Pelajaran astronomi itu sangat menarik.

That astronomy lesson is very interesting.

Breakdown of Pelajaran astronomi itu sangat menarik.

• adalah: to be
• itu: that
• sangat: very
• pelajaran: the lesson
• menarik: interesting
• astronomi: astronomy

Questions & Answers about Pelajaran astronomi itu sangat menarik.

In this sentence, what exactly does pelajaran mean? Is it "lesson", "class", or "subject"?

Pelajaran can mean any of these depending on context:

• lesson (a particular lesson in a book or course)
• subject (as in a school subject, like math, history, astronomy)
• sometimes close to class (as in "our math class")

In Pelajaran astronomi itu sangat menarik, it can be understood as either:

• That astronomy lesson is very interesting, or
• That astronomy subject is very interesting.

Without more context, both are possible. Indonesian often leaves this kind of detail to context rather than using a different word each time.

Why is there no word for is in this sentence?

Indonesian usually does not use a separate verb for "to be" (like is/are/am) when linking a noun + adjective.

The pattern is:

• [Noun / noun phrase] + [adjective]

So:

• Pelajaran astronomi itu = that astronomy lesson / subject
• sangat menarik = very interesting

Put together, it naturally means:

• That astronomy lesson is very interesting.

No extra word for is is needed.
If you tried to add something like adalah here (Pelajaran astronomi itu adalah sangat menarik), it would sound unnatural or overly stiff.

What is the function of itu in this sentence? Does it mean "that" or "the"?

Itu literally means that, but it also works like a definiteness marker, often close to the in English.

In Pelajaran astronomi itu sangat menarik:

• Pelajaran astronomi = astronomy lesson / astronomy subject
• pelajaran astronomi itu = that particular astronomy lesson / the astronomy lesson (that we both know about)

So:

• with itu: refers to a specific lesson/subject already known in the context
• without itu (Pelajaran astronomi sangat menarik): more like a general statement – Astronomy lessons are very interesting / Astronomy as a subject is very interesting.

Why is astronomi after pelajaran? In English we say "astronomy lesson", with "astronomy" first.

In Indonesian, the main noun usually comes first, and the modifier (another noun, or an adjective) comes after it.

So:

• pelajaran astronomi
  
  • pelajaran = lesson / subject (main noun)
  • astronomi = astronomy (what kind of lesson)

Literally, it's like saying "lesson of astronomy", which corresponds to "astronomy lesson" in English.

This noun–noun pattern is very common:

• pelajaran musik = music lesson
• buku sejarah = history book
• guru matematika = math teacher

How does sangat work here? Are there other ways to say "very"?

Sangat is a formal and neutral word meaning very and it comes before the adjective:

• sangat menarik = very interesting

Other common ways to say "very interesting":

• menarik sekali – very interesting (neutral, very common; sekali comes after the adjective)
• menarik banget – very interesting (informal, colloquial)
• amat menarik – very interesting (a bit more formal/literary)

So you could also say:

• Pelajaran astronomi itu menarik sekali.
• Pelajaran astronomi itu amat menarik.

All are grammatical; they differ in formality and nuance, not in basic meaning.

Could you say Pelajaran astronomi itu sangat menarik sekali? Is that correct?

People do sometimes say things like sangat menarik sekali in casual speech for extra emphasis, but:

• In standard / careful Indonesian, combining sangat and sekali together is usually seen as redundant or exaggerated.
• It can sound a bit like saying "very extremely interesting".

For normal, natural sentences, pick one intensifier:

• sangat menarik
• menarik sekali
• sangat menarik sekali → use only in very informal, expressive contexts, if at all.

Does this sentence refer to one particular lesson, or the subject of astronomy in general?

It depends on context, but itu pushes it toward a specific lesson or course:

• Pelajaran astronomi itu sangat menarik.
  More likely: That particular astronomy lesson / course was very interesting (or is very interesting, depending on time context).

If you wanted to clearly talk about the subject in general, you might say:

• Pelajaran astronomi sangat menarik.
• Astronomi adalah pelajaran yang sangat menarik. = Astronomy is a very interesting subject.

How can this sentence mean both present and past ("is"/"was")? There is no tense marker.

Indonesian verbs and adjectives do not change for tense. Time is understood from:

• context, or
• additional time words (like tadi, kemarin, besok).

So Pelajaran astronomi itu sangat menarik can be:

• That astronomy lesson is very interesting (talking about an ongoing course), or
• That astronomy lesson was very interesting (talking about a lesson already finished).

To make the past clearer, you can add a time word:

• Pelajaran astronomi tadi sangat menarik. = The astronomy lesson earlier was very interesting.
• Pelajaran astronomi kemarin sangat menarik. = The astronomy lesson yesterday was very interesting.

Why is astronomi not capitalized? In English, Astronomy as a subject name is often capitalized.

In Indonesian:

• Subject names like astronomi, matematika, sejarah, biologi are usually not capitalized, unless they start a sentence or are part of a proper name.
• So pelajaran astronomi with a lowercase a is normal and correct.

Capitalization rules are different from English; Indonesian uses capitals mainly for proper nouns (people, places, specific institutions), not for ordinary subject names.

Can I say kelas astronomi itu sangat menarik instead of pelajaran astronomi itu sangat menarik? Is there any difference?

Yes, you can, but there is a nuance difference:

• pelajaran astronomi

  • focuses on the lesson/subject/content itself
  • more like the astronomy lesson / the subject of astronomy

• kelas astronomi

  • focuses on the class as an event/group (the session, the people in it)
  • more like the astronomy class in the sense of the meeting or course section

Both are grammatical; which one you choose depends on whether you’re thinking more about:

• the material/subject → pelajaran astronomi
• the class session or group → kelas astronomi