Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Guru baru kami sangat pintar.

In Indonesian, both kami and kita mean "we" or "our," but they are used in different contexts. Kami excludes the person you are speaking to, while kita includes the person you are speaking to. Since this sentence likely refers to a group (including the speaker) and excludes the listener, kami is used.

Can sangat and sekali both mean "very" in Indonesian, and is there a difference in usage?

Yes, both sangat and sekali can mean "very." Generally, sangat is placed before an adjective (e.g., sangat pintar), while sekali is placed after an adjective (e.g., pintar sekali). They are often interchangeable, though sangat might sound slightly more formal in some contexts.

Why is there no word like adalah in the sentence Guru baru kami sangat pintar?

In Indonesian, the linking verb adalah is optional and most often used in formal writing or to emphasize equality/definition. Here, adalah is not necessary because describing someone with an adjective (sangat pintar) can be done without a linking verb.

What does baru specifically mean here?

The adjective baru means "new." In this context, guru baru kami means "our new teacher," referring to a teacher who has recently joined or started teaching.

Is it possible to say Guru kami yang baru sangat pintar instead?

Yes, you can add yang to emphasize or specify "the teacher who is new." It would translate roughly to "Our teacher who is new is very smart." This slightly shifts the nuance by using the relative pronoun yang, but the overall meaning remains similar.