Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya bertanya kepada agen apartemen tentang kontrak sederhana itu. - I ask the apartment agent about that simple contract.

Use kepada when the “destination” is a person/recipient. ke mainly marks physical movement to a place. With verbs like bertanya (to ask), the normative choice with a person is kepada.

Formal: Saya bertanya kepada agen apartemen…
Informal speech (common but less formal): Saya tanya ke/sama agen apartemen…

Can I drop the preposition and say “Saya bertanya agen apartemen …”?

No. Bertanya is intransitive and needs a preposition before the person you ask. Say:

Saya bertanya kepada/pada agen apartemen… If you want a direct object, switch to menanyai:
Saya menanyai agen apartemen (tentang…)…

What’s the difference between bertanya, menanyakan, menanyai, and tanya?

bertanya = to ask (intransitive). Person with kepada/pada/ke, topic with tentang.
- Saya bertanya kepada agen apartemen tentang kontrak…
menanyakan = to ask about something (the thing is the object).
- Saya menanyakan kontrak itu kepada agen apartemen.
menanyai = to ask someone (the person is the object).
- Saya menanyai agen apartemen tentang kontrak itu.
tanya = base/colloquial form of “ask.”
- Saya tanya agen apartemen soal kontrak itu. Bonus: bertanya-tanya = to wonder (to oneself), not to ask someone.

Is tentang required here?

If you use bertanya and you want to specify the topic, yes: use tentang (or a synonym). If you switch to menanyakan, you don’t need tentang because the thing asked is the direct object:

Saya menanyakan kontrak sederhana itu kepada agen apartemen.

Are there synonyms for tentang?

Yes:

Neutral: tentang
Slightly formal: mengenai
Formal/bureaucratic: perihal
Colloquial: soal All fit here: … tentang/mengenai/perihal/soal kontrak sederhana itu.

What does itu do here—does it mean “that” or “the”?

Itu is a distal demonstrative that often functions like a definite article. Here it signals a specific, known/identifiable contract: “that simple contract” or “the simple contract (we’ve talked about).”

Which noun does itu modify in this sentence?

It modifies the closest noun phrase before it: kontrak sederhana. So it’s “that simple contract,” not “that apartment agent.” If you want “that agent,” say agen apartemen itu.

Where does itu go inside a noun phrase with an adjective?

The usual order is: Noun + Adjective + itu.

kontrak sederhana itu, baju merah itu, rumah besar itu

Can I say “itu kontrak sederhana” instead?

That changes the meaning. Itu kontrak sederhana typically means “That is a simple contract” (a full clause with “itu” as subject/topic). To say “that simple contract” as a noun phrase, keep itu at the end: kontrak sederhana itu.

Why is sederhana after kontrak?

In Indonesian, descriptive adjectives generally follow the noun: kontrak sederhana, mobil baru, kota besar. A few special modifiers (e.g., mantan, para) come before the noun, but most adjectives come after.

What’s the difference between kontrak sederhana itu and kontrak yang sederhana itu?

Both are grammatical. Kontrak sederhana itu is the default. Kontrak yang sederhana itu adds a touch of emphasis/contrast or helps disambiguate in longer phrases, roughly “that contract which is simple.” In everyday speech, drop yang unless you need the emphasis.

Could I replace tentang with mengenai or soal here?

Yes:

Saya bertanya kepada agen apartemen mengenai/perihal/soal kontrak sederhana itu. Register nuance: mengenai/perihal feel more formal; soal is casual.

Is “menanyakan tentang …” acceptable?

Many people say it, but it’s stylistically redundant. Prefer either:

bertanya tentang … or
menanyakan [noun] … Example: Better Saya menanyakan kontrak itu… than Saya menanyakan tentang kontrak itu…

Does the sentence express past or present?

Indonesian doesn’t mark tense by default. Saya bertanya… can be past or present. Add time/aspect words if needed:

Past: Saya tadi/kemarin bertanya…, Saya sudah bertanya…
Ongoing: Saya sedang bertanya…
Future/intention: Saya mau/akan bertanya…

Is pada okay instead of kepada?

Yes, bertanya pada [person] is widely accepted. Rough guide:

kepada: more formal, typical for recipients (people/pronouns)
pada: neutral, also used with times/locations/abstract relations
ke: mainly spatial “to,” but used colloquially with people
Very informal: sama (“to/with”) All of these can appear with varying formality: kepada (most formal) → pada (neutral) → ke/sama (informal).

How would I say this more casually?

Saya tanya agen apartemen soal kontrak sederhana itu.
Add vocatives/politeness for real life: Permisi, Pak/Bu, saya mau tanya soal kontrak sederhana itu.

If I mean a specific agent, should I add itu after agen apartemen?

Yes. Compare:

Saya bertanya kepada agen apartemen tentang kontrak sederhana itu. (specific contract; agent unspecified)
Saya bertanya kepada agen apartemen itu tentang kontrak sederhana itu. (specific agent and specific contract)

Is agen apartemen the most natural term?

It’s fine and understandable. Alternatives:

agen properti (property agent; broader)
makelar (broker; can sound old-fashioned or informal)
pengelola/manajer apartemen (building management; not necessarily a sales/rental agent) Choose based on role and register.

Can I use pronoun forms like kepadanya or kontraknya here?

Yes:

Saya bertanya kepadanya tentang kontrak sederhana itu. = “I asked him/her…”
Saya bertanya kepada agen apartemen tentang kontraknya. = “about the contract” or “about his/her/their contract” (‑nya can mean “the” or “his/her,” so context decides). If you need clarity, say kontrak dia/mereka for “his/her/their contract.”

Is there any difference between kontrak and perjanjian?

Both mean “agreement,” but:

kontrak often implies a formal, legally binding contract (common in business)
perjanjian is broader (“agreement”), frequent in legal language too Either can work; choose what fits the context.