Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya menyewa apartemen kecil dekat kantor. - I rent a small apartment near the office.

Menyewa means you are renting as the tenant (you pay to use it). If you mean you are renting something out to others as the owner/landlord, use menyewakan.

Tenant: Saya menyewa apartemen...
Landlord: Saya menyewakan apartemen...

Can I just say sewa instead of menyewa?

Yes, in everyday speech you’ll often hear the bare verb sewa: Saya sewa apartemen kecil... It’s natural and common. In careful/standard style, menyewa is the textbook form. Note sewa is also a noun meaning “rent/rental fee” (e.g., harga sewa).

How do I show past, present, or future? Indonesian has no tenses, right?

Correct—no verb tense inflection. Use time/aspect markers or context:

Past/already: Saya sudah menyewa... / Saya baru menyewa...
Ongoing/temporary: Saya sedang menyewa... (also colloquial lagi menyewa / lagi sewa)
Future: Saya akan menyewa... / Saya mau menyewa...
Habitual: context or adverbs like biasanya, sering.

Do I need an article like “a” before apartemen kecil?

No articles in Indonesian. Apartemen kecil can mean “a small apartment” or “the small apartment” depending on context. You can add:

sebuah to emphasize a single item (more formal/story-like): Saya menyewa sebuah apartemen kecil...
satu to mean the number “one”: Saya menyewa satu apartemen kecil... (focus on quantity)

Is the adjective order correct? Why is it apartemen kecil and not kecil apartemen?

Adjectives normally follow the noun: apartemen kecil is correct. If you want to single out “the one that is small,” you can use yang: apartemen yang kecil (restrictive/contrastive).

Should I add di before dekat, or dengan after it? What’s best: dekat kantor, di dekat kantor, or dekat dengan kantor?

All are used:

dekat kantor: very common in speech; concise.
dekat dengan kantor: a bit more careful/formal; treats dekat like “close to.”
di dekat kantor: strongly locational (“in the vicinity of the office”), common and clear. You can safely use di dekat kantor anywhere.

Does dekat kantor mean “near my office” or just any office?

On its own it’s ambiguous. Context usually tells you it’s your office. To be explicit, say dekat kantor saya (“near my office”), dekat kantorku (informal), or name the office: dekat kantor pusat, dekat kantor perusahaan.

Can I move the location phrase around?

Yes. Word order is flexible for emphasis:

Neutral: Saya menyewa apartemen kecil di dekat kantor.
Fronted location (more formal/topical): Di dekat kantor, saya menyewa apartemen kecil.
You can also keep dekat kantor without di if you prefer a leaner style.

Is Saya the right pronoun here? What about Aku or Gue?

Saya: neutral/formal and safe with strangers, at work, or in writing.
Aku: informal/intimate with friends/family.
Gue/Gua: very informal Jakarta slang. Choose based on relationship and setting.

Can I drop Saya?

Yes, subjects are often omitted if understood: Menyewa apartemen kecil di dekat kantor. In writing or when context is unclear, keep Saya.

Is menyewa always transitive? Can I just say Saya menyewa?

It’s typically transitive and sounds incomplete without an object. You can omit the object only if it’s obvious from context (e.g., already talking about an apartment).

How do I say “I rent out a small apartment near the office” (as the owner)?

Use menyewakan:

Saya menyewakan apartemen kecil di dekat kantor.
You’ll also see ads with disewakan (“for rent”): Apartemen kecil di dekat kantor, disewakan.

What’s the passive version?

Two common options:

Passive I (di-): Apartemen kecil di dekat kantor disewa (oleh) saya. (oleh is optional)
Passive II (object fronting, very natural): Apartemen kecil di dekat kantor saya sewa.

Any tips on pronouncing the sentence?

menyewa: the ny is a single sound [ɲ] (like “ny” in “canyon”).
dekat: the first e is a schwa [ə], roughly “duh-KAHT.”
apartemen: spelled with -men, not “-ment.”
r in kantor is tapped/trilled; vowels are pure and evenly timed.

Why is it spelled apartemen, not “apartment”?

Indonesian adapts loanwords to local spelling/pronunciation. Apartemen reflects how Indonesians pronounce it; similarly, “office” is kantor (from Dutch “kantoor”).

How can I say “very small” or “quite small”?

Very small: kecil sekali, sangat kecil (neutral); kecil banget (colloquial).
Quite/somewhat small: cukup kecil, lumayan kecil.