Sopir bus itu ramah dan sabar.

to be

Breakdown of Sopir bus itu ramah dan sabar.

• itu: that
• dan: and
• sabar: patient

Questions & Answers about Sopir bus itu ramah dan sabar.

What does itu do here? Is it “that” or “the”?

Itu is a demonstrative meaning “that,” placed after a noun phrase. In practice it often functions like English “the” (referring to something known/identifiable). So sopir bus itu ≈ “that/the bus driver (we both know or can see).” Without context, it leans toward “that.”

Where is the “is”? Why is there no verb between the subject and adjectives?

Indonesian has no linking verb like “to be” before adjectives. Adjectives can serve as the predicate by themselves. So Sopir bus itu ramah dan sabar literally reads “That bus driver friendly and patient,” which is how Indonesian says “That bus driver is friendly and patient.”

Can I replace itu with ini?

Yes, but the meaning changes:

• itu = “that” (farther away or already mentioned)
• ini = “this” (near the speaker) Example: Sopir bus ini ramah dan sabar = “This bus driver is friendly and patient.”

Can itu go before the noun, like English “that bus driver”?

No. In Indonesian, itu comes after the noun phrase: sopir bus itu, not ~itu sopir bus~ in this context. (Placing itu before a noun has other, less common discourse uses.)

Is it spelled sopir or ?