Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Agen mengirim kontrak; saya membacanya lagi sebelum menyewa. - The agent sends the contract; I read it again before renting.

It’s an attached third-person object pronoun meaning it (or his/her). So saya membacanya = “I read it.” Here, -nya refers back to kontrak. Compare:

saya membaca kontrak itu = I read the contract (explicit noun)
saya membacanya = I read it (clitic object)
kontraknya can mean “the contract (in context)” or “his/her contract,” depending on context

Why is it menyewa, not sewa or something like “mensewa”?

The verb uses the meN- prefix, which assimilates based on the first consonant. With words starting in s (like sewa), s drops and meN- becomes meny-: menyewa. In casual speech you can use the bare verb: sebelum sewa is common.

Is the semicolon natural in Indonesian? Could I use something else?

Semicolons are acceptable but less common in everyday Indonesian. More typical:

Agen mengirim kontrak, lalu/kemudian saya membacanya lagi sebelum menyewa.
Setelah agen mengirim kontrak, saya membacanya lagi sebelum menyewa. A simple period also works.

How do I say “The agent sent me the contract”?

Several natural options:

Agen mengirim kontrak kepada saya. (formal recipient with kepada)
Agen mengirimi saya kontrak. (-i highlights the recipient)
Agen mengirimkan kontrak kepada saya. (-kan often with an explicit recipient) Colloquial: Agen kirim kontrak ke saya.

There’s no “the/a” in Indonesian. How do I make agen or kontrak definite or indefinite?

Indonesian has no articles. Use:

itu to mark definiteness: agen itu, kontrak itu = the agent/contract
seorang (people) or sebuah (things) for indefiniteness: seorang agen, sebuah kontrak

Is lagi the right word for “again”? What about kembali or ulang?

lagi = again (everyday): membaca lagi
kembali = again/back (more formal): meninjau kembali
ulang (as a verb) in compounds like membaca ulang = reread Note: lagi before a verb often means “currently”: lagi membaca = is reading; after the verb it means “again”: membaca lagi.

How do we know the tense? Is this past?

Indonesian doesn’t mark tense by default; context does. To make past explicit:

Agen sudah mengirim kontrak; saya sudah membacanya lagi sebelum menyewa.
Baru saja = just now: Agen baru saja mengirim kontrak.

Do I need to repeat saya before menyewa?

No. When the subject is the same, Indonesian often omits it in subordinate clauses: sebelum menyewa is fine. To be explicit (or avoid ambiguity), you can say sebelum saya menyewa.

How do I say “before renting it”?

Use the clitic again: sebelum menyewanya. It refers back to the understood property (house/apartment). More explicit: sebelum menyewa apartemen itu.

What’s the difference between mengirim, mengirimkan, and mengirimi?

mengirim [thing] (kepada [person]): neutral, very common
mengirimkan [thing] (kepada [person]): often emphasizes the transfer of the thing or the benefactive sense
mengirimi [person] [thing]: highlights the recipient (requires a person right after the verb) In practice, mengirim and mengirimkan are often interchangeable.

Can I drop the meN- prefix in casual speech?

Yes. Colloquially you’ll hear:

Agen kirim kontrak; saya baca lagi sebelum sewa. More formal/written keeps mengirim/membaca/menyewa.

How would a passive version look?

Kontrak dikirim (oleh) agen; saya membacanya lagi sebelum menyewa.
With recipient: Kontrak dikirimkan agen kepada saya. Passive topicalizes kontrak and sounds more formal or written.

Is saya the best pronoun here? What about aku or gue?

saya: neutral/formal, safest choice
aku: casual/intimate
gue: very informal/Jakarta slang Example: Agen kirim kontrak; aku bacain lagi sebelum sewa. (very casual, and note bacain is colloquial)

Could kontraknya mean “the contract” or “his/her contract”?

Both, depending on context. -nya on a noun can mark possession (his/her/their) or definiteness (“the, that”). Without context, kontraknya is ambiguous.

Do I need a preposition like ke/kepada after mengirim?

Only if you mention the recipient:

Agen mengirim kontrak (Ø). (no recipient stated)
Agen mengirim kontrak kepada/ke saya. (recipient stated) Or use mengirimi to build in the recipient: Agen mengirimi saya kontrak.

What’s the difference between sebelum, sebelumnya, and sebelum itu?

sebelum
- verb/noun clause: “before …” (time subordinator)
sebelumnya: “earlier/previously” (adverb) or “the previous (one)”
sebelum itu: “before that (event/thing)” Example: Sebelum itu, saya membacanya lagi.

Can I front the object for emphasis?

Yes. Indonesian allows topicalization:

Kontrak itu saya baca lagi sebelum menyewa. This emphasizes kontrak itu as the topic.

Should there be a comma before sebelum menyewa?

Not necessary in the original order. If the sebelum-clause comes first, use a comma:

Sebelum menyewa, saya membacanya lagi.

Is agen specific to property agents? Should I say agen properti?

agen is generic (agent of any kind). If you want to be specific, say agen properti or agen real estat. Context often makes it clear.

Does sebelum menyewa sound right, or should it be “before signing”?

Both are possible; it depends on what you mean. If you literally mean signing, use:

sebelum menandatangani (kontraknya) or sebelum tanda tangan (colloquial) If you mean “before renting (the place)” in general, sebelum menyewa is fine.