Saya mampu membayar bil itu.

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Breakdown of Saya mampu membayar bil itu.

• itu: that
• bil: the bill
• membayar: to pay

Questions & Answers about Saya mampu membayar bil itu.

What does mampu mean here?

Mampu means able, capable, or sometimes able to afford.

In Saya mampu membayar bil itu, it suggests that the speaker has the ability or means to pay the bill. Because the action is paying a bill, English speakers often understand this as I can afford to pay that bill or I am able to pay that bill.

So mampu is a little stronger and more specific than just a general can.

How is mampu different from boleh or dapat?

These words can all overlap, but they are not exactly the same:

• mampu = able, capable, having the capacity or means
• boleh = can, may, allowed to, possible to
• dapat = can, able to, manage to, obtain

In this sentence:

• Saya mampu membayar bil itu = I am able / I can afford to pay that bill
• Saya boleh membayar bil itu = I can pay that bill
  This is more general, and sometimes boleh can also sound like permission or possibility depending on context.
• Saya dapat membayar bil itu = I am able to / managed to pay that bill
  Depending on context, this can sound a bit more like succeeding in doing it.

So mampu is a very natural choice when talking about ability or financial capacity.

Why is it membayar and not just ?