Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Yang kami butuhkan adalah surat dari kantor pusat. - What we need is a letter from the head office.

It’s a cleft construction used to front and emphasize the “what”-part. In this sentence, Yang kami butuhkan (“what we need”) is made the topic, and adalah links it to the focus surat dari kantor pusat (“a/the letter from the head office”). Natural English: “What we need is a letter from the head office.”

What exactly is Yang kami butuhkan grammatically?

It’s a headless relative clause (literally “that/which we need”) being used as a noun phrase. Indonesian uses yang + clause to nominalize like English “what …”. So yang kami butuhkan = “what we need.”

Why is it butuhkan and not membutuhkan or butuh?

In object relative clauses after yang + subject, Indonesian typically avoids the meN- prefix: compare buku yang saya beli (“the book that I bought”), not ×buku yang saya membeli.
With butuh, the common standard form in this slot is butuhkan: yang kami butuhkan.
×yang kami membutuhkan is ungrammatical in this pattern.
You can use the full verb in a normal sentence: Kami membutuhkan surat… or the base: Kami butuh surat…, but inside this “yang …” clause, butuhkan is the idiomatic standard.

Can I use plain butuh or colloquial butuhin here?

Standard/neutral: yang kami butuhkan.
Colloquial Jakarta-style: yang kami butuhin (informal).
Some speakers say yang kami butuh, but in careful Indonesian butuhkan is preferred in this relative-clause slot.

Is adalah required? Can I use itu or nothing?

Formal/neutral: Yang kami butuhkan adalah surat dari kantor pusat.
Neutral spoken: Yang kami butuhkan itu surat dari kantor pusat. (here itu works like a topic marker/copula)
Casual spoken: Yang kami butuhkan surat dari kantor pusat. (no copula)
All are acceptable in the right register.

Where does itu go if I use it as the copula-like element?

Place itu right after the fronted clause: Yang kami butuhkan itu surat dari kantor pusat.
If you put itu at the end (…kantor pusat itu), it makes the noun definite (“that head office letter”), not a copula.

How would I say the same idea without the cleft?

Kami butuh surat dari kantor pusat. (neutral)
Kami membutuhkan surat dari kantor pusat. (more formal)
These are simpler and don’t add special emphasis.

Can I flip the order to “The letter … that we need”?

Yes: Surat dari kantor pusat yang kami butuhkan.
As a full sentence you’d typically add context or a verb, e.g., Surat dari kantor pusat yang kami butuhkan sudah dikirim. (“The letter from HQ that we need has been sent.”)

How do I ask “What do we need?” based on this?

Neutral: Apa yang kita/kami butuhkan?
Informal: Kita/Kami butuh apa?
Don’t add apa to the statement; Apa yang kami butuhkan adalah… would read like a question fragment, not a statement.

What’s the difference between kami and kita?

kami = we (excluding the listener)
kita = we (including the listener)
Choose based on whether you mean to include the person you’re talking to.

Does surat mean “a letter” or “the letter”? Do I need an article?

Indonesian has no articles. surat can mean “a letter” or “the letter” depending on context. You can mark indefiniteness with sebuah (“a/one”): sebuah surat, or definiteness with itu (“that/the”): surat itu, if needed.

How do I make it plural (“letters”)?

Reduplication: surat-surat = letters
Or use quantifiers: beberapa surat (several letters), semua surat (all the letters)

What exactly does kantor pusat mean? Is pusat an adjective?

kantor pusat = head office / headquarters (business/organization context).
pusat means “center/head” and modifies kantor (office). Don’t say ×pusat kantor. Other terms: markas besar (often military/police: “headquarters”).

Why use dari? Could it be kepada or untuk?

dari = from (source/origin): surat dari kantor pusat (a letter from HQ)
kepada = to (recipient): surat kepada kantor pusat (a letter to HQ)
untuk = for (intended for): surat untuk kantor pusat (a letter for HQ)

Can I make it passive, like “what is needed (by us)”?

Yes: Yang dibutuhkan (oleh kami) adalah surat dari kantor pusat.
Here dibutuhkan = “is needed.” You can drop oleh kami if context makes it clear who needs it.

Does the sentence specify tense (present/past/future)?

Indonesian doesn’t mark tense on the verb. Yang kami butuhkan can be present, past, or future depending on context. Add time/aspect markers if needed:

Yang kami butuhkan sekarang… (now)
Yang kami butuhkan tadi… (earlier)
Yang kami akan butuhkan… (will need)

Could I omit kami entirely?

Yes, but the meaning shifts to a general/impersonal one: Yang dibutuhkan adalah surat dari kantor pusat. = “What is needed is a letter from the head office.” It doesn’t say who needs it.

Any register notes?

The original sentence is neutral-to-formal and fine in emails, reports, and meetings.
For very casual speech, many would say: Kita butuh surat dari kantor pusat. or Yang kita butuhin itu surat dari kantor pusat.