Kami menghormati guru kami.

We respect our teacher.

Breakdown of Kami menghormati guru kami.

• kami: we
• guru: the teacher
• kami: our
• menghormati: to respect

Questions & Answers about Kami menghormati guru kami.

Why is kami used twice in this sentence? Can I say Kami menghormati guru instead?

The first kami is the subject (we), and the second kami is a possessive marker (our), attached to guru (teacher).

• Kami menghormati guru kami = We respect our teacher.
• Kami menghormati guru = We respect (the) teacher / teachers (in general, not clearly “our”).

So you can say Kami menghormati guru, but it then sounds more general and less clearly about “our own teacher.”

What is the difference between kami and kita? Could I say Kita menghormati guru kita?

Both mean we, but:

• kami = we (excluding the person spoken to / the listener)
• kita = we (including the listener)

So:

• Kami menghormati guru kami – “We (not including you) respect our teacher.”
• Kita menghormati guru kita – “We (including you) respect our teacher.”

Both are grammatically correct; which one you use depends on whether you are including the listener in the group.

Is guru here singular or plural? Does it mean “teacher” or “teachers”?

In Indonesian, guru by itself does not show number; it can be singular or plural, depending on context.

• guru kami can be our teacher (one person) or our teachers (more than one).

If you want to make it clearly plural, you can say:

• guru-guru kami
• para guru kami

Both mean roughly our teachers.

What is the base word of menghormati, and what do the affixes mean?

The base word is hormat, which means respect / honor (as a noun or adjective-like idea).

menghormati is formed as:

• meng- (a verb-forming prefix)
• hormat (root)
• -i (a suffix that often marks an action directed at/onto an object)

So menghormati = to respect (someone), to show honor to (someone). It is a transitive verb: it normally takes a direct object, like guru kami.

Is the word order fixed? Could I say something like Kami guru kami menghormati?

The normal, neutral word order here is Subject–Verb–Object (S–V–O):

• Kami (S) menghormati (V) guru kami (O)

You cannot say Kami guru kami menghormati; that is unnatural and confusing. Indonesian allows some movement for emphasis, but in ordinary sentences, S–V–O is the default and should be followed, especially as a learner.

Can I drop the subject kami and just say Menghormati guru kami?

You usually keep the subject in a full sentence: Kami menghormati guru kami.

Menghormati guru kami without kami sounds like:

• a fragment (e.g. a sentence title, slogan, or list item), or
• part of a longer sentence, or
• sometimes like an instruction/imperative, but then it would normally be Hormatilah guru kamu/kalian.

So in normal conversation or writing, keep kami if you want a complete sentence.

Is this sentence formal or informal? How would people say this in everyday speech?

Kami menghormati guru kami is neutral and correct; it fits well in writing, speeches, and polite conversation.

In more casual spoken Indonesian, people might say things like:

• Kami sangat menghormati guru kami. (still quite standard)
• Kita hormat sama guru kita. (more informal; note hormat instead of menghormati, and sama instead of kepada/pada)

The original sentence is safe and appropriate in almost all polite contexts.

What is the nuance of menghormati? Is it the same as menghargai?

They are related but not identical:

• menghormati focuses on respecting / honoring someone (recognizing their status, role, or dignity).
• menghargai focuses on appreciating / valuing someone or something (their effort, opinion, work, etc.).

So:

• Kami menghormati guru kami. – We respect/honor our teacher (as a person, as an authority figure).
• Kami menghargai guru kami. – We appreciate our teacher (e.g. their hard work, their help).

Both can be positive, but the emphasis is slightly different.

How would I add emphasis like “really” or “very much” to this sentence?

Common ways to add emphasis:

• Kami sangat menghormati guru kami. – We really / greatly respect our teacher.
• Kami sangat menghormati guru-guru kami. – We really respect our teachers.
• Kami menghormati guru kami sekali. – We respect our teacher very much (more colloquial with sekali at the end).

sangat usually goes before the verb; sekali usually comes at the end of the phrase.

How do I say “We respect our teacher, and our teacher respects us” in Indonesian?

One natural way to say this is:

• Kami menghormati guru kami, dan guru kami menghormati kami.

If the listener is included in we, you would instead say:

• Kita menghormati guru kita, dan guru kita menghormati kita.

Notice that kami/kita is used again as the object; there is no special object form like “us” in English.

Is there any gender or title in guru kami? How would I be more polite to a specific teacher?

Guru kami is neutral; it does not show gender or a title. To be more specific and polite, especially in school contexts, Indonesian often uses Bapak (Mr./Sir) or Ibu (Ms./Ma’am) with guru:

• Kami menghormati Bapak Guru kami. – We respect our (male) teacher / sir.
• Kami menghormati Ibu Guru kami. – We respect our (female) teacher / ma’am.

In direct address, you might simply say Bapak or Ibu when talking to them.