Guru bahasa saya sangat sabar.

My language teacher is very patient.

Breakdown of Guru bahasa saya sangat sabar.

• adalah: to be
• sangat: very
• sabar: patient
• guru bahasa: the language teacher

Questions & Answers about Guru bahasa saya sangat sabar.

Why is there no word for is in this sentence?

Indonesian usually leaves out a verb like is / am / are when linking a subject to an adjective or a noun.

So Guru bahasa saya sangat sabar literally feels like:

• Guru bahasa saya = my language teacher
• sangat sabar = very patient

English needs is in the middle: My language teacher is very patient.
Indonesian does not; the link is understood from context and word order.

Can I add adalah to mean is, like Guru bahasa saya adalah sangat sabar?

No. You should not put adalah before an adjective like sabar in this kind of sentence.

Use:

• Guru bahasa saya sangat sabar. ✅

Do not use:

• Guru bahasa saya adalah sangat sabar. ❌ (sounds wrong or unnatural)

Adalah is mainly used before a noun phrase, for example:

• Guru bahasa saya adalah orang yang sangat sabar.
  = My language teacher is a very patient person.

Here adalah links guru bahasa saya (noun phrase) to orang yang sangat sabar (another noun phrase).

Why does saya (my) go at the end, instead of in front like in English?

In Indonesian, possessive pronouns such as saya usually come after the noun they possess.

Pattern:

• noun + owner

Examples:

• guru saya = my teacher
• buku saya = my book
• guru bahasa saya = my language teacher

So Indonesian says guru bahasa saya, not saya guru bahasa.

What exactly does guru bahasa mean? Is it always a language teacher?

Guru bahasa literally means language teacher.

On its own, bahasa just means language, not specifically Indonesian. So:

• guru bahasa = language teacher (unspecified language)
• guru bahasa Indonesia = Indonesian language teacher
• guru bahasa Inggris = English language teacher

In real conversations, people often specify which language:

• Guru bahasa Indonesia saya sangat sabar.
  My Indonesian teacher is very patient.

Is sabar an adjective like patient, or a verb like to be patient?

Sabar can work both as:

1. An adjective:

   • Dia sangat sabar.
     He or she is very patient.

2. A sort of imperative or verbal expression:

   • Sabar ya.
     Be patient, okay.

In this sentence, sabar functions like an adjective: (is) very patient.

What is the difference between sangat sabar and sabar sekali?

Both mean very patient, but the structure is different:

• sangat sabar

  • sangat comes before the adjective.
  • More neutral, slightly formal.
  • Common in speaking and writing.

• sabar sekali

  • sekali comes after the adjective.
  • Also common and natural.

Examples:

• Guru bahasa saya sangat sabar.
• Guru bahasa saya sabar sekali.

Both are fine. Do not combine them:

• sangat sabar sekali ❌ (too much, sounds wrong or childish)

Can I change the word order, like Guru saya bahasa sangat sabar?

No. Indonesian word order here is quite fixed.

Correct structure:

1. Guru (head noun)
2. bahasa (modifier: what kind of teacher)
3. saya (possessor: whose teacher)
4. sangat sabar (description)

So:

• Guru bahasa saya sangat sabar. ✅

These orders are wrong:

• Guru saya bahasa sangat sabar. ❌
• Bahasa guru saya sangat sabar. ❌ (changes meaning or sounds wrong)

Could I say Guru bahasa saya itu sangat sabar? What does itu do?

Yes, you can say:

• Guru bahasa saya itu sangat sabar.

Here itu is like saying that or that one. It makes the sentence feel more specific or conversational, similar to:

• That language teacher of mine is very patient.

It often refers to someone already known in the conversation. Both are correct:

• Guru bahasa saya sangat sabar. (neutral statement)
• Guru bahasa saya itu sangat sabar. (more pointing to a particular teacher)

Why is there no plural ending? How do I say My language teachers are very patient?

Indonesian often does not mark plural overtly; context usually shows if it is singular or plural.

To make it clearly plural, you can:

• Guru-guru bahasa saya sangat sabar.
  My language teachers are very patient.

Here:

• guru-guru = teachers (reduplication often marks plural) You can also sometimes use para:
• Para guru bahasa saya sangat sabar. (more formal)

Can I use aku instead of saya in this sentence?

Grammatically, yes:

• Guru bahasa aku sangat sabar.

But there is a nuance:

• saya is more polite and neutral; used in most formal and semi-formal situations.
• aku is more informal; used with friends, family, or people your age or younger.

For a teacher, most learners are safer with saya:

• Guru bahasa saya sangat sabar. (polite and natural)