Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya suka saran sederhana dari guru.

Why is there no word for “the” or “a” in Saya suka saran sederhana dari guru? How do I know if it means “a simple suggestion” or “the simple suggestion”?

Indonesian normally has no articles like a/an or the. The bare noun saran can mean:

a suggestion / some advice
the suggestion / the advice

Context decides which English article you use in translation.

If you specifically want to show:

“a simple suggestion”: often still just saran sederhana, or you can say sebuah saran sederhana (more explicitly “one suggestion”).
“the simple suggestion” (something already known in context): still saran sederhana, or you can add itu: saran sederhana itu = that/that particular simple suggestion.

So the Indonesian sentence is flexible; you choose the English article based on context.

Why is the adjective sederhana after saran, not before it like in English (simple suggestion)?

In Indonesian, the usual order is:

Noun + Adjective

So:

saran sederhana = simple suggestion
rumah besar = big house
film menarik = interesting movie

Putting the adjective first, like sederhana saran, is ungrammatical in standard Indonesian. The natural order is saran sederhana.

What’s the difference between suka and menyukai? Why do we say Saya suka saran… and not Saya menyukai saran…?

Both come from the same root suka (to like), but:

suka is the everyday, neutral verb:
- Saya suka kopi. = I like coffee.
- Saya suka saran sederhana. = I like simple advice.
menyukai is more formal / literary and slightly stronger or more focused:
- Saya menyukai saran sederhana dari guru. = I (really) like / am fond of the teacher’s simple advice.
  It sounds like written language, speeches, or careful formal speech.

In normal conversation, suka is by far the most common choice.

Is saran countable or uncountable? How do I say “a suggestion”, “some advice”, or “many suggestions”?

Saran behaves a bit like English advice: often used as a mass noun, but it can be counted with classifiers.

saran alone = advice / a suggestion / suggestions (context decides).
sebuah saran = a suggestion (literally “one piece of suggestion”).
beberapa saran = some suggestions / some advice.
banyak saran = many suggestions / a lot of advice.
saran-saran (reduplication) = suggestions (plural, emphasizing more than one).

So Saya suka saran sederhana dari guru can be understood as “I like simple advice from (the) teacher” or “I like the teacher’s simple suggestions”.

What exactly does dari express here? Could I use daripada or oleh instead?

In this sentence:

dari = from (source or origin)
- saran sederhana dari guru = simple advice from the teacher.

You cannot just replace it with:

daripada – usually compares things (lebih baik daripada… = better than…), or sometimes means “from” in a more abstract sense but sounds wrong here.
oleh – used in passive sentences to mark the agent:
- Saran itu diberikan oleh guru. = The advice was given by the teacher.

In a simple noun phrase like this, the natural preposition is dari.

Does dari guru mean “from a teacher”, “from the teacher”, or “from my teacher”?

Grammatically, dari guru just means “from teacher” with no article or possessive. In real usage, it could be:

from a teacher (if you’re speaking generally)
from the teacher (if there’s a specific teacher both speakers know)
sometimes understood as from my teacher, if context makes that clear.

If you want to be explicit:

dari seorang guru = from a teacher (non‑specific).
dari guru itu = from that/the teacher (specific).
dari guru saya = from my teacher.

Can I drop saya and just say Suka saran sederhana dari guru?

In careful, standard sentences, you usually keep the subject:

Saya suka saran sederhana dari guru.

Dropping saya is possible in very casual speech or in short written notes / headlines, but then it sounds like:

a fragment (e.g., a note: Suka saran sederhana dari guru.)
or like an impersonal statement: [Someone / People] like simple advice from the teacher.

If you want clear, normal Indonesian, keep Saya.

How do I express past or future meaning? How do I say “I liked” or “I will like” this advice?

The verb suka itself does not change for tense. You show time with adverbs or context:

Saya suka saran sederhana dari guru.
- I like simple advice from the teacher. (present / general)

To make it clearly past:

Dulu saya suka saran sederhana dari guru. = I used to like simple advice from the teacher.
Kemarin saya suka saran sederhana dari guru. = Yesterday I liked the simple advice from the teacher.

For future:

Saya akan suka saran sederhana dari guru.
Sounds a bit odd in Indonesian; more natural is:
Saya rasa saya akan suka saran sederhana dari guru. = I think I will like the teacher’s simple advice.
Or: Saya akan menyukai saran sederhana dari guru. (more formal/predictive)

The key: suka stays the same; time words carry the tense meaning.

What’s the difference between “advice from the teacher” and “advice for the teacher” in Indonesian?

Different prepositions:

saran … dari guru = advice from the teacher (the teacher is the source).
- saran sederhana dari guru = simple advice coming from the teacher.
saran … untuk guru = advice for the teacher (the teacher is the target / recipient).
- saran sederhana untuk guru = simple advice intended for the teacher.

So dari = from (source); untuk = for (recipient / purpose).

How would I say “the teacher’s simple advice” more like English possessive (“teacher’s”), not “from the teacher”?

You can express possession in a few ways:

Noun + Noun:
- saran guru = the teacher’s advice (quite neutral).
- saran sederhana guru = the teacher’s simple advice (understood from context).
Add itu if the teacher is specific/known:
- saran sederhana guru itu = that/that particular teacher’s simple advice.
For “my teacher’s simple advice”:
- saran sederhana guru saya = my teacher’s simple advice.

saran sederhana dari guru is closer to “simple advice from the teacher”, focusing on the source. saran (sederhana) guru sounds more like English “the teacher’s (simple) advice”.

Is guru always just “teacher”? Are there politeness forms I should know?

guru is the basic noun teacher. In real interaction, you often add titles:

To address a male teacher: Pak Guru (Pak = Mr / Sir).
To address a female teacher: Bu Guru (Bu = Mrs / Madam).
Referring politely to “the teacher” in school context: Bapak/Ibu Guru.

In your sentence, guru is neutral, like saying “teacher” in general or referring to a teacher already understood from context. In direct speech, you would usually say Pak/Bu + name or Pak/Bu Guru.

Can I pluralize saran as saran-saran? What’s the difference between saran and saran-saran?

Yes, you can:

saran alone can be singular or plural depending on context.
saran-saran (reduplicated) explicitly emphasizes plurality: suggestions, several pieces of advice.

For example:

Saya suka saran sederhana dari guru.
= I like simple advice / the simple suggestion(s) from the teacher.
Saya suka saran-saran sederhana dari guru.
= I like the teacher’s simple suggestions (clearly more than one).

Both are correct; use saran-saran when you want to make it clear there are multiple suggestions.

Can I move sederhana somewhere else, like Saya suka sederhana saran dari guru?

No. In standard Indonesian, adjectives like sederhana normally follow the noun they describe:

✔ saran sederhana (correct)
✘ sederhana saran (incorrect in standard usage)
✘ Saya suka sederhana saran dari guru. (unnatural / wrong)

So you should keep:

Saya suka saran sederhana dari guru.