Sebelum pergi, saya mengunci pintu depan.

Before leaving, I lock the front door.

Breakdown of Sebelum pergi, saya mengunci pintu depan.

• saya: I
• pergi: to go
• sebelum: before
• pintu: the door
• depan: front
• mengunci: to lock

Questions & Answers about Sebelum pergi, saya mengunci pintu depan.

Why is it “sebelum pergi” and not “sebelum saya pergi”?

Both are correct. Indonesian often omits the subject in a subordinate clause when it’s the same as the main clause’s subject.

• With subject: Sebelum saya pergi, saya mengunci pintu depan.
• Without subject (natural and concise): Sebelum pergi, saya mengunci pintu depan. If the subject is different, you must state it: Sebelum dia pergi, saya mengunci pintu depan.

Do I need the comma after “Sebelum pergi”?

It’s recommended. In Indonesian, a comma is typically used after an initial adverbial/subordinate clause:

• Sebelum pergi, saya mengunci pintu depan. If the clause comes after the main clause, no comma is needed: Saya mengunci pintu depan sebelum pergi.

What does the prefix “meng-” do in “mengunci,” and why did the k disappear?

The verb mengunci is formed from the root kunci by adding the active transitive prefix meN-. With roots starting in k, the k drops and the prefix surfaces as meng-:

• kunci → mengunci (to lock)
• Other examples: kirim → mengirim, pakai → memakai, tulis → menulis, sapu → menyapu, ambil → mengambil Related forms:
• terkunci = locked (state/adjective)
• pengunci = lock/fastener (noun)

What’s the difference between “pintu depan” and “pintu di depan”?

• pintu depan = the front/main door of a building (fixed collocation, like “front door”).
• pintu di depan = a door located in front (of something), i.e., “the door in front,” not necessarily the front door of the house. Synonyms: pintu utama (main door), pintu muka (older/less common).

How do we know this is past tense? Indonesian has no tenses, right?

Right—Indonesian doesn’t inflect for tense. Time and aspect are shown with particles or time words.

• Past/completed: sudah/telah, time words like tadi/kemarin
  • Sebelum pergi tadi, saya sudah mengunci pintu depan.
• Habitual: selalu/biasanya
  • Sebelum pergi, saya selalu mengunci pintu depan.
• Future: akan/nanti/sebentar lagi
  • Sebelum pergi nanti, saya akan mengunci pintu depan.

Could I use “berangkat” or “keluar” instead of “pergi”?

Yes, depending on nuance:

• pergi = go/leave (general)
• berangkat = depart (trip/scheduled departure)
• keluar = go out/step out (exit) Examples:
• Sebelum berangkat, saya mengunci pintu depan. (before leaving for a trip/work)
• Sebelum keluar, saya mengunci pintu depan. (before stepping out)

Can I change the word order?

Yes. All are natural:

• Sebelum pergi, saya mengunci pintu depan.
• Saya mengunci pintu depan sebelum pergi.
• Sebelum saya pergi, saya mengunci pintu depan.

How do I make a passive version, and why do I sometimes see the bare verb “kunci”?

Two common options:

• di-passive: Pintu depan dikunci (oleh saya) sebelum pergi.
• Object-fronting (short passive/topicalization): Pintu depan saya kunci sebelum pergi. In the object-fronting pattern, the verb appears as the bare root (kunci), not mengunci.

How do I negate this—what’s the difference between “tidak” and “belum”?

• tidak = not (simple negation)
  • Sebelum pergi, saya tidak mengunci pintu depan.
• belum = not yet (implies it may happen later)
  • Sebelum pergi, saya belum mengunci pintu depan. For advice/imperatives, use jangan:
• Jangan lupa mengunci pintu depan sebelum pergi.

How do I say “the front door” (definite) in Indonesian?

Indonesian doesn’t mark definiteness by default. To make it specific:

• Add itu: pintu depan itu
• Use clitic -nya (colloquial/specific/possessive-ish): pintu depannya Examples:
• Sebelum pergi, saya mengunci pintu depan itu.
• Sebelum pergi, saya mengunci pintu depannya.

Do I ever need “untuk” after “sebelum,” like “sebelum untuk pergi”?

No. Sebelum directly takes a clause, verb phrase, or noun phrase. Say Sebelum pergi, not Sebelum untuk pergi.