Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Vokalis band kampus itu sangat ramah. - The vocalist of that campus band is very friendly.

So the whole thing is literally: “vocalist band campus that very friendly”, which corresponds to “The vocalist of that campus band is very friendly.”

Why is there no word for “is” in this sentence?

In Indonesian, when the predicate is an adjective, there is usually no verb “to be” (no equivalent of “is/are/am”).

Structure here:

Subject: Vokalis band kampus itu
Predicate (adjective): sangat ramah

Indonesian simply places the adjective (often with an intensifier like sangat) after the subject:

Vokalis band kampus itu sangat ramah.
= That campus band’s vocalist very friendly.

You only use a linking verb like adalah or ialah when the predicate is typically a noun or noun phrase, not a plain adjective. Even then, in everyday speech, Indonesians often drop adalah too.

What is the function of itu here, and why does it come after band kampus?

Itu has two main roles in Indonesian:

Demonstrative “that” (pointing to something):
- buku itu = that book
Definite marker “the” / something already known in context:
- film itu = that/the film (we’re talking about)

In vokalis band kampus itu:

band kampus itu = that campus band / the campus band (we were talking about)
vokalis band kampus itu = the vocalist of that campus band

In standard Indonesian, demonstratives (itu / ini) normally come after the noun phrase, unlike English:

rumah itu = that house
guru itu = that teacher
band kampus itu = that campus band

So the order Noun + itu is the normal pattern.

What does band kampus mean exactly? Is it like “school band” or “university band”?

Band kampus literally means “campus band.”

In context, it usually refers to:

a band made up of university/college students
a band that is associated with the campus music scene

It’s closest in English to “college band,” “university band,” or “campus band.”
It does not specifically mean a marching band or a formal school orchestra; it’s more like a regular pop/rock band whose members are students.

How does Indonesian show “of” or possession in a phrase like “vocalist of the campus band”?

Indonesian very often shows “of” or possession simply by putting nouns next to each other, with the owned thing first and the owner after:

vokalis band = vocalist of the band
kacamata saya = my glasses
rumah guru = the teacher’s house

In this sentence:

vokalis band kampus itu
- vokalis (vocalist)
- band kampus itu (that campus band)

So the structure is:
[vokalis] [band kampus itu]
= the vocalist of that campus band

You can optionally use dari (“from/of”) to be more explicit:

vokalis dari band kampus itu = vocalist from/of that campus band

Both are correct; the version without dari is shorter and very natural.

Could this sentence mean “The vocalists of that campus band are very friendly” (plural)?

On its own, Vokalis band kampus itu sangat ramah. is more naturally understood as singular:

vokalis = (the) vocalist / singer (normally one person)

Indonesian usually doesn’t mark plural on nouns, but people rely on:

context, or
plural markers like para, banyak, semua, or repetition.

If you clearly wanted a plural meaning, you’d normally say something like:

Para vokalis band kampus itu sangat ramah.
= The vocalists of that campus band are very friendly.

Semua vokalis band kampus itu sangat ramah.
= All the vocalists of that campus band are very friendly.

So the original sentence is read as singular unless context strongly suggests otherwise.

Are there other ways to say “very” instead of sangat? Are they more formal or informal?

Yes, several:

More formal / neutral:

sangat ramah – very friendly (neutral, works in writing and speech)
amat ramah – very friendly (a bit more literary or formal)

Informal / everyday speech:

ramah sekali – very friendly (literally “friendly once,” but means “very”)
ramah banget – very / super friendly (colloquial, very informal)
ramah banget deh – even more slangy / casual

Examples:

Vokalis band kampus itu ramah sekali.
Vokalis band kampus itu ramah banget.

In your sentence, sangat keeps the tone neutral and slightly more standard.

Can I move sangat after ramah, like ramah sangat?

No, ramah sangat is not natural Indonesian.

