Saya membayar deposit sebelum menandatangani perjanjian.

No. Malay verbs do not change form for tense the way English verbs do.

So membayar can mean:

• pay
• paid
• will pay

The time is usually understood from context. If you want to make it clearer, you can add time words or aspect markers such as:

• sudah / telah = already, have/has done
• akan = will

For example:

• Saya sudah membayar deposit... = I already paid the deposit...
• Saya akan membayar deposit... = I will pay the deposit...

In your sentence, sebelum menandatangani perjanjian already gives a sequence of events, so the meaning is clear without a past marker.

Bayar is the root word, and membayar is the standard active verb form.

• bayar = pay / payment root
• membayar = to pay

The prefix meN- often forms an active verb in standard Malay. Because the root starts with b, meN- becomes mem-, giving membayar.

In everyday spoken Malay, people very often drop the prefix and simply say:

• Saya bayar deposit...

That sounds natural in casual conversation. But in more careful, formal, or written Malay, membayar is better.

Saya is the neutral and polite word for I. It is the safest choice in most situations, especially in formal contexts like money, contracts, or agreements.

Aku is more informal and is usually used:

• with close friends
• in very casual speech
• in song lyrics, fiction, or emotional speech

Because this sentence is about a deposit and an agreement, saya fits much better.

Because the subject is already understood to be the same person: saya.

In Malay, after words like sebelum (before), the subject is often omitted if it is obvious from the main clause.

So:

• Saya membayar deposit sebelum menandatangani perjanjian.

naturally means:

• I paid the deposit before I signed the agreement.

If you want to make it explicit, you can say:

• Saya membayar deposit sebelum saya menandatangani perjanjian.

That is also correct, but slightly less compact.

Menandatangani comes from tanda tangan, which means signature or sign.

Breakdown:

• tanda tangan = signature
• meN- ... -i added to it gives menandatangani = to sign something

This is a very common standard verb for signing a document:

• menandatangani kontrak = to sign a contract
• menandatangani borang = to sign a form
• menandatangani perjanjian = to sign an agreement

So in this sentence, menandatangani is the correct formal verb for signing the agreement.

The -i is part of the verb formation and helps make it a verb meaning to do something to/with a target object.

Here, the object is:

• perjanjian = the agreement

So:

• menandatangani perjanjian = to sign the agreement

You do not need to over-translate -i every time, but it is useful to notice that many Malay verbs use endings like -i or -kan when they take an object in a particular way.

For learners, the most important thing is to learn menandatangani as the normal verb meaning to sign something.

It is a loanword from English, but yes, it is very commonly used in Malay.

You will often hear deposit in contexts like:

• renting a house
• booking something
• paying in advance
• security deposits

So membayar deposit sounds natural.

Depending on context, Malay may also use more specific expressions, such as:

• wang pendahuluan = advance payment / down payment
• deposit keselamatan = security deposit

But deposit itself is completely normal.

Perjanjian comes from the root janji, which means promise.

The form perjanjian means something like:

• agreement
• contract
• treaty
• formal arrangement

So the idea is essentially something agreed upon.

In legal or business contexts, perjanjian is very common. It can be broader than just a casual agreement and often sounds fairly formal.

Yes. That is completely normal.

Sebelum means before, and it can be followed by:

• a verb phrase
• a noun phrase
• a full clause

Examples:

• sebelum makan = before eating
• sebelum tidur = before sleeping
• sebelum menandatangani perjanjian = before signing the agreement

So the structure in your sentence is very natural.

Yes. That is also correct.

Both versions are natural:

• Saya membayar deposit sebelum menandatangani perjanjian.
• Sebelum menandatangani perjanjian, saya membayar deposit.

The difference is mainly emphasis:

• the original starts with what happened
• the second version starts with when it happened

English does the same:

• I paid the deposit before signing the agreement.
• Before signing the agreement, I paid the deposit.

Yes, in casual spoken Malay, many speakers would say something like that.

Compared with the original:

• Saya membayar deposit sebelum menandatangani perjanjian. = more standard, formal, written
• Saya bayar deposit sebelum tandatangan perjanjian. = more casual, conversational

A learner should recognize both, but if you are writing or speaking in a more formal setting, the original sentence is the better model.