Guru itu ramah kepada murid di kelas.

That teacher is friendly to the pupils in class.

Breakdown of Guru itu ramah kepada murid di kelas.

• adalah: to be
• itu: that
• di: in
• kelas: the class
• guru: the teacher
• kepada: to
• murid: the pupil
• ramah: friendly

Questions & Answers about Guru itu ramah kepada murid di kelas.

What does itu mean in guru itu? Is it like the or that?

Itu is a demonstrative that usually means that. When it comes after a noun like guru itu, it often functions like that teacher or the teacher in English, depending on context.

• guru = a teacher / teachers (general, not specific)
• guru itu = that teacher / the teacher (a specific teacher already known in the context)

So itu makes the noun phrase more specific or definite.

Is guru singular or plural here? How do you say teachers?

In Malay, guru can be singular or plural; the form itself doesn’t change. Context tells you whether it’s teacher or teachers.

To make the plural explicit, you can use:

• guru-guru = teachers (reduplication to show plural)
• para guru = the teachers (more formal, often in writing or speeches)
• ramai guru = many teachers

In Guru itu ramah kepada murid di kelas, guru itu is most naturally understood as the teacher (singular), because itu points to one specific person.

Is murid singular or plural in this sentence?

Like guru, murid can be singular or plural by itself.

In ramah kepada murid di kelas:

• It can mean friendly to the students in class (plural), which fits the usual classroom situation.
• It could also mean friendly to the student in class (singular) if the context is about only one student.

To make it clearly plural, you can say:

• murid-murid = students
• para murid = the students (more formal)

Why is kepada used here? Could I use untuk instead?

Kepada is used because we’re talking about behavior towards people (the students).

Basic difference:

• kepada: to / towards (recipients, targets, especially people)
  • ramah kepada murid = friendly to the students
  • baik kepada ibu bapa = good/kind to parents
• untuk: for (purpose, benefit, intended use)
  • hadiah untuk murid = a gift for the student
  • latihan untuk kelas = an exercise for the class

So ramah kepada murid is natural. Ramah untuk murid would sound wrong or at least very odd in standard Malay.

Could the sentence use adalah like Guru itu adalah ramah…?

No, in standard Malay that sounds unnatural.

Malay often does not use a verb like "is" before adjectives. The pattern is simply:

• [subject] + [adjective]
  • Guru itu ramah. = The teacher is friendly.

Adalah is usually used when the predicate is a noun phrase, not a simple adjective:

• Guru itu adalah ketua kelas. = That teacher is the class leader.
• Ini adalah masalah besar. = This is a big problem.

So you say Guru itu ramah kepada murid di kelas, not Guru itu adalah ramah….

What is the function of di kelas? Could it go somewhere else in the sentence?

Di kelas means in class or in the classroom; it gives the location of the situation.

Default sentence:

• Guru itu ramah kepada murid di kelas.

You can move di kelas for emphasis or style, especially in spoken or informal writing:

• Di kelas, guru itu ramah kepada murid.
  (In class, that teacher is friendly to the students.)

The meaning is basically the same, but the neutral, everyday order is the original one: subject → description → extra information (like place).

What is the difference between di kelas and dalam kelas?

Both can be translated as in class / in the classroom, but there is a nuance:

• di kelas: at/in the place called kelas, more general location.
  • Very common in this sentence.
• dalam kelas: literally inside the class/inside the classroom, more physically inside, sometimes a bit more specific.

In many everyday contexts, di kelas and dalam kelas can be used interchangeably, but di kelas is more natural in a sentence like Guru itu ramah kepada murid di kelas.

What exactly does ramah mean? Is it the same as baik?

Ramah means friendly, warm, or sociable in behavior, especially how someone talks and interacts.

• guru yang ramah = a friendly teacher who smiles, talks kindly, is easy to approach.

Baik is broader: good, kind, well-behaved.

• guru yang baik = a good/ kind teacher (morally good, helpful, not necessarily very chatty or sociable).

So:

• ramah kepada murid emphasizes friendliness in interaction.
• baik kepada murid emphasizes kindness and good treatment.

Is there any difference between murid and pelajar for student?

Both mean student, but there are typical usages:

• murid: often used for school pupils, especially primary and secondary school.
• pelajar: can be used for students in general, including university students; often sounds a bit more formal.

In this sentence about a classroom, murid is very natural. You could also say:

• Guru itu ramah kepada pelajar di kelas.

The meaning stays practically the same; murid just sounds slightly more like school kids.

Can I omit itu and just say Guru ramah kepada murid di kelas? Does the meaning change?

Yes, you can say:

• Guru ramah kepada murid di kelas.

This is grammatically correct. The difference is nuance:

• Guru itu… = that/the teacher (a specific teacher you and your listener know about).
• Guru… (without itu) can be:
  • talking about teachers in general: Teachers are friendly to students in class, or
  • referring to some teacher(s) without clearly specifying which.

In many real situations, Guru itu ramah… is used when you have a particular teacher in mind.