The basic rules:

sangat + adjective (before the adjective):
- sangat ramah – very friendly
For after the adjective, you usually use sekali or slang like banget, not sangat:
- ramah sekali – very friendly
- ramah banget – very / super friendly (informal)

So you should say:

Vokalis band kampus itu sangat ramah. (neutral)
Vokalis band kampus itu ramah sekali. (neutral)
Vokalis band kampus itu ramah banget. (casual)

Is ramah only used for people, or can it describe places, services, etc.?

Ramah primarily describes people, but it can be extended to things associated with people’s attitude or behavior.

Typical uses:

People:
- Dia sangat ramah. – He/She is very friendly.
Places / services (meaning the people there are nice):
- Pelayanannya ramah. – The service is friendly.
- Karyawannya ramah. – The employees are friendly.
- Hotel ini sangat ramah. – This hotel is very friendly (the staff are nice).

You usually wouldn’t use ramah for completely inanimate things without a human connection (like chair or car), unless it’s metaphorical or part of a fixed phrase (e.g., ramah lingkungan = environmentally friendly).

Would it be natural to say Vokalis dari band kampus itu sangat ramah? What’s the difference?

Yes, Vokalis dari band kampus itu sangat ramah. is grammatical and natural.

Difference in nuance:

Vokalis band kampus itu sangat ramah.
- Compact, very typical Indonesian noun phrase.
- Feels slightly more integrated: the vocalist of that campus band.
Vokalis dari band kampus itu sangat ramah.
- Adds dari (“from/of”), making the relationship explicit.
- Slightly more spelled out, like English “the vocalist from that campus band.”

In most contexts, they are interchangeable in meaning. The version without dari is a bit smoother and more idiomatic as a noun phrase.

Why doesn’t Indonesian use articles like “a” or “the” here?

Indonesian doesn’t have articles like “a/an” or “the.”
Definiteness and specificity are shown by:

context,
demonstratives like itu (that/the) and ini (this), or
sometimes numbers or other markers.

In Vokalis band kampus itu sangat ramah:

itu after band kampus already signals that the speaker has a specific band in mind:
- band kampus itu = that / the campus band (we know which one)

From context, vokalis band kampus itu will usually be interpreted as “the vocalist of that campus band.” If you wanted to be very vague like “a vocalist of a campus band,” you’d rely more on context or add something else (e.g., seorang vokalis band kampus = a vocalist of a campus band).

Can I put itu at the beginning, like Itu vokalis band kampus sangat ramah?

You can, but the meaning and feel change a bit.

Itu vokalis band kampus sangat ramah.
- Feels like: That one, the campus band’s vocalist, is very friendly.
- itu here functions more like a topic marker / pointing word (“that person over there / that one”).

In the original:

Vokalis band kampus itu sangat ramah.
- itu clearly modifies band kampus (“that campus band”).
- The phrase means “the vocalist of that campus band is very friendly.”

So:

[vokalis band kampus itu] – itu = “that band”
[Itu] vokalis band kampus – itu = “that one (as topic)”

Both are grammatical, but for the intended meaning “the vocalist of that campus band is very friendly,” the original order is more straightforward and standard.

How do you pronounce this sentence?

A simple guideline using syllables and approximate English sounds:

Vokalis → vo-KA-lis
- vo like vo in “vote” (shorter)
- ka like car without the r
- lis like lease (shorter “ee”)
band → band
- Almost like English “band,” but often a bit shorter, with a clear final d.
kampus → KAM-poos
- kam like “calm” but without the l
- pus like poos in “goose”
itu → EE-too
- i as in “machine”
- tu like “too”
sangat → SUNG-at (nasal ng)
- sang like “sung” but with ng as in “sing”
- at like “art” without the r (short “a”)
ramah → RA-mah
- ra like “rah”
- mah like “mah” in “mama”

Natural rhythm (stressed syllables in caps):

vo‑KA‑lis band KAM‑pus I‑tu SANG‑at RA‑mah.