How to Say 'Mengirim' in Casual Indonesian (Kirim, Ngirim)

Your textbook says mengirim. "To send." Formal. Correct. And.. not what anyone actually says in conversation.

That meng- prefix makes it sound like a news broadcast. Real people keep it simple.

Kirim: The Everyday Version

Drop the meng- prefix and you get kirim. This is the version you'll hear everywhere. Shops. Chats. Daily life.

• "Udah kirim?" = Have you sent it?
• "Kirim ke mana?" = Send it where?

Short. Direct. No fuss.

You'll notice kirim works perfectly on its own. No prefix needed. The meng- was just formal decoration.. and casual Indonesian strips it right off.

Ngirim: The Nasal Variant

There's also ngirim. It keeps the nasal ng- sound from the original meng- prefix but drops everything else. Same meaning. Slightly different flavor.

• "Ngirim ke mana?" = Sending where?
• "Lagi ngirim paket" = Currently sending a package

Some speakers prefer ngirim when the verb needs that active feel. Both kirim and ngirim are totally natural. You can't go wrong with either.

Kirim + Suffixes

This is where it gets fun. Add the -in suffix and kirim becomes a request directed at someone.

"Kirimin dong" = Send it to me. The -in makes it transitive (send for me), and dong adds that soft persuasive push. Very common in group chats.

"Kirimin gue foto tadi" = Send me that photo from earlier.

Texting Culture Gold

Kirim might be the most-typed verb in Indonesian messaging. Seriously. Think about how often you say "send" on your phone.

• "Kirim foto" = Send a photo
• "Kirim lokasi" = Send location (you hear this constantly with Grab and Gojek drivers)
• "Kirim via WA aja" = Just send it via WhatsApp

It's fast, it's clean, and it fits the rhythm of chat perfectly. Mengirim would feel absurd in a text message.

Bonus: The Flip Side

If there's sending, there's receiving. The formal menerima follows the same pattern.

• Terima = casual, prefix dropped
• Nerima = casual, nasal kept

"Udah terima?" = Have you received it? You'll hear this one right after someone says udah kirim.

The Takeaway

Mengirim is for documents and speeches. Kirim is for life. It's the verb powering millions of Indonesian text messages every day.. and if you're not using it yet, you're overthinking things.

So.. what's the last thing you asked someone to kirimin? 🤔