Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Menurut guru, gugup sebelum wawancara itu wajar. - According to the teacher, being nervous before an interview is normal.

Menurut [person]
- Menurut saya = According to me / In my opinion
- Menurut dia = According to him/her
- Menurut dokter = According to the doctor
Menurut [source]
- Menurut buku ini = According to this book
- Menurut peraturan = According to the rules

It introduces whose opinion or judgment is being expressed. Grammatically, it’s a preposition, and it’s very common in spoken and written Indonesian.

Why is there a comma after guru?

Menurut guru is an introductory phrase placed at the beginning of the sentence:

Menurut guru, gugup sebelum wawancara itu wajar.
= According to the teacher, being nervous before an interview is normal.

In Indonesian:

A comma after an opening phrase like menurut guru, di sekolah, kalau begitu, etc., is common and considered good style.
It helps separate the “according to X” part from the main statement.

You can also move the phrase and usually drop the comma:

Gugup sebelum wawancara itu wajar menurut guru.
(No comma needed here.)

Is gugup an adjective or a verb? How should I think of it as an English speaker?

Gugup is an adjective, meaning “nervous” or “flustered”.

However, in Indonesian, adjectives can act like “stative verbs” (they can directly function as predicates without any “to be”):

Saya gugup. = I am nervous.
(Literally: “I nervous.”)

So:

Part of speech: adjective
Function in sentences: it often works the way English uses “to be + adjective”.

In your sentence, gugup is describing a state: being nervous before an interview.

Why is there no word for “is/are” in the sentence? Where is “is” in Indonesian?

Indonesian usually omits “to be” (is/are/am) when linking a subject to an adjective or a noun:

Dia tinggi. = He/She is tall.
Ini mahal. = This is expensive.

In your sentence:

Gugup sebelum wawancara itu wajar.
Rough structure: [That nervousness before interviews] (is) normal.

There is no explicit “is”; the link is understood.

You can insert adalah in some noun–noun structures to sound more formal, but not usually before an adjective like wajar:

Gugup sebelum wawancara itu adalah hal yang wajar.
= Being nervous before an interview is something normal. (more formal, longer)

So here, “is” is simply not expressed; Indonesian doesn’t need it.

What is the function of itu in gugup sebelum wawancara itu wajar?

Itu literally means “that” or “that one”, but here it works more like a marker of definiteness/topic:

Gugup sebelum wawancara itu wajar.
= That nervousness before an interview is normal.

Functions of itu here:

It makes the phrase gugup sebelum wawancara feel like a specific, definite thing, almost like saying “that kind of nervousness”.
It helps separate the topic (what we’re talking about) from the comment (what we say about it).

Without itu:

Gugup sebelum wawancara wajar.
This is understandable but feels a bit less natural and less clearly structured.

So itu is not translated directly as “that” in natural English, but it supports the sentence structure and definiteness in Indonesian.

What does sebelum mean, and why isn’t there a preposition like di or pada before wawancara?

Sebelum means “before”.

Structure:

sebelum + noun / verb phrase

In your sentence:

sebelum wawancara = before (the) interview

You don’t add di or pada after sebelum:

✔ sebelum wawancara
✘ sebelum di wawancara (incorrect)
✘ sebelum pada wawancara (incorrect)

Some examples:

sebelum makan = before eating
sebelum ujian = before the exam
sebelum tidur = before sleeping

So sebelum itself already works as the preposition “before” and directly takes its object.

Is wawancara a noun or a verb here? And how is it normally used?

In this sentence, wawancara is a noun: “interview”.

Indonesian usage:

As a noun:
- Saya ada wawancara besok. = I have an interview tomorrow.
- Wawancara kerja = job interview
As a verb (formal):
- mewawancarai = to interview (with the me- prefix)
  - Dia mewawancarai saksi. = He/She interviewed the witness.

In everyday speech, people sometimes use wawancara colloquially as a verb (“to do an interview”), but the standard verb is mewawancarai.

Here, because it follows sebelum, it’s clearly functioning as a noun phrase: before (the) interview.

What does wajar mean, and how is it different from normal?

Wajar means “natural, reasonable, normal (and acceptable)”.

Nuance:

wajar: emphasizes that something is understandable, makes sense, and is not wrong.
- Marah sedikit itu wajar. = Getting a bit angry is natural/understandable.
normal: borrowed from English, often used in more technical or general “normal/standard” senses.
- Tekanan darahnya normal. = His/Her blood pressure is normal.

In your sentence:

wajar suggests that being nervous before an interview is naturally expected and not something to worry about. It carries a gentle, reassuring tone.

Can I change the word order and still have a correct sentence?

Yes. Indonesian word order is fairly flexible, especially with adverbial phrases and menurut-phrases. Some natural variants:

Menurut guru, gugup sebelum wawancara itu wajar.
(Original, neutral word order.)
Gugup sebelum wawancara itu wajar menurut guru.
→ Slight emphasis on the idea itself (“It’s normal”), then adds “according to the teacher” at the end.
Menurut guru, wajar gugup sebelum wawancara.
→ Focuses on wajar first; still natural in speech.

All three are acceptable. The meaning stays the same; the difference is mostly rhythm and slight emphasis.

How could I make this sentence more formal or more polite, especially when referring to the teacher?

You can make it more formal/polite by:

Being more specific about whose teacher:
- Menurut guru saya, gugup sebelum wawancara itu wajar.
  = According to my teacher…
Using honorifics like Bapak/Ibu (Mr./Ms./Sir/Ma’am) for a respected teacher:
- Menurut Bapak Guru, gugup sebelum wawancara itu wajar.
- Menurut Ibu Guru, gugup sebelum wawancara itu wajar.
Using a more formal structure:
- Menurut guru saya, merasa gugup sebelum wawancara adalah hal yang wajar.
  = According to my teacher, feeling nervous before an interview is something normal.

The original sentence is already polite enough in many contexts, but these adjustments increase respect and formality.