Questions & Answers about Saya minta kembalian kepada kasir.
Is using kepada here natural, or should I use ke or sama?
All three are possible, with different registers:
- Formal/neutral: Saya minta kembalian kepada kasir.
- Neutral/informal: Saya minta kembalian ke kasir.
- Colloquial: Saya minta kembalian sama kasir. In everyday speech, ke or sama sounds more natural. Kepada feels formal or written.
Does this sentence sound like something you would actually say at a counter?
It’s grammatical but sounds like you’re reporting the action to someone else. At the counter you’d usually use a short, soft request such as:
- Permisi, kembaliannya belum.
- Boleh minta kembaliannya?
- Mbak/Mas, kembaliannya ya. Those are more idiomatic than the full sentence with kepada kasir.
Is minta too casual? What about meminta or mohon?
- minta = everyday neutral and perfectly fine in speech.
- meminta = more formal/politer, common in writing or careful speech.
- mohon = very formal “to request/plead,” not natural for asking a cashier for change. To sound polite, add softeners: Boleh minta kembaliannya?, Tolong, saya minta kembaliannya.