Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Aksesori telepon itu diberi stiker merah oleh petugas. - That phone accessory was given a red sticker by the staff.

The subject is Aksesori telepon itu (the phone accessory). The action is passive: diberi (was given). The agent who performs the action appears in the oleh-phrase: oleh petugas (by an officer/attendant). The thing given is stiker merah (a red sticker).

What does itu do, and why is it placed after the noun phrase?

Itu marks definiteness (“that/the specific one”) and comes after the noun phrase in Indonesian: aksesori telepon itu = “that/the phone accessory.” If it were near the speaker, you could use ini instead. In formal writing you might also see tersebut (“the aforementioned”) for previously mentioned items.

Why is the passive diberi used here? Could I use an active sentence instead?

The passive foregrounds the accessory and backgrounds the agent, which is common in Indonesian. Active alternatives include:

Petugas menempelkan stiker merah pada aksesori telepon itu. (The officer stuck a red sticker on the accessory.)
Less natural with inanimate recipient: Petugas memberi aksesori telepon itu stiker merah. A better “give” option is: Petugas memberi (atau: memberikan) label/penanda merah pada aksesori telepon itu.

Is oleh required? Can it be left out or replaced?

Oleh is optional. You can say Aksesori telepon itu diberi stiker merah and omit the agent entirely. In everyday speech, people often use sama instead of oleh: … dikasih stiker merah sama petugas. That form is informal/colloquial.

What’s the difference between diberi and diberikan?

Pattern 1 (double-object): [Recipient] diberi [Thing] (oleh [Agent])
Example: Aksesori telepon itu diberi stiker merah (oleh petugas).
Pattern 2 (with kepada/pada): [Thing] diberikan (kepada/pada) [Recipient] (oleh [Agent])
Example: Stiker merah diberikan kepada aksesori telepon itu (oleh petugas). Many speakers say Aksesori telepon itu diberikan stiker merah, but purists consider that mixing patterns; it’s common in real life, yet the two patterns above are the safest.

Do I need kepada or pada with “give” constructions?

Use kepada/pada with the -kan form: (di)berikan [Thing] kepada/pada [Recipient]. Example: Stiker merah diberikan kepada aksesori telepon itu. With plain beri, you normally don’t add kepada when the recipient is the subject: Aksesori telepon itu diberi stiker merah.

Could I use verbs like tempel or pasang instead of beri?

Yes, with nuance differences:

tempel/menempelkan/ditempel(i) emphasizes the act of sticking something on a surface: Aksesori telepon itu ditempeli stiker merah or Stiker merah ditempelkan di aksesori telepon itu.
pasang/dipasang is “install/attach” (for parts/accessories): Aksesori itu dipasang stiker/label merah (less common for stickers than for hardware).
beri forms common collocations meaning “to apply/affix/assign,” e.g., diberi stiker/label/nama/warna/sanksi.

Why is it stiker merah and not “merah stiker”? Where do adjectives go?

Adjectives typically follow the noun in Indonesian: stiker merah (red sticker), rumah besar (big house). You can make it more formal by saying stiker berwarna merah, but the base order is noun + adjective.

Do I need a classifier like sebuah here?

Classifiers are optional unless you want to emphasize quantity. You could say sebuah stiker merah (one red sticker) or sebuah aksesori telepon (a phone accessory). With itu (definite), you usually don’t add sebuah: aksesori telepon itu is already specific.

How does aksesori telepon work? Why is the order “accessory phone” and not “phone accessory”?

Indonesian typically places the head noun first and the modifier after it, so aksesori telepon literally means “accessory (of) phone.” You can also say aksesori untuk telepon (“accessory for phones”) if you want to spell out the relationship.

Is the spelling aksesori or aksesoris?

The standard (KBBI) spelling is aksesori. The form aksesoris is extremely common in everyday writing and signage, but it’s considered nonstandard in formal contexts.

Does telepon specifically mean “landline,” or can it mean “cell phone” too?

Telepon can mean “telephone” in general. For cell phones, people often say ponsel or the very common informal HP (“handphone”). So aksesori telepon is understandable, but aksesori ponsel/HP is more precise for mobile phone accessories.

What exactly does petugas mean? Is it singular or plural?

Petugas means an attendant/officer/staff member on duty (the person in charge of a task), and it’s number-neutral (could be one or more). To force singular, use seorang petugas; for plural, para petugas or beberapa petugas. Compared with others: pegawai/karyawan = employee; polisi = police officer; petugas keamanan = security staff.

Can I front or drop the agent phrase oleh petugas?

Dropping it is natural: Aksesori telepon itu diberi stiker merah. Fronting it (e.g., Oleh petugas, aksesori…) is grammatical but marked/literary. In normal prose, keep oleh [agent] after the verb phrase or omit it.

Is there a “short passive” alternative?

Yes, the so-called passive type 2: Aksesori telepon itu saya beri stiker merah. Here saya (the actor) appears before the bare verb beri without di-. This is common with pronominal actors (saya, kamu, dia, kami, mereka) and is natural in speech.