Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Guru mengizinkan kami pulang lebih awal karena tugas selesai. - The teacher allows us to go home earlier because the assignment is finished.

It means to permit/allow (formally grant permission). It’s built from the noun izin (permission) with the prefix meng- and the suffix -kan: izin → meng- + izin + -kan = mengizinkan.

Could I use membolehkan or memperbolehkan instead of mengizinkan?

Yes. All three mean “to allow/permit.”

mengizinkan: slightly formal, bureaucratic tone; common in schools/official contexts.
membolehkan: neutral and common.
memperbolehkan: more formal/literary. Avoid membiarkan here—it’s “to let/leave alone” (often implying negligence), not “to grant permission.”

Do I need untuk before the verb: mengizinkan kami (untuk) pulang?

Untuk is optional here. Both mengizinkan kami pulang and mengizinkan kami untuk pulang are correct. With untuk can feel a bit more formal or careful in writing; without it is very common in speech.

Why is it kami and not kita?

Kami = “we” that excludes the listener (and here, excludes the teacher). Kita = “we” that includes the listener. Since the teacher isn’t going home with the students, kami is appropriate.

Could I use kita in any situation here?

Only if you’re speaking to people who are included in the “we” that’s going home (e.g., you’re talking to classmates). If addressing the teacher, stick with kami.

Is pulang the same as kembali or balik?

pulang = to go (back) home. You don’t need to add “ke rumah” because “home” is inherent.
kembali = to return/go back (to any previous place), not specifically home.
balik = colloquial “go back/return.” For going home, pulang is the most natural.

Why use lebih awal instead of lebih cepat?

lebih awal means “earlier (in time).” lebih cepat means “faster (in speed),” so it can sound like “go home at a higher speed.” To talk about time, use lebih awal.

What’s the nuance difference between lebih awal and lebih dulu?

lebih awal: earlier than the usual/scheduled time.
lebih dulu: earlier than others or before something else happens. Both can be fine; choose based on whether you mean “earlier than usual” (awal) or “before others/first” (dulu).

Is karena tugas selesai okay without sudah?

Yes. selesai already implies completion. Adding sudah (karena tugas sudah selesai) emphasizes that the completion is already the case; it’s very common and perfectly natural. telah is a more formal equivalent of sudah.

What if I want to say explicitly that “we finished the assignment”?

Use an active clause: karena kami sudah menyelesaikan tugas. The original tugas selesai states the result (“the assignment is finished”) without naming who did it.

Does karena need to be paired with maka?

No. Karena … maka … exists but can sound stilted or redundant. Either use a fronted cause clause (Karena tugas selesai, …) or a trailing one (… karena tugas selesai). No maka required.

What’s the passive version of the sentence?

Kami diizinkan pulang lebih awal karena tugas selesai. You can add the agent if needed: Kami diizinkan oleh guru …. Synonyms: Kami dibolehkan/diperbolehkan ….

How do I make “the teacher” or “our teacher” explicit?

Indonesian has no articles. Use:

guru itu = that/the teacher (definite)
guru kami = our teacher
You can also use titles for respect: Pak/Bu Guru or simply Pak/Bu
- name.

What exactly does tugas mean here? Is it “homework”?

tugas is a general “assignment/task” (could be classwork or homework). If you specifically mean homework, say pekerjaan rumah or PR.

Difference among selesai, berakhir, and habis?

selesai: finished/completed (tasks, work). Example: Tugas selesai.
berakhir: ended (events/time periods). Example: Pelajaran berakhir.
habis: used up/gone (resources/items). Example: Kertas habis.

Is pulang awal acceptable?

Standard Indonesian prefers pulang lebih awal. pulang awal is heard colloquially (and common in Malaysian Malay), but in Indonesian it can sound nonstandard. Use lebih awal to be safe.

Is there a multiword alternative to mengizinkan?

Yes: memberi izin kepada. For example, Guru memberi izin kepada kami untuk pulang lebih awal karena tugas sudah selesai. It’s a bit heavier but fully natural.