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Saya menanyakan ukuran sepatu kepada kasir sebelum membayar.

Saya menanyakan ukuran sepatu kepada kasir sebelum membayar.
I ask the cashier about the shoe size before paying.

Breakdown of Saya menanyakan ukuran sepatu kepada kasir sebelum membayar.

saya
I
sebelum
before
kasir
the cashier
membayar
to pay
kepada
to
menanyakan
to ask about
ukuran sepatu
the shoe size
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Questions & Answers about Saya menanyakan ukuran sepatu kepada kasir sebelum membayar.

Why is the verb menanyakan used here instead of bertanya?

Both can translate as to ask, but they behave differently:

  • menanyakan + object (+ kepada/pada + person) = to ask about something (the thing asked is a direct object).
    Example pattern: Saya menanyakan X kepada Y.
  • bertanya (+ kepada/pada + person) (+ tentang/soal/perihal + topic) = to ask (in general), and the topic is usually introduced with tentang/soal.
    Example pattern: Saya bertanya kepada Y tentang X.

So Saya menanyakan ukuran sepatu kepada kasir is natural because ukuran sepatu is treated as the direct object (what you asked).

What does the suffix -kan in menanyakan do?

The root is tanya (ask). Adding -kan commonly makes the verb more clearly transitive/causative in the sense of asking something (a question/topic):

  • tanya (informal/root): Saya tanya kasir (colloquial)
  • bertanya: focuses on the act of asking
  • menanyakan: emphasizes the thing asked as an object: menanyakan ukuran (ask the size)

In many cases, menanyakan roughly corresponds to ask (something), while bertanya corresponds to ask (someone).

Why is it menanyakan and not menanya?

Standard Indonesian generally uses menanyakan (or bertanya) rather than menanya in everyday modern usage. Menanya exists but is much less common and often feels more literary or formal. For normal conversation, menanyakan is the safe choice.

Why does tanya become menanyakan (with men-)?

This is the meN- verb prefix, used to form active verbs. The nasal sound changes depending on the first consonant of the root. With tanya, the t is replaced by n:

  • tanya → menanya- → menanyakan

This type of change is common (e.g., tulis → menulis, tarik → menarik).

Why use kepada here? Can I use pada instead?

Yes, pada also works. The difference is mostly style/clarity:

  • kepada strongly signals the recipient is a person (the “to someone” meaning).
  • pada is more general and can sound slightly more neutral.

Both are correct here:

  • Saya menanyakan ukuran sepatu kepada kasir...
  • Saya menanyakan ukuran sepatu pada kasir...
Is the word order fixed? Could I move kepada kasir earlier?

You can move it, but the most neutral order is:

  • Verb + object + kepada/pada + person
    menanyakan ukuran sepatu kepada kasir

Other orders are possible for emphasis, though they may feel a bit marked:

  • Saya menanyakan kepada kasir ukuran sepatu... (still correct; slightly more emphasis on the person you asked)
Should it be ukuran sepatu or ukuran sepatunya?

Both can be correct, depending on what you mean:

  • ukuran sepatu = shoe size (general / the size of the shoes in question)
  • ukuran sepatunya = the size of the shoes (more specific/definite, often implying a particular pair)

In a shop context, ukuran sepatu is very natural if it’s clear you mean the shoes you’re buying/looking at.

Does this sentence indicate past tense? How do I show tense in Indonesian?

By itself, Saya menanyakan... sebelum membayar does not explicitly mark tense; it can be understood as past if the context is a completed story. Indonesian typically relies on context or time words:

  • Past: add tadi, kemarin, barusan, etc.
    Saya menanyakan ... tadi sebelum membayar.
  • Future: add nanti, besok, etc.
    Saya akan menanyakan ... sebelum membayar.
Why is it sebelum membayar and not sebelum saya membayar?

Indonesian often omits the subject in the second clause when it’s clearly the same as the first subject:

  • Saya menanyakan ... sebelum membayar. (subject understood = I) You can include it for clarity or emphasis:
  • Saya menanyakan ... sebelum saya membayar.

Both are grammatical.

Should membayar take an object, like membayarnya or membayar sepatu itu?

It depends on what you want to specify:

  • membayar alone = pay (the bill/at checkout is understood) — very common in shops.
  • membayar sepatu itu = pay for those shoes (explicit object)
  • membayarnya = pay for it/them (explicit but with a pronoun)

So the original sebelum membayar is natural and complete in context.

Can I replace this with Saya bertanya kepada kasir tentang ukuran sepatu sebelum membayar?

Yes, that’s also correct and very common. The difference is mostly framing:

  • menanyakan ukuran sepatu kepada kasir = highlights the thing asked (the shoe size)
  • bertanya kepada kasir tentang ukuran sepatu = highlights the act of asking the cashier

Both sound natural; many speakers would use either without much difference.

How would I make this more polite/formal?

Common options:

  • Add a polite softener: Saya menanyakan ukuran sepatu kepada kasir sebelum membayar, ya. (context-dependent)
  • Use ingin/mau to soften intention:
    Saya ingin menanyakan ukuran sepatu kepada kasir sebelum membayar.
  • Use permisi (excuse me) in real speech:
    Permisi, saya mau tanya ukuran sepatu sebelum bayar. (more conversational)