Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Menurut saya, keadilan penting bagi semua orang. - In my opinion, justice is important for everyone.

menurut saya: sounds a bit more neutral or slightly formal, often used in writing, discussions, and polite speech.
- Menurut saya, keadilan penting… = In my opinion, justice is important…
saya pikir: more like I think (that)…, slightly more casual and direct.
- Saya pikir keadilan penting… = I think justice is important…

Both are correct; menurut saya can feel a bit softer and more “opinion‑like,” while saya pikir focuses more on the act of thinking.

Why is there a comma after menurut saya? Is it required?

The comma separates the introductory phrase menurut saya (in my opinion) from the main clause.

With comma: Menurut saya, keadilan penting bagi semua orang.
Without comma: Menurut saya keadilan penting bagi semua orang.

In everyday writing, many Indonesians omit the comma in casual contexts, and it’s still understood. However, in more careful or formal writing, that comma is preferred and considered correct, because menurut saya works as an introductory adverbial phrase.

So: not strictly required in informal writing, but recommended and standard in formal writing.

Why is there no word for is between keadilan and penting?

Indonesian usually does not use a separate verb like is / am / are (a copula) when linking a noun to an adjective.

English: Justice *is important.*
Indonesian: Keadilan penting. (no verb needed)

penting is an adjective meaning important. In Indonesian, an adjective can directly function as the predicate:

Dia cantik. = She is beautiful.
Rumah itu besar. = That house is big.
Keadilan penting. = Justice is important.

A linking word like adalah is usually used to connect a noun to another noun, not to an adjective:

Keadilan adalah nilai yang penting.
Justice is a value that is important.

What part of speech is penting, and how else can it be used?

penting is an adjective meaning important.

Common uses:

Predicate adjective (as in the sentence):
- Keadilan penting. = Justice is important.
Modifier before a noun (often with yang):
- Hal yang penting = an important thing / what’s important
- Poin penting = an important point
In expressions with yang paling (the most):
- Hal yang paling penting = the most important thing

So in this sentence, penting simply describes keadilan as “important,” functioning as the main predicate of the clause.

What does bagi mean here, and how is it different from untuk?

Both bagi and untuk can often be translated as for, but there are nuances.

In keadilan penting bagi semua orang:

bagi emphasizes the recipient / the party affected by something.
It feels natural when talking about something’s importance, benefit, impact, or relevance for someone.

Rough guideline:

bagi:
- Penting bagi semua orang = important for everyone
- Berguna bagi siswa = useful for students
- More common in slightly formal or neutral contexts.
untuk:
- Hadiah untuk kamu = a gift for you (destination, target)
- Uang ini untuk membeli buku = this money is for buying books (purpose)

You could also say:

Keadilan penting untuk semua orang.

This is still acceptable and understandable; bagi just sounds a bit more “textbook neutral/formal” when talking about importance.

What’s the difference between semua orang, setiap orang, and orang-orang?

All three involve the idea of “people,” but with different nuance:

semua orang
- Literally all people / everyone.
- Used in the sentence: bagi semua orang = for everyone (as a group).
setiap orang
- Literally each person / every person.
- Emphasizes individuals one by one.
- Keadilan penting bagi setiap orang. = Justice is important for each person.
orang-orang
- Reduplication often indicates plural: orang-orang = people.
- Keadilan penting bagi orang-orang. = Justice is important for people.
- Usually needs some context (which people? these people? in general?).

In this sentence, semua orang is the most natural way to mean everyone in a general, inclusive sense.

Why doesn’t keadilan have a word like the or a in front of it? Should it be keadilan itu or something?

Indonesian generally does not use articles like the / a / an. Nouns can stand alone without any article:

keadilan = justice or the justice (context decides)
buku = a book or the book

You only add something if you want to be more specific, for example:

keadilan itu = that justice / the justice (previously mentioned)
keadilan ini = this justice

In your sentence, keadilan refers to the concept of justice in general, so no extra word is needed. It naturally corresponds to justice in English, without the.

Could I change the word order, like Menurut saya, penting keadilan bagi semua orang?

That word order is not natural in Indonesian. The usual pattern here is:

Menurut saya, [subject] [adjective] [prepositional phrase].
Menurut saya, keadilan penting bagi semua orang.

Some acceptable variations:

Keadilan penting bagi semua orang, menurut saya.
Menurut saya, keadilan itu penting bagi semua orang.
Menurut saya, keadilan adalah hal yang penting bagi semua orang.
(Justice is a thing that is important for everyone.)

But pentarik versions like:

Menurut saya, penting keadilan bagi semua orang.

sound awkward or ungrammatical to native speakers in this context. Keep keadilan before penting.

Is this sentence formal, informal, or neutral? How would you say it in a more casual way?

The sentence Menurut saya, keadilan penting bagi semua orang. is neutral, slightly leaning toward polite / semi-formal. It’s perfectly fine in:

essays
presentations
polite conversation
discussions or debates

A more casual spoken version might be:

Menurut aku, keadilan itu penting buat semua orang.

Changes:

saya → aku (more informal, used with friends / peers)
optional itu after keadilan (common in speech)
bagi → buat (colloquial “for” in many dialects / informal speech)

Use saya / bagi in formal or mixed situations; aku / buat with friends or in very informal contexts.

How do you pronounce menurut and keadilan?

Indonesian pronunciation is relatively regular:

menurut: /məˈnurut/
- me = like meh but very short, almost like a schwa
- nu = noo
- rut = root (final t is clean, not strongly released)
keadilan: /kə.aˈdilan/
- ke = very short kə (schwa sound)
- a = ah
- di = dee
- lan = lahn (short a, final n)

Syllables:

me-nu-rut
ke-a-di-lan

Primary stress usually falls on the second-to-last syllable, so:

me-nu-rut
ke-a-di-lan