Saya mengirim email kepada asisten dosen untuk menanyakan judul skripsi yang tepat.

I send an email to the teaching assistant to ask about the right thesis title.

Breakdown of Saya mengirim email kepada asisten dosen untuk menanyakan judul skripsi yang tepat.

• saya: I
• untuk: to
• yang: that
• mengirim: to send

Questions & Answers about Saya mengirim email kepada asisten dosen untuk menanyakan judul skripsi yang tepat.

Why do we use mengirim instead of just kirim or mengirimkan? Are they interchangeable?

The base verb is kirim (to send). Indonesian often uses different forms:

• kirim – base form; often used in commands or informal speech.

  • Kirim email ke saya, ya. = Send me an email, okay.

• mengirim – active verb with an explicit object; neutral and standard.

  • Saya mengirim email. = I send/sent an email.

• mengirimkan – also active, but often emphasizes the recipient or the act of sending something to someone.

  • Saya mengirimkan email kepada asisten dosen.
    This feels slightly more “complete” or a bit more formal/polished, but very close in meaning.

In your sentence, mengirim is perfectly natural and standard.
You can say mengirimkan email instead; it would still be correct and common.
Using plain kirim in the same sentence (Saya kirim email…) sounds more informal/conversational.

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What exactly does kepada do here, and how is it different from pada or omitting it?