Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Agen apartemen meminta uang muka sebelum kunci diserahkan. - The apartment agent asks for a down payment before the key is handed over.

Uang muka = a down payment (part of the total price paid in advance, often non-refundable if the buyer backs out).
Common related terms:
- DP: abbreviation for down payment; very common in ads (from English “down payment”).
- Uang jaminan / deposit: a security deposit (held as collateral, usually refundable).
- Uang tanda jadi / booking fee: a smaller initial payment to reserve something; may or may not be refundable.
- Uang panjar: another word for an advance payment; more colloquial/regional.
For rentals, people often say deposit (uang jaminan) and sometimes also pay rent di muka (in advance). For purchases, uang muka (DP) is standard.

Can I say agen properti instead of agen apartemen? What about makelar?

Agen apartemen: specifically an agent dealing with apartments.
Agen properti: broader “real-estate agent”; also very common.
Makelar: “broker”/“middleman”; can sound dated/informal depending on region. In professional contexts, agen properti is safer.

Why is it passive in sebelum kunci diserahkan? Is that a common choice?

Yes. Indonesian often uses the passive to:

Focus on the object/event (kunci and the handover), not the doer.
Sound neutral/formal, especially in statements of procedure. Active alternatives are fine, e.g.:
Agen apartemen meminta uang muka sebelum menyerahkan kunci.
Agen apartemen meminta uang muka sebelum agen apartemen menyerahkan kunci. (more explicit, but repetitive)

What are the parts of diserahkan?

di- (passive prefix) + serah (root “submit/hand over”) + -kan (suffix marking a transitive/causative “hand over something to someone”).
So diserahkan = “is/was handed over.”

Where is the agent in the passive clause? Can I add it?

It’s omitted (very normal). You can add it with oleh:

… sebelum kunci diserahkan oleh agen apartemen. But Indonesian frequently omits oleh + agent if context makes it obvious.

Can I rephrase the sentence entirely in active voice?

Yes:

Agen apartemen meminta uang muka sebelum menyerahkan kunci. Or to stress the order:
Agen apartemen baru menyerahkan kunci setelah menerima uang muka. (Only then does the agent hand over the keys.)

What’s the nuance difference between diserahkan and diberikan?

Serahkan/menyerahkan suggests a formal handover/transfer (often procedural).
Berikan/memberikan is more general “to give.” In contracts/procedures, (di)serahkan often feels more official.

Why is there no article like “the” before kunci? How do I make it definite?

Indonesian has no articles. To mark definiteness, use:

kunci itu (that/the key(s))
kuncinya (the key(s); also can mean “its/their key(s)” depending on context)

Is kunci singular or plural here?

It’s ambiguous; Indonesian doesn’t mark plural by default. To clarify:

Plural: kunci-kunci, beberapa kunci
Singular definite: kunci itu / kuncinya Usually context (apartment keys) makes it clear.

Can I move the sebelum clause to the front?

Yes, just add a comma:

Sebelum kunci diserahkan, agen apartemen meminta uang muka. This is natural and common.

What’s the difference between sebelum and sebelumnya?

Sebelum = “before” as a conjunction: sebelum + clause.
- … sebelum kunci diserahkan.
Sebelumnya = “before/previously/earlier” (adverb/pronoun-like):
- Sebelumnya, agen apartemen meminta uang muka.

Is meminta formal? Can I use minta?

Meminta = neutral/formal.
Minta = common in speech and informal writing: Agen apartemen minta uang muka… To sound stricter/official: mensyaratkan (“require”), e.g. Agen apartemen mensyaratkan uang muka…

How do I say “ask someone for something” with meminta?

Patterns:

meminta [thing] kepada [person]: Agen meminta uang muka kepada penyewa.
meminta [person] [thing] (colloquial): Agen meminta penyewa uang muka. (often heard, but the first pattern is safer/formal)
meminta [person] untuk [do something]: Agen meminta penyewa untuk membayar uang muka.

Why not say sebelum kuncinya diserahkan? Is -nya okay here?

It’s okay and makes the keys definite:

… sebelum kuncinya diserahkan. = “before the keys are handed over” (implying known/specific keys, e.g., to that apartment). Without -nya, it’s more generic.

Could I say sebelum kunci saya serahkan (a different passive type)?

Yes—this is the “passive type II,” used when the agent is a pronoun:

Sebelum kunci saya serahkan, … Don’t use a full noun phrase here (e.g., kunci agen apartemen serahkan)—that sounds odd. It works best with pronouns like saya, kamu, dia, kami, mereka.