Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Guru meminta kami jujur saat ujian. - The teacher asks us to be honest during the exam.

Indonesian normally has no copula “to be” before adjectives. Jujur itself functions as the predicate “be honest.” You cannot say kami adalah jujur. You can, however, use verbs like:

berlaku/bersikap jujur = “to behave honestly”

What’s the difference between meminta and bertanya? They both translate “to ask,” right?

Yes, but they’re different:

meminta = to request/ask for someone to do something. Example: Guru meminta kami (untuk) jujur.
bertanya = to ask a question. Example: Guru bertanya kapan ujian dimulai. Using bertanya in the original sentence would be incorrect.

How does meminta compare with menyuruh and memerintahkan?

They all cause someone to do something but differ in force:

meminta: request (politer, softer)
menyuruh: tell/command (stronger, everyday authority)
memerintahkan: to order/instruct (formal/official, strongest) Your sentence chooses the polite/request flavor.

Why kami and not kita?

kami = “we/us” excluding the listener.
kita = “we/us” including the listener. If you’re telling someone outside the class, kami is right. If you’re talking to classmates who are included in “we,” you can say: Guru meminta kita jujur saat ujian.

Is guru “the teacher” or “a teacher”? And how do I show plural?

Indonesian has no articles, so guru can mean “a/the teacher,” depending on context.

To make it definite: guru itu (“that/the teacher”), sang guru (literary).
To make it explicitly indefinite: seorang guru (“a teacher”).
To show plural: para guru or guru-guru (“teachers”).

Is saat the same as ketika, waktu, or selama?

saat/ketika/waktu can all mean “when/at the time (that).” Saat and waktu feel a bit more colloquial; ketika is a touch more formal/literary.
selama means “for/during the whole duration.” So selama ujian = throughout the exam.
pada saat is a more formal variant of saat. Prefer (pada) saat ujian, not di ujian.

Does saat ujian describe when the teacher asked, or when we should be honest?

It’s slightly ambiguous. Default reading is usually “be honest during the exam.” To be explicit:

Time of asking: Saat ujian berlangsung, guru meminta kami untuk jujur.
Time of being honest: Guru meminta kami untuk jujur selama/saat mengerjakan ujian.

Can I drop kami? What happens?

You can’t say Guru meminta jujur… (unnatural). If you omit the people, switch to a noun:

Guru meminta kejujuran saat ujian. (“The teacher asked for honesty during the exam.”) If you still want “us,” add it with a preposition:
Guru meminta kejujuran dari kami saat ujian.

How do I make this passive?

Kami diminta (oleh guru) untuk jujur saat ujian. Omitting oleh guru is common when it’s obvious:
Kami diminta untuk jujur saat ujian.

What about tense? Is this past or present?

Indonesian doesn’t mark tense on the verb. Add time words if needed:

Past: Tadi guru meminta kami jujur…
Future: Besok guru akan meminta kami jujur…
About a future exam: Guru meminta kami jujur saat ujian nanti.

Does ujian mean “test” or “exam”? How about tes and ulangan?

ujian = exam (often bigger/formal: midterms, finals, national exams)
ulangan = quiz/unit test at school (smaller, more frequent)
tes = generic “test” in many contexts (placement test, medical test, etc.)

Is meminta kepada correct?

Yes, though styles vary.

Requesting a thing from a person: meminta [sesuatu] kepada [orang] (e.g., meminta izin kepada guru).
Asking someone to do something: both are seen, but many prefer the leaner form:
- Preferred: meminta [orang] untuk [V] → Guru meminta kami untuk jujur.
- Also used (formal/wordy): meminta kepada [orang] untuk [V] → Guru meminta kepada kami untuk jujur.