Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Pedagang sop membagikan kupon diskon kepada pelanggan lama. - The soup vendor hands out discount coupons to longtime customers.

membagikan (meN- + bagi + -kan) emphasizes distributing something to multiple recipients. Typical frame: membagikan [thing] kepada [people].
membagi focuses on dividing/splitting something into parts; it can mean “distribute,” but the emphasis isn’t on the recipients.
memberikan is a neutral “to give (something to someone)”; it doesn’t imply wide distribution.
Here the idea is “handing out” to many customers, so membagikan fits best.

What does the suffix -kan do in membagikan?

-kan often marks a benefactive or causative nuance. With bagi, -kan signals distributing something for/to beneficiaries.
Pattern: [Actor] membagikan [item] kepada [recipients].
Without -kan (i.e., membagi), the verb leans toward “divide/split.”

Why use kepada instead of ke, untuk, or pada?

kepada: the standard preposition for recipients (especially people) after verbs like memberikan/membagikan/mengirimkan.
ke: primarily “to” for directions/places; colloquially used with people, but less formal.
untuk: “for,” indicating purpose or intended beneficiary, not the act of handing over.
pada: can be used with human recipients in formal writing, but after verbs of giving, kepada is the safest choice: membagikan … kepada ….

Does pelanggan lama mean “old customers” (by age)?

No. pelanggan lama means “long-time customers.” For age, use tua: pelanggan tua = elderly customers. So:

pelanggan lama: customers who have been customers for a long time.
pelanggan tua: customers who are old in age.

What’s the difference between pelanggan, pembeli, and langganan?

pelanggan: a customer, usually implying repeat business.
pembeli: a buyer (could be one-time).
langganan: as a noun, a subscriber/regular; as an adjective, “regular/favorite” (e.g., warung langganan saya = my regular stall).
pelanggan tetap = regular customer; pelanggan lama = long-time customer (duration).

Could I say para pelanggan lama to stress the plural?

Yes. para marks a plural group of people: kepada para pelanggan lama. It’s optional because Indonesian doesn’t require explicit plural marking; context usually suffices. Using para makes it a bit more formal/emphatic.

Why is it pedagang sop? Would penjual sop or tukang sop work?

All can work, with nuance:

pedagang: trader/merchant; slightly more formal.
penjual: seller; neutral, common.
tukang: tradesperson/handyman; often used for street vendors (e.g., tukang bakso). tukang sop is understandable, though less common than, say, tukang soto. Pick based on register and local norms; penjual sop is a safe everyday option.

Why sop and not sup?

Both exist:

sop usually refers to Indonesian-style soups (e.g., sop buntut, sop ayam).
sup often feels more “Western” or general. Many speakers use them interchangeably. Given typical street food contexts, sop is very natural.

Why is it kupon diskon and not diskon kupon?

Indonesian noun phrases are typically head + modifier:

kupon diskon = a coupon (for discounts).
diskon kupon would read as “coupon discount” (a discount that comes from coupons), which isn’t the intended meaning here.

Is kupon enough by itself, or do I need kupon diskon?

kupon is generic (lottery coupon, raffle coupon, meal coupon, etc.). kupon diskon clarifies the type. Alternatives:

voucher diskon
kupon belanja (shopping coupon; context-dependent)

How do I count or quantify kupon?

Use classifiers:

selembar kupon (one sheet coupon) if it’s paper-like.
beberapa lembar kupon (several coupons).
Just beberapa kupon is also fine in casual use.

Can I drop kepada and say “membagikan kupon diskon pelanggan lama”?

No. With this verb, the recipients need a preposition. The natural pattern is:

membagikan [kupon diskon] kepada [pelanggan lama] Without kepada, it reads as if “pelanggan lama” were another direct object, which is ungrammatical.

What’s the passive version, and when would I use it?

Passive: Kupon diskon dibagikan kepada pelanggan lama (oleh pedagang sop). Use it to focus on the coupons or the event rather than on the vendor. The agent (oleh pedagang sop) can be omitted if it’s obvious or unimportant.

Is there a more casual way to say membagikan?

Yes, colloquial options include:

bagi-bagi (reduplicated, casual): Pedagang sop bagi-bagi kupon diskon ke pelanggan lama.
bagiin / ngebagiin (Jakarta colloquial). Note that ke often replaces kepada in casual speech.

What about memberikan here—would it be wrong?

Not wrong, but it slightly changes the nuance:

memberikan kupon diskon kepada pelanggan lama = gives (may be one-to-one or in general).
membagikan … kepada … = hands out to many recipients. For a promo “handout,” membagikan is more idiomatic.

Is there a way to show that these are specifically “his/her” longtime customers?

Add -nya to the noun phrase:

kepada pelanggan lamanya = to his/her/their longtime customers. You can also add para for plural emphasis: kepada para pelanggan lamanya.

Why is the adjective lama after the noun (pelanggan)?

Adjectives typically follow nouns in Indonesian. So:

pelanggan lama (noun + adjective) Placing the adjective before the noun is not standard (unlike in English).