Saya menitipkan kunci ke tetangga karena ada urusan keluarga.

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Questions & Answers about Saya menitipkan kunci ke tetangga karena ada urusan keluarga.

What does menitipkan mean exactly, and how is it different from titip or memberikan?
  • titip = to entrust/leave something with someone for safekeeping (temporary; you expect it back).
  • menitipkan = the formal/transitive form of titip; pattern: menitipkan [thing] (kepada/ke) [person].
  • memberikan = to give (transfer possession), not necessarily temporary.
  • Morphology: meN- + titip + -kan → menitipkan. The initial t of titip drops after meN- (standard sound change), leaving menitip-, then add -kan.
Why is ke used before tetangga? Can I use kepada, pada, or sama?
  • All are possible with slightly different register:
    • Formal/standard: menitipkan X kepada/pada Y.
    • Everyday speech: titip/menitipkan X ke Y (very common).
    • Very colloquial: titip X sama Y.
  • In careful writing, prefer kepada when the “destination” is a person.
Can I drop -kan and just say Saya titip kunci ke tetangga?
  • Yes. Saya titip kunci ke tetangga is natural and a bit more casual.
  • Very casual speech often uses nitip or the colloquial suffix -in: Saya nitip/titipin kunci ke tetangga.
What’s the difference between menitipkan and menitipi?
  • With -kan, the direct object is the thing: Saya menitipkan kunci kepada tetangga.
  • With -i, the direct object is the recipient/place: Saya menitipi tetangga kunci (grammatical but rare/old-fashioned).
  • In practice, speakers prefer either the -kan version or a passive with -i on the recipient: Tetangga saya dititipi kunci.
How would I say this in the passive?
  • Long passive (di-): Kunci dititipkan ke/kepada tetangga (oleh saya) karena ada urusan keluarga.
  • Short passive/topicalization: Kunci saya titipkan ke tetangga karena ada urusan keluarga. Both are common; the short version sounds very natural.
Do I need to say tetangga saya to mean my neighbor?
  • tetangga by itself is ambiguous (a/the neighbor). Indonesian doesn’t mark definiteness.
  • To be explicit: tetangga saya (my neighbor), tetangga itu (that/the neighbor), or seorang tetangga (a neighbor, introducing someone).
  • If you mean the neighbor’s place: ke rumah tetangga.
Is kunci singular or plural here? How do I make it clear?
  • kunci could be one or many; context decides.
  • To specify:
    • One: satu/sebuah kunci.
    • Several: beberapa kunci, dua/3 dst. kunci.
    • Reduplication (kunci-kunci) is possible but less common than using numbers/quantifiers.
How do I show past, present, or future time?
  • Indonesian is tenseless; add time/aspect words:
    • Past/completed: sudah, tadi, kemarin, barusan.
    • Future/intended: akan, nanti, mau (about to/intend).
  • Example: Saya sudah menitipkan kunci…, Saya akan menitipkan kunci….
Why use ada in karena ada urusan keluarga? Could I say saya punya?
  • ada is existential (“there is/are”), a neutral way to state a reason: “because there is a family matter.”
  • saya punya urusan keluarga sounds a bit more personal/possessive and is also fine in speech.
  • You can also say karena saya ada urusan keluarga; adding the subject is optional.
What’s the nuance difference between urusan keluarga, masalah keluarga, and acara keluarga?
  • urusan keluarga = family matter/affair (neutral; often used as a polite reason).
  • masalah keluarga = a family problem (implies difficulty/issue).
  • acara keluarga = a family event/occasion (e.g., gathering, ceremony).
Is karena the only way to say “because”? What about sebab or gara-gara?
  • karena = neutral, most common.
  • sebab = more formal/literary; interchangeable with karena in meaning.
  • gara-gara = colloquial and often implies blame/negative cause; avoid in neutral/formal contexts.
Can I put the reason first? Do I need a comma?
  • Yes: Karena ada urusan keluarga, saya menitipkan kunci ke tetangga.
  • When the reason clause comes first, use a comma. When it comes after, a comma is usually omitted.
Should it be ke tetangga or ke rumah tetangga?
  • ke tetangga focuses on the recipient (the person).
  • ke rumah tetangga specifies the location (to the neighbor’s house). Use this if you want to emphasize where you left the key.
How do I avoid repeating kunci if it’s already known?
  • Use the clitic -nya: Saya menitipkannya ke tetangga… Here, -nya replaces “the key” that’s understood from context.