Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Justru pemimpin meminta revisi kecil supaya catatan lebih jelas. - Instead, the leader asks for a small revision so that the notes are clearer.

justru marks contrast or an unexpected turn, like "actually," "instead," or "on the contrary." Putting it first highlights that the action is contrary to what someone might assume. Without justru, the sentence loses that contrastive emphasis.

Can I move justru or change the word order?

Yes.

Pemimpin justru meminta revisi kecil supaya catatan lebih jelas. (focuses the contrast on the verb phrase)
You can front the purpose clause: Supaya catatan lebih jelas, pemimpin justru meminta revisi kecil.
Avoid placing justru at the very end of the sentence; that sounds odd.

Is malah or bahkan interchangeable with justru?

malah ≈ justru ("instead/actually"), a bit more colloquial. Often fine here.
bahkan = "even" (adds intensity, not contradiction). Using bahkan would change the nuance.

Why is there no article before pemimpin? How do I say "the leader"?

Indonesian has no articles. Definiteness comes from context or markers:

pemimpinnya = that/the leader already known
sang pemimpin = the leader (elevated/literary) Context alone often suffices.

What's the difference between pemimpin and pimpinan (and words like atasan/ketua)?

pemimpin: the person who leads (leader).
pimpinan: leadership/management (institution or office), sometimes "the leadership" as a group.
atasan: your boss/superior.
ketua: the head/chair of a group or meeting.

What's the nuance difference between meminta and minta?

Same meaning ("ask/request"). meminta is standard/formal; minta is casual. Both are acceptable here.

How does meminta take objects and people correctly?

Common patterns:

meminta + thing: meminta revisi kecil (ask for a small revision)
meminta kepada + person + thing: meminta kepada editor revisi kecil (formal)
meminta + person + untuk/agar/supaya + clause: meminta editor untuk merevisi Avoid: meminta untuk + noun (ungrammatical).

Does revisi kecil mean "a few revisions" or "minor revision(s)"?

It means "minor in scope/impact" (minor revision[s]). For quantity, use beberapa revisi or sedikit revisi ("a few revisions"). Note: revisi minor is also common; perubahan (changes) and koreksi (corrections) are related but not identical.

Do I need to mark plural for catatan or revisi?

No. Number is usually unmarked. Use:

beberapa catatan/revisi (some)
catatan-catatan (reduplication) if you must stress plurality.

Why use supaya here? How is it different from agar/biar/untuk?

supaya and agar: "so that" (purpose), take a full clause; agar is a bit more formal.
biar: informal "so that."
untuk: "to/for" before a verb/noun, not a full clause. Compare:
- supaya/agar/biar catatan lebih jelas
- untuk membuat catatan lebih jelas

Is supaya the same as sehingga?

No.

supaya/agar/biar express intended purpose.
sehingga introduces a result/outcome ("so that it ended up..."), not an intention.

How do comparatives work here? Why lebih jelas, and do I need daripada or menjadi?

lebih + adjective = "more + adjective"; the comparator can be implied (e.g., than before).
You can add it: lebih jelas daripada sebelumnya.
Adding menjadi ("become") is optional: supaya catatan (menjadi) lebih jelas. With menjadi sounds slightly more formal/emphatic about change.

Do I need yang, like catatan yang lebih jelas, in this sentence?

Not here. supaya catatan lebih jelas is a full clause (subject + predicate). catatan yang lebih jelas is a noun phrase ("notes that are clearer") and would change the structure/meaning.

How would a passive version look?

Revisi kecil justru diminta (oleh) pemimpin supaya catatan lebih jelas.
This shifts the focus onto the revision rather than the leader.

How can I make this more casual or more formal?

Casual: Justru bos minta revisi sedikit biar catatan makin jelas.
More formal: Justru pimpinan meminta revisi minor agar catatan menjadi lebih jelas.