Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Kami menitipkan paket kepada resepsionis kantor. - We leave a package with the office receptionist.

It means “to entrust/leave something in someone else’s care,” usually temporarily, with the expectation they will keep it safe or pass it along. It is not the same as “to deliver to the final recipient.”

Example contrast: Kami menitipkan paket kepada resepsionis (untuk Pak Andi). vs Kami menyerahkan paket kepada Pak Andi.

Why is kepada used instead of ke?

Use kepada for a recipient who is a person. ke is primarily directional “to/toward” a place. In everyday speech, many speakers do use ke with people (e.g., Kami menitipkan paket ke resepsionis), but kepada is the standard/formal choice for recipients.

Can I use pada instead of kepada?

Yes: Kami menitipkan paket pada resepsionis kantor. In modern standard Indonesian, both kepada and pada can mark human recipients. kepada often feels a bit more conversational; pada can feel neutral/formal. With inanimate targets, prefer pada/di/ke depending on meaning.

Do I need the suffix -kan? What about menitip, titip, or nitip?

Neutral/formal when you mention the item: menitipkan [thing] kepada/pada [recipient].
menitip also occurs with an object, but is a little less formal.
titip is the root; common in speech and imperatives: Titip paketnya, ya.
Colloquial: nitip/nitipin (Jakarta-style): Kami nitipin paket ke resepsionis. Your original with menitipkan is perfect in careful/neutral style.

What does the suffix -kan add here?

It makes the verb explicitly transitive and focuses on the thing entrusted as the direct object. With menitipkan, the pattern is: menitipkan [item] kepada/pada [recipient]. Without -kan, people still say menitip [item], but menitipkan sounds more precise/formal.

Is resepsionis kantor the right way to say “the office receptionist”?

Yes. Indonesian stacks nouns as head + modifier:

resepsionis kantor = the office receptionist. Saying kantor resepsionis would mean “the receptionist’s office (room).” You can also say resepsionis di kantor (“the receptionist at the office”), which emphasizes location.

How do I show “the” receptionist (definiteness) in Indonesian?

There’s no article. Common ways:

Add itu: resepsionis kantor itu (that/the particular office receptionist).
Use possession: resepsionis kantor kami (our office’s receptionist).
Use -nya when context is shared: resepsionisnya often means “the receptionist (there).”

Why kami and not kita?

kami = we (excluding the listener).
kita = we (including the listener). Your sentence says the listener wasn’t part of the “we.”

Can I drop the subject kami?

Yes, if context makes it clear who the subject is:

(Kami) menitipkan paket kepada resepsionis kantor tadi pagi. Indonesian often omits pronouns when they’re inferable.

Is the word order fixed? Could I put the recipient before the object?

Keep the item as the direct object after the verb, and put the recipient in a prepositional phrase:

Natural: Kami menitipkan paket kepada resepsionis kantor.
Odd/ungrammatical: Kami menitipkan kepada resepsionis kantor paket.

How would people say this in casual conversation?

Common variants:

Kami nitip paket ke resepsionis kantor.
Very informal: Gue nitipin paket ke resepsionis.
Slightly relaxed: Kami titip paket ke resepsionis kantor. Note: ke with people is very common in speech; kepada is more formal.

Can I use untuk here?

Not to mark the person you leave it with. untuk means “for (the benefit of).” Compare:

Kami menitipkan paket kepada resepsionis kantor untuk Pak Andi. (We left it with the receptionist for Mr. Andi.) Using only untuk for the receptionist would be incorrect for “leave it with.”

Could I use menyerahkan or meninggalkan instead of menitipkan?

menyerahkan = hand over/submit to the final recipient. Use if the receptionist is the intended recipient.
meninggalkan = leave behind (no safekeeping implied), often with di: meninggalkan paket di kantor.
menitipkan specifically conveys entrusting for safekeeping/forwarding, which fits your sentence.

How do I express time (past/present/future) with this sentence?

Use time words; the verb form doesn’t change:

Past/completed: Kami sudah menitipkan... / Kami tadi menitipkan... / Kami kemarin menitipkan...
Ongoing: Kami sedang menitipkan... (rare in practice)
Future/intended: Kami akan/mau menitipkan... / Nanti kami menitipkan...

How can I make a polite request at a front desk using this verb?

Useful patterns:

Bolehkah saya menitipkan paket?
Bisa saya titip paket ini?
Tolong titipkan paket ini untuk Pak Andi. Add appropriate address terms (Pak/Bu/Mas/Mbak) to sound polite.

How do pronouns work with kepada? Is kepadanya correct?

Yes. With pronouns you can use either separate or bound forms:

kepada dia or kepadanya (to him/her).
More respectful: kepada beliau. Example: Kami menitipkan paket kepadanya.

Could I say paket kami instead of just paket?

Yes:

Kami menitipkan paket kepada... = we entrusted a package (context decides whose).
Kami menitipkan paket kami kepada... = explicitly “our package.” Use the possessive if needed for clarity.

Is there a related noun I should know?

Yes, titipan = something entrusted/left, or the act of entrusting.

Ada titipan untuk Pak Andi di resepsionis.
Ambil titipanmu di kantor.