Breakdown of Sebelum menandatangani kontrak, kami berkonsultasi tentang keuangan dengan tetangga yang ahli.
sebuah
a
kami
we
dengan
with
sebelum
before
yang
who
tentang
about
tetangga
the neighbor
kontrak
the contract
menandatangani
to sign
berkonsultasi
to consult
keuangan
the finances
ahli
expert
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Questions & Answers about Sebelum menandatangani kontrak, kami berkonsultasi tentang keuangan dengan tetangga yang ahli.
Why is it kami and not kita?
Kami excludes the listener; kita includes the listener. Here the listener wasn’t part of the group that consulted, so kami is correct.
Why can the subject be omitted after sebelum?
If the subject of the sebelum-clause is the same as the main clause subject, Indonesian often drops it: Sebelum menandatangani kontrak, kami .... You can also say Sebelum kami menandatangani kontrak, kami ...—both are fine.
Can I use the passive: Sebelum kontrak ditandatangani, ...?
Yes. ditandatangani is the passive of menandatangani. This version highlights the contract rather than the signers, but the meaning is essentially the same.
Do I have to put the sebelum clause first and use a comma?
No. You can say Kami berkonsultasi ... sebelum menandatangani kontrak. A comma after an initial adverbial clause is common and improves readability, but it’s not mandatory.
Why berkonsultasi dengan and not berkonsultasi kepada?
After berkonsultasi, the natural preposition is dengan (“consult with”). Kepada fits verbs like bertanya kepada or memberi kepada. Berkonsultasi kepada is heard but sounds less natural.
Is tentang necessary? Could I say berkonsultasi keuangan?
You need a preposition before the topic: tentang, mengenai, or informal soal. So: berkonsultasi tentang/mengenai/soal keuangan. Bare berkonsultasi keuangan is ungrammatical.
Can I switch the order of “about what” and “with whom”?
Yes:
- Kami berkonsultasi tentang keuangan dengan tetangga yang ahli.
- Kami berkonsultasi dengan tetangga yang ahli tentang keuangan. Both are natural; the later element gets a bit more emphasis.
Does tetangga mean one neighbor or several?
It’s number-neutral. For singular, use seorang tetangga. For plural, use para tetangga (formal, “the neighbors”) or beberapa tetangga (“several neighbors”).
What does yang do in tetangga yang ahli?
Yang marks a relative clause: tetangga yang ahli = “neighbor who is an expert,” specifying which neighbor.
Is ahli a noun or an adjective here?
It can act as either. In tetangga yang ahli, it’s effectively “who is an expert” (noun). To be specific, say ahli keuangan (“finance expert”): tetangga yang ahli keuangan.
Would tetangga ahli be correct?
Understandable but less natural, since ahli is usually used as a noun. Prefer tetangga yang ahli or tetangga ahli keuangan.
Should I add kami to show possession, as in “our neighbor”?
Yes: tetangga kami. For example, ... dengan tetangga kami yang ahli (keuangan). Without kami, it could be any neighbor.
What’s the difference between uang and keuangan?
Uang = money. Keuangan (ke- -an from uang) = finance/financial matters. Here keuangan fits because the topic is finances.
How is menandatangani formed, and what’s its passive?
From tanda tangan (“signature”): meN- + tanda tangan + -i → menandatangani (“to sign [something]”). Passive: ditandatangani (“to be signed”): kontrak itu ditandatangani.
Is berkonsultasi formal? What’s a casual alternative?
It’s neutral-to-formal. Casual options: minta saran, tanya-tanya, or very informal ngobrol soal keuangan.
How is past time shown? There’s no past tense marking.
Indonesian doesn’t inflect for tense. Sebelum already sets the time relation. Add sudah/telah for completion: kami sudah berkonsultasi.
Is kontrak definite (“the contract”) or indefinite (“a contract”)?
Neutral. Context decides. For definite, use kontrak itu/tersebut or kontraknya; for indefinite, sebuah kontrak.