Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Guru bahasa meminta kami menulis satu paragraf pendek tentang keluarga. - The language teacher asks us to write one short paragraph about family.

You don’t say bahasa guru for language teacher; that would mean the teacher’s language (the language that belongs to the teacher), not a teacher of language as a subject.

Why isn’t there a word for the or a in Guru bahasa?

Indonesian does not use articles like the or a/an.

So guru bahasa can mean:

the language teacher
a language teacher

Which one it is depends entirely on context. If everyone already knows which teacher you are talking about, listeners will understand it as the language teacher; if not, they’ll understand a language teacher.

Why is there no subject pronoun like dia before meminta?

Indonesian often drops subject pronouns when context makes them clear.

Full form:

Guru bahasa itu meminta kami menulis …
(That language teacher asked us to write …)

Natural dropped form:

Guru bahasa meminta kami menulis …

Since guru bahasa is clearly the subject, you don’t need dia. Adding dia here (Guru bahasa dia meminta …) would actually be ungrammatical. The noun guru bahasa itself is the subject.

What is the structure of meminta kami menulis? Why is there no untuk?

The pattern is:

meminta + [person] + [verb]

So:

meminta kami menulis … = ask us to write …

You can insert untuk:

meminta kami untuk menulis …

Both are grammatically correct. The version without untuk is very common in speech and writing and sounds natural. The untuk version can sound slightly more formal or explicit, but not by much.

What is the difference between kami and kita here?

Both mean we/us, but:

kami = we (not including the listener)
kita = we (including the listener)

In this sentence, kami is correct because:

The language teacher is talking to the students, not including themself in the group that has to write.
The speaker is one of those students, referring to that group only.

If you said kita, it would sound like the teacher (or the listener) is also part of the group doing the writing, which is not the intended meaning.

What nuance does meminta have? Is it “ask” or “order”, and how is it different from menyuruh?

Meminta basically means to ask (for something / someone to do something). It can cover:

polite requests: Guru bahasa meminta kami menulis … (asked us)
soft instructions: a teacher assigning homework

Compare:

meminta = to ask (can be somewhat neutral/polite)
menyuruh = to tell/order someone to do something (stronger, more like command)
memerintahkan = to command (formal, often for authority/military contexts)

In a classroom, meminta is the usual, neutral verb for giving an assignment. Saying Guru bahasa menyuruh kami menulis … is still possible, but sounds more like the teacher made us write … (emphasizing authority).

Why is it menulis satu paragraf pendek, and not using sebuah or nothing at all?

You have several natural options:

menulis satu paragraf pendek
- Explicitly says one short paragraph.
menulis sebuah paragraf pendek
- sebuah is a general classifier often used with inanimate nouns.
- Also means one short paragraph, but feels a bit more bookish/formal.
menulis paragraf pendek
- More general: write a short paragraph (quantity not clearly highlighted, but usually understood as one in this context).

Using satu stresses the number one. In many assignment contexts, satu paragraf pendek sounds very natural.

Why is the word order satu paragraf pendek and not pendek paragraf?

Typical Indonesian noun phrase order is:

[number] + [classifier, if any] + [noun] + [adjective]

In this sentence:

satu = number
(no classifier here, though sebuah could be inserted)
paragraf = noun
pendek = adjective

So:

satu paragraf pendek = one short paragraph

Adjectives like pendek, besar, kecil, panjang, baru, lama usually come after the noun:

buku baru = new book
rumah besar = big house
paragraf pendek = short paragraph

Pendek paragraf is ungrammatical in this meaning.

What is the difference between pendek and singkat for “short” in this context?

Both can be used for texts, but:

pendek = short in length/size (physical or abstract)
- paragraf pendek = short paragraph
- rok pendek = short skirt
singkat = brief, concise (focus on being not long in time or content)
- pidato singkat = brief speech
- penjelasan singkat = brief explanation

For a written homework task, you could say either:

satu paragraf pendek
satu paragraf singkat

Pendek is more neutral and very common; singkat slightly emphasizes brevity/conciseness.

What does tentang mean, and are there alternatives?

Tentang means about / regarding / on the topic of.

In this sentence:

tentang keluarga = about family

Common alternatives with similar meaning:

mengenai keluarga = regarding family
soal keluarga = about the topic of family (more colloquial)

All of these are grammatically fine here:

… menulis satu paragraf pendek tentang keluarga.
… menulis satu paragraf pendek mengenai keluarga.
… menulis satu paragraf pendek soal keluarga.

Tentang is the most neutral and widely used in formal and informal contexts.

Why is keluarga at the end, after tentang, instead of before it?

Tentang is a preposition, like about in English. The pattern is:

tentang + [noun]

So:

tentang keluarga = about family
tentang sekolah = about school
tentang Indonesia = about Indonesia

You cannot move keluarga in front of tentang:

keluarga tentang ❌ (incorrect)

The preposition must come before its object, just like about family, not family about.

Does keluarga mean “family” as a group, and how do you make it plural?

Keluarga is a collective noun: it usually means family as a single unit.

To talk about multiple families, you have options:

keluarga-keluarga
- explicit plural by reduplication
banyak keluarga
- many families
beberapa keluarga
- several families

In this sentence, tentang keluarga most naturally means about (my/our) family or about family as a concept, depending on context. Indonesian does not force you to mark it as singular or plural unless it’s important to clarify.

Is paragraf a common word in Indonesian, or is there a more “native” alternative?

Paragraf is a standard, common Indonesian word, borrowed from European languages.

You will see it in:

textbooks
school instructions
exams
academic writing

There isn’t a more “native” everyday replacement for paragraf; this is the normal word Indonesians use when talking about writing and text structure.