Saya butuh nasihat guru tentang ujian.

I need the teacher’s advice about the exam.

Breakdown of Saya butuh nasihat guru tentang ujian.

• saya: I
• guru: the teacher
• tentang: about
• butuh: to need
• ujian: the exam
• nasihat: the advice

Questions & Answers about Saya butuh nasihat guru tentang ujian.

What’s the difference between butuh and perlu?

• butuh = “to need,” common and a bit more casual. Works with nouns or verb phrases. Example: Saya butuh nasihat.; Saya butuh belajar.
• perlu = “to need / necessary,” a bit more neutral/formal and often modal-like. Example: Saya perlu nasihat.; Saya perlu belajar.
• More formal verbs: membutuhkan and memerlukan. Example: Saya membutuhkan/memerlukan nasihat.

Can I use membutuhkan or memerlukan here?

Yes. Both are more formal:

• Saya membutuhkan nasihat guru tentang ujian.
• Saya memerlukan nasihat guru tentang ujian. They sound good in writing, emails, or formal speech.

Do I need dari in nasihat guru?

Not required. nasihat guru already means “the teacher’s advice.” If you want to emphasize the source, add it:

• Neutral: Saya butuh nasihat guru tentang ujian.
• Emphasizing source: Saya butuh nasihat dari guru tentang ujian. Both are correct.

Does nasihat guru mean “advice for the teacher” or “the teacher’s advice”?

It means “the teacher’s advice.” For “advice for the teacher,” say nasihat untuk guru.

How do I say it’s my teacher’s advice?

• Saya butuh nasihat guru saya tentang ujian.
• Saya butuh nasihat dari guru saya tentang ujian. You can also use clitics: guruku (my teacher), gurunya (the teacher/his/her teacher—context needed).

Is nasehat acceptable, or should it be nasihat?

The standard spelling is nasihat. You’ll see nasehat informally; it’s widely used but not the recommended standard. The verb is commonly menasihati (also seen as menasehati informally).

Should I use nasihat or saran?

• nasihat: advice with a guiding/moral tone (from a mentor/elder).
• saran: suggestions/tips; very common for practical matters like exams. For this context, saran is often more natural: Saya butuh saran guru tentang ujian.

Is tentang the only way to say “about/regarding”?

No. Alternatives:

• mengenai (about/regarding; neutral-formal)
• perihal (about/concerning; formal)
• terkait (related to; formal)
• soal (about; colloquial, but beware: soal ujian also means “exam questions”) Example: Saya butuh nasihat guru mengenai ujian.

What’s the difference between tentang and untuk here?

• tentang = “about/regarding”: nasihat tentang ujian (advice about the exam).
• untuk = “for (the purpose of)”: nasihat untuk ujian (advice to help with the exam). Both can be fine; choose based on nuance.

Can I say soal ujian instead of tentang ujian?

In casual speech, yes: saran soal ujian ≈ “advice about the exam.” But note soal ujian strongly means “exam questions,” so in some contexts it’s ambiguous. tentang/mengenai is safer.

Where do I put the “from the teacher” and “about the exam” parts?

These are both post-nominal modifiers of nasihat:

• Saya butuh nasihat dari guru tentang ujian.
• Saya butuh nasihat tentang ujian dari guru. Both are fine. Keep them close to nasihat for clarity.

Is butuh too casual for formal writing?

A bit. In formal writing or emails, prefer:

• Saya memerlukan/membutuhkan nasihat…
• Or for a request: Saya mohon nasihat…

How do I say this politely to a teacher?

• To address the teacher: Pak/Bu, saya butuh nasihat tentang ujian.
• Politer request: Pak/Bu, boleh saya minta nasihat tentang ujian? / Mohon nasihat terkait ujian, Pak/Bu.

How do I indicate which exam (e.g., tomorrow’s math exam)?

Modify ujian with details after it:

• ujian besok (tomorrow’s exam)
• ujian matematika (the math exam)
• Combined: ujian matematika besok Example: Saya butuh nasihat guru tentang ujian matematika besok.

Can I drop Saya?

In informal conversation, yes, if context is clear: Butuh nasihat guru tentang ujian. In formal settings, keep Saya.

How do I say “I need some advice” naturally?

• With a mass noun: Saya butuh sedikit nasihat.
• Or use countable “suggestions”: Saya butuh beberapa saran. Pluralizing (nasihat-nasihat) is possible but often unnecessary.

Can butuh take a verb?

Yes, especially in speech: Saya butuh belajar. For a noun-like complement in formal style, prefer memerlukan/membutuhkan + noun: Saya memerlukan waktu/dukungan. Avoid membutuhkan belajar.

Is guru always “teacher,” even at university?

• guru = school teacher (K–12).
• dosen = university lecturer/professor. Adjust as needed: Saya butuh nasihat dosen tentang ujian.

Any quick pronunciation tips?

• butuh: final h is lightly audible; two syllables: bu-tuh.
• nasihat: na-see-hat; pronounce the h.
• ujian: oo-jee-ahn.
• guru: hard g as in “go.”