Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Dia punya sedikit utang, tetapi cicilan dibayar tepat waktu. - She/He has a little debt, but the installments are paid on time.

Dia is gender-neutral: it can mean either “he” or “she.” Context supplies gender.
Alternatives:
- Ia is a slightly more formal/written version of dia.
- Beliau is an honorific for a respected older person or someone of higher status.
- If you must clarify gender, you can add a descriptor: dia (laki-laki), dia (perempuan)—but this is rarely needed in natural speech.

Why use punya here? Could I say memiliki or ada?

Punya is the everyday “to have/own” and sounds natural in conversation.
Memiliki is more formal/written: “Ia memiliki sedikit utang …”
Ada expresses existence, not possession with a subject. Use it like:
- “Ada sedikit utang” = “There is a little debt” (existential).
- Not “Dia ada sedikit utang” for possession; prefer “Dia punya sedikit utang” or “Dia berutang sedikit.”

What does sedikit utang convey? Could I use beberapa utang?

Sedikit utang = a small amount of debt (amount-focused).
Beberapa utang = a few debts (separate obligations). It’s possible if you mean multiple distinct debts, but speakers more often treat utang as a mass noun.
Alternatives:
- Tidak banyak utang = not much debt.
- Beberapa pinjaman = a few loans (if you mean separate loan products).

Is it utang or hutang? Which spelling is correct?

Both exist; modern standard usage prefers utang. Hutang is very common in everyday writing and speech and will be understood.
Useful related forms: berutang (to be in debt), piutang (receivables/what is owed to you).

What does cicilan mean exactly?

Cicilan = installment payment(s), the periodic payments toward a debt/loan.
Near-synonyms: angsuran (very close in meaning), bayaran cicilan (payment of an installment).
Related verbs/words:
- Mencicil = to pay in installments.
- Kredit = purchase/loan on credit.

Why is cicilan not marked as plural even though more than one installment is implied?

Indonesian usually doesn’t mark plural. Cicilan can refer to installments in general.
To emphasize plurality, you can say cicilan-cicilan, but it’s rarely needed. Context is enough.
Semua cicilan dibayar tepat waktu explicitly means “all installments are paid on time.”

Why is the second clause passive (cicilan dibayar) instead of active?

Passive focuses on the object/result (the installments), not on who pays.
It keeps the topic flow: first clause about the person’s debt, second about the state of payment.
Active equivalent: Dia membayar cicilan tepat waktu.

Who is paying in cicilan dibayar tepat waktu? How can I make the agent explicit?

The agent is understood from context (likely the same dia).
To specify the agent:
- Cicilan dibayar oleh dia tepat waktu. (more formal with “oleh”)
- Dia membayar cicilan tepat waktu. (active)
- Cicilan dia bayar tepat waktu. (colloquial passive type 2; base verb “bayar” without “di-”)

What’s the difference between dibayar, dibayarkan, membayar, membayarkan, and terbayar?

dibayar = is/was paid (simple passive).
- Example: Cicilan dibayar tepat waktu.
dibayarkan = is/was paid/disbursed (often implies “paid off,” sometimes for someone).
- Example: Cicilan dibayarkan perusahaan.
membayar = to pay.
- Example: Dia membayar cicilan.
membayarkan = to pay on behalf of someone or to cause a payment to be made.
- Example: Dia membayarkan cicilan adiknya.
terbayar = ends up being paid/already paid (resultative state).
- Example: Cicilan bulan ini sudah terbayar.

Should I add -nya for possession (cicilannya dibayar)? What nuance changes?

Cicilannya = his/her installment(s), definite and specific.
Without -nya (cicilan), it can read more generally, but here listeners still understand it as “his/her installments.”
Both are acceptable; many prefer cicilannya for clarity in writing.
Compare:
- Dia punya sedikit utang.
- Utangnya sedikit. (His/her debt is small — different focus)

Is the comma before tetapi required?

Yes. Standard punctuation (PUEBI) uses a comma before coordinating conjunctions like tetapi when linking two independent clauses.
So “…, tetapi …” is standard. In casual texts you may see it omitted, but keep it in formal writing.

Can I replace tetapi with tapi or namun? Any register or punctuation differences?

tapi = informal/colloquial equivalent of tetapi. Comma usage is the same: “…, tapi …”
namun = more formal; functions like “however.” It usually starts a new sentence or follows a semicolon:
- Dia punya sedikit utang. Namun, cicilannya dibayar tepat waktu.
- Some editors also accept “…, namun, …” in formal writing.

How is tense/aspect expressed here? Does it mean present, past, or habitual?

Indonesian verbs don’t inflect for tense; dibayar is tenseless.
Time/aspect comes from context or adverbs:
- Habitual: Cicilan selalu dibayar tepat waktu.
- Completed: Cicilan sudah/telah dibayar.
- Future: Cicilan akan dibayar.

Is there a more formal way to say the whole sentence?

A natural formal rewrite:
- Ia memiliki sedikit utang; namun, cicilannya dibayar tepat waktu.
Notes:
- Ia and memiliki feel more formal than dia and punya.
- Semicolon + namun, is a common formal pattern.

Could I use berutang instead of punya … utang?

Yes, but the nuance shifts slightly:
- Dia berutang sedikit. = He/she is indebted (by a small amount). Less common in casual speech than Dia punya sedikit utang.
- Dia masih berutang. = He/she still owes money (state of owing).
To specify the creditor: Dia berutang kepada bank.