Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Guru kami sangat sopan.

Indonesian doesn’t use a separate verb like “to be” before adjectives. An adjective can be the predicate by itself. So Guru kami sangat sopan literally maps to “Our teacher very polite,” which equals “Our teacher is very polite.” You do not add adalah before an adjective in this structure.

Why is kami after guru? Can it go before?

Possessive pronouns follow the noun in Indonesian: guru kami (our teacher), rumah kami (our house). You don’t say kami guru. An alternative is to rephrase with possession: Kami punya guru yang sangat sopan (We have a very polite teacher).

What’s the difference between kami and kita?

kami = we/us (excluding the listener)
kita = we/us (including the listener) So Guru kami sangat sopan excludes the listener’s group; Guru kita sangat sopan includes the listener (e.g., classmates talking about the same teacher).

Does guru here mean one teacher or many?

It’s ambiguous by itself. Context decides. To be explicit:

Singular, specific: Guru kami itu sangat sopan (that/our particular teacher is very polite).
One of our teachers: Salah satu guru kami sangat sopan.
Plural: Guru-guru kami sangat sopan or Para guru kami sangat sopan (more formal).
All of them: Semua guru kami sangat sopan.

Can I say sopan sekali instead of sangat sopan?

Yes. Both mean “very polite.”

Before the adjective: sangat sopan (neutral).
After the adjective: sopan sekali (neutral). Other options:
amat sopan (formal/literary).
sopan banget (very informal/colloquial).
Be careful: terlalu sopan = “too polite,” not just “very polite.”

Can I use adalah here, like Guru kami adalah sangat sopan?

No. adalah links a subject to a noun/noun phrase, not directly to an adjective. Correct options:

Guru kami sangat sopan.
If you really want adalah, turn the adjective into a noun phrase: Guru kami adalah orang yang sangat sopan (Our teacher is a very polite person).

How do I make it negative?

Use tidak with adjectives:

Guru kami tidak sopan (not polite). Softer options:
Guru kami kurang sopan (not very/politely enough).
Guru kami tidak terlalu sopan (not too/very polite). Stronger:
Guru kami sangat tidak sopan (very impolite).

How would I say “our polite teacher” (as a noun phrase), not a full sentence?

Use an attributive structure after the noun. With an intensifier like sangat, add yang:

guru kami yang sangat sopan (our very polite teacher). Without an intensifier, both are seen:
guru yang sopan or guru sopan (“a polite teacher”). Using yang is common when the adjective is modified or when you’re specifying.

Do I need a word for “the” here?

Indonesian has no articles. Possession already makes it definite: guru kami = “our teacher.” To emphasize “that/this,” add a demonstrative after the noun phrase:

Guru kami itu (that/our teacher)
Guru kami ini (this/our teacher)

How do I pronounce the words?

guru: goo-roo (tapped/flapped r; both u like “oo”).
kami: kah-mee (a like “ah”).
sangat: sahng-at (ng as in “sing”).
sopan: so-pahn (o like in “more,” not “saw”). Stress is light and fairly even; don’t heavily stress one syllable as in English.

Is there any gender or title I should know for “teacher”?

No grammatical gender. For politeness/titles:

Male teacher: Pak
- name (e.g., Pak Budi), sometimes Pak Guru when addressing directly.
Female teacher: Bu
- name (e.g., Bu Rina), sometimes Bu Guru. The sentence Guru kami sangat sopan is fine without titles.

How do I talk about time (past/present/future) with this sentence?

Indonesian doesn’t inflect for tense. Add time/aspect words:

Past: dulu, tadi, sudah (e.g., Guru kami dulu sangat sopan).
Progressive: sedang/lagi (more for actions; adjectives rarely take them).
Future: akan (rare with inherent traits, but possible in context).

Are there synonyms for sopan?

santun (courteous; slightly more formal).
beradab (civilized, decorous).
Related words: sopan santun (etiquette/politeness), kesopanan (politeness, noun). Note: ramah means “friendly,” which is different from “polite.”