Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Surat untuk bos sudah siap; tolong minta tanda tangan beliau. - The letter for the boss is ready; please ask for his/her signature.

The speaker is telling another person (the addressee) to go and get the boss’s signature. In other words: the letter is ready; please ask the boss to sign it / please obtain the boss’s signature.

What does beliau mean, and why use it here?

Beliau is a respectful third‑person singular pronoun (he/she) used for people of higher status or those you want to honor (e.g., a boss, teacher, official). It’s appropriate here because you’re talking about a superior. It can be used as subject, object, or to show possession, as in tanda tangan beliau (his/her signature).

Is it okay to mix bos with beliau?

It’s common and acceptable, but the register mixes casual (bos) with honorific (beliau). For a more uniformly formal tone, use atasan, or name/title: Surat untuk Bapak/Ibu [Nama] sudah siap; tolong minta tanda tangan beliau. In very casual contexts, bos is fine.

Why untuk and not kepada or buat?

untuk = for/intended for (neutral-formal). Fits well: Surat untuk bos.
kepada = to (often used in addresses or very formal requests): Surat kepada bos sudah siap is possible but sounds like “a letter to the boss is ready,” slightly more formal/literal.
buat = for (colloquial): Surat buat bos (casual speech).

Is tolong minta redundant, since both imply requesting?

No. Tolong functions like “please” (literally “help [me]”), and minta is the verb “ask/request.” Tolong minta… is a natural, polite imperative: “Please ask for…”. Avoid overly stacked forms like mohon minta, which feel redundant.

Should it be meminta instead of minta?

In direct requests/imperatives, the base verb is normal: Tolong minta tanda tangan beliau. Tolong meminta… is grammatical but heavier/more formal, and less common in everyday speech.

Is tanda tangan one or two words? Can it be a verb?

As a noun, it’s two words: tanda tangan (“signature”). Spelling it as one (tandatangan) is nonstandard.
The standard verb is menandatangani (“to sign” a document).
In casual speech, tanda tangan can act like a verb: minta dia tanda tangan, but for formal writing use menandatangani.

How do I say “Please ask him/her to sign this letter” more explicitly?

Tolong minta beliau menandatangani surat ini.
Or keep the noun approach: Tolong minta tanda tangan beliau di surat ini.

What does sudah add in sudah siap? Can I drop it or use telah?

Sudah marks completion (“already”). Surat … sudah siap = “the letter is already ready.” You can drop it (Surat … siap) but you lose the “already” nuance. Telah is a more formal synonym of sudah: telah siap.

Why a semicolon here? Could it be two sentences?

The semicolon links two closely related clauses. You could also write two sentences: Surat untuk bos sudah siap. Tolong minta tanda tangan beliau. Both are fine.

Can I use -nya to mean “the” letter, as in Suratnya?

Yes. Suratnya sudah siap means “the/that letter (we both know about) is ready.” If you keep the recipient phrase, you might say Surat untuk bos itu sudah siap or Suratnya untuk bos sudah siap (the latter is acceptable but can sound a bit clunky; often people just say Suratnya sudah siap if context is clear).

Could I say dia or -nya instead of beliau?

You can, but you’d lose the honorific tone:

Neutral: tanda tangannya (“his/her signature”).
Less respectful: tanda tangan dia.
Respectful: tanda tangan beliau (best when referring to a superior).

Is beliau gendered?

No. Beliau is gender‑neutral. It can mean “he” or “she” with respect.

Is there a more formal alternative to tolong?

Yes:

Mohon (formal, humble): Mohon minta tanda tangan beliau or better Mohon tanda tangan beliau.
Harap (impersonal/formal notice): Harap minta tanda tangan beliau (sounds like an instruction).
Silakan gives permission rather than a request, so Silakan minta… means “Go ahead and ask…,” not quite the same as “Please ask…”.

If I want to specify where to sign, what preposition should I use?

Use di for “on/in” a document: Tolong minta beliau menandatangani di halaman terakhir or … di bagian yang sudah diberi tanda. In very formal writing, pada is also used, but di is standard here.