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Breakdown of Sekolah itu tidak punya guru lama lagi.
itu
that
punya
to have
tidak
not
guru
the teacher
sekolah
the school
Questions & Answers about Sekolah itu tidak punya guru lama lagi.
Why is lama used here instead of saying yang sudah lama or something similar?
In Indonesian, lama by itself can mean either "old" or "long-time" when describing a person, place, or object. Adding yang sudah lama is more explicit and emphasizes a longer duration, but lama on its own is sufficient to convey that the teacher in question was "old" or had been there for a long time.
Does lagi always mean "again," or can it mean something else?
While lagi often translates to "again," in this context it means "anymore" or "no longer." It indicates that the situation has changed—there used to be an old teacher, but not now.
Why is punya used instead of memiliki?
Both punya and memiliki mean "to have," but punya is more colloquial. Memiliki is more formal. Using punya here conveys a natural, everyday tone.
Could we say Sekolah itu sudah tidak punya guru lama and convey the same meaning?
Yes, you can add sudah to emphasize the change in state. Sudah here indicates a completed action, highlighting that the school used to have an old teacher, but now that state has ended. However, omitting sudah is also common in casual speech.
Is the focus of this sentence on sekalah itu or tidak punya guru lama lagi?
Typically, the sentence structure puts emphasis on the school not having the teacher anymore. Sekolah itu is the subject, and tidak punya guru lama lagi describes the new situation (lack of an old teacher). If you wanted to shift the focus, you would restructure the sentence, for instance, Guru lamanya tidak ada lagi di sekolah itu.
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