Nasihat guru itu sangat praktis.

That teacher's advice is very practical.

Breakdown of Nasihat guru itu sangat praktis.

• adalah: to be
• itu: that
• sangat: very
• guru: the teacher
• nasihat: the advice
• praktis: practical

Questions & Answers about Nasihat guru itu sangat praktis.

Why is there no word for is in Nasihat guru itu sangat praktis?

Indonesian usually does not use a separate verb like “is” when the predicate is an adjective.

The structure here is:

• Nasihat guru itu = the subject
• sangat praktis = the predicate (“very practical”)

So Indonesian just puts them side by side:

• Subject + adjective (with or without adverb)
  Nasihat guru itu sangat praktis.

Using adalah (the closest to “is”) before an adjective is usually unnecessary and can sound stiff or unnatural here.
Nasihat guru itu adalah sangat praktis is grammatically possible but not natural everyday Indonesian.

What exactly does itu mean in guru itu? Is it “that” or “the”? Can I leave it out?

Itu literally means that, but very often it works like the in English, marking something as specific/known.

• guru = a teacher (in general, not specific)
• guru itu = that teacher / the (specific) teacher

In this sentence:

• Nasihat guru itu… = the advice of that particular teacher (already known in the context)

If you say Nasihat guru sangat praktis, without itu, it sounds more general:

• “A teacher’s advice is very practical” or “Teachers’ advice is very practical” (more generic, not one specific teacher).

How do we know guru itu means “the teacher’s” (possession) and not something else?

Indonesian often shows possession by simply putting two nouns next to each other, with the possessed thing first and the owner second:

• buku guru = the teacher’s book
• mobil ayah = father’s car
• rumah teman saya = my friend’s house

In nasihat guru itu:

• nasihat = advice (the thing possessed)
• guru itu = that teacher (the possessor)

So nasihat guru itu = “the advice of that teacher” / “that teacher’s advice”.

You could also say nasihat dari guru itu (advice from that teacher), but the original sentence already clearly implies the advice belongs to / comes from that teacher.

Could Nasihat guru itu sangat praktis mean “The advice to that teacher is very practical”?

No, that is not the natural reading.

• guru itu here is not a destination or target; it is a possessor/modifier.

To say “The advice to that teacher is very practical”, you would normally mark the direction with a preposition:

• Nasihat kepada guru itu sangat praktis.
• Nasihat untuk guru itu sangat praktis.

Without kepada/untuk, guru itu is interpreted as “that teacher’s” or “of that teacher”.

Why is the adjective praktis at the end? Could it ever go before the noun like in English?

Indonesian adjectives almost always come after the noun they describe.

Two main patterns:

1. Adjective as part of the noun phrase:

   • nasihat praktis = practical advice
   • guru pintar = a smart teacher

2. Adjective as the predicate (like in the sentence):

   • Nasihat guru itu sangat praktis.
     Subject: Nasihat guru itu
     Predicate: sangat praktis

Putting the adjective before the noun (e.g., praktis nasihat) is ungrammatical in Indonesian.

What is the difference between sangat praktis and praktis sekali?

Both mean “very practical”, but there is a slight nuance:

• sangat praktis

  • neutral, slightly more formal
  • common in writing and polite speech

• praktis sekali

  • also neutral, but often sounds a bit more conversational or descriptive
  • literally “practical once/one time”, but functionally “very practical”

In casual speech you might also hear praktis banget (colloquial, informal). All three are intensifiers; the meaning is essentially the same in most contexts.

Can I just say Nasihat guru itu praktis without sangat?

Yes.

• Nasihat guru itu praktis. = “That teacher’s advice is practical.”

Adding sangat simply strengthens the adjective:

• praktis = practical
• sangat praktis = very practical

Both sentences are grammatically correct; you choose depending on how strong you want the statement to be.

What is the difference between nasihat and saran? Both seem to mean “advice”.

They overlap, but there is a nuance:

• nasihat

  • often has a moral / life-guidance feel
  • common in contexts like teachers, parents, religious leaders
  • “guidance, counsel, advice” (often about behavior or life choices)

• saran

  • more neutral “suggestion, recommendation”
  • used for ideas, proposals, feedback, etc.

In the sentence with a guru, nasihat is very natural, because teachers are seen as giving guidance (not just a casual suggestion).
Saran guru itu sangat praktis would also be correct but feels a bit more like “That teacher’s suggestion is very practical.”

Is nasihat countable? How would I say “a piece of advice” or “some advice”?

Indonesian handles this more flexibly than English.

• nasihat can refer to advice in general or to one or more pieces of advice, depending on context.

If you want to emphasize one piece:

• sebuah nasihat = a piece of advice
• satu nasihat = one piece of advice (more literal)

For something like “some advice”:

• beberapa nasihat = some advice / a few pieces of advice
• or just nasihat with context supplying the quantity.

What is the difference between praktis, praktikal, and praktik?

They are related but not interchangeable:

• praktis

  • adjective: practical, useful, efficient, convenient
  • fits perfectly in Nasihat guru itu sangat praktis.

• praktikal

  • closer to “practical (hands-on)” in some contexts
  • used less frequently; often in technical/academic or loan-translation contexts

• praktik

  • noun: practice (as in professional practice or the act of practicing)
  • e.g., praktik dokter = a doctor’s practice (clinic)
  • also used in phrases like teori dan praktik (theory and practice)

In the given sentence, you must use praktis, not praktikal or praktik.