sedang dibuat.
Future: akan: Anggaran … akan dibuat.

Can I make a more casual version of the sentence?

Yes, for everyday speech:

Anggaran bulanan kami disusun supaya pengeluaran nggak lebih dari pemasukan. Variations: enggak/gak for tidak; pemasukan for pendapatan.

Should there be a comma before sehingga?

Not required in a sentence like this. Use a comma if the preceding clause is long or for readability, but it’s optional. Avoid the redundant pattern karena … sehingga … in one sentence.

How would I say the affirmative “expenses exceed income”?

Pengeluaran melebihi pendapatan. Alternative:
Pengeluaran lebih besar dari pendapatan. (comparative phrasing)