Learn Hardcore Malay: Saya hargai nasihat jujur daripada guru saya. - I appreciate honest advice from my teacher.

In this sentence, Saya hargai nasihat jujur daripada guru saya means you value and appreciate the teacher’s honest advice, not just that you are politely saying “thanks.”

Rough comparison:

Terima kasih = “Thank you” (a direct expression of thanks)
Saya hargai nasihat itu = “I appreciate that advice / I really value that advice” (focus on the importance or worth of the advice to you)

So hargai expresses a deeper sense of recognition and appreciation of the advice, not just a quick thank-you.

What’s the difference between hargai and menghargai? Which one should I use?

Both hargai and menghargai mean “to appreciate” and are correct. The difference is mostly style and formality:

Saya menghargai nasihat jujur daripada guru saya.
- More formal and very common in writing (letters, speeches, essays).
- Sounds complete and “textbook.”
Saya hargai nasihat jujur daripada guru saya.
- Also correct; often sounds a bit more direct and concise.
- Common in spoken Malay and in slightly less formal writing.

You can safely use menghargai in most situations, especially in exams, formal emails, or speeches.
You will hear and see hargai a lot too, especially in shorter sentences or emphasis like:

Saya sangat hargai bantuan awak. – I really appreciate your help.

Why is jujur placed after nasihat? Can I say jujur nasihat instead?

In Malay, the normal order is: noun + adjective, the opposite of English.

So you say:

nasihat jujur = honest advice
guru baik = good teacher
buku baharu = new book

Saying jujur nasihat would sound wrong, just like saying “honest advice” as “advice honest” in English.

So the correct pattern is:

NOUN + ADJECTIVE
nasihat jujur (honest advice)

Keep this pattern in mind for most adjectives.

What’s the nuance difference between jujur and ikhlas? Could I say nasihat ikhlas instead?

Both are positive, but they focus on slightly different qualities:

jujur = honest, truthful
- Focuses on truth and not lying.
- nasihat jujur suggests the teacher tells you the truth, even if it’s hard to hear.
ikhlas = sincere, heartfelt
- Focuses on good intention and sincerity.
- nasihat ikhlas suggests the advice is given with a sincere heart, for your benefit, not for selfish reasons.

Both are possible:

nasihat jujur – honest, truthful advice
nasihat ikhlas – sincere, well‑meant advice

You can even combine them:

nasihat jujur dan ikhlas – honest and sincere advice

In your original sentence, jujur highlights the honesty/truthfulness of the advice.

What is the function of daripada here, and how is it different from dari?

Daripada and dari both often translate as “from”, but in standard Malay they have different typical uses.

A common rule of thumb (for Malaysian Malay):

Use dari for place and time:
- Saya datang dari Kuala Lumpur. – I come from Kuala Lumpur.
- Mesyuarat dari pukul 2 sampai 4. – The meeting is from 2 to 4.
Use daripada for:
1. Source that is a person or living being
  - Hadiah daripada ibu. – A present from my mother.
  - Nasihat jujur daripada guru saya. – Honest advice from my teacher.
2. Comparison
  - Lebih besar daripada itu. – Bigger than that.
3. Material/abstract origin
  - Dibuat daripada kayu. – Made from wood.

In your sentence, the source is a person (guru saya), so daripada is the standard and most natural choice.

Could I say dari guru saya instead of daripada guru saya?

You will hear dari guru saya in everyday speech, and many native speakers use dari and daripada quite loosely in casual conversation.

However, for standard / careful Malay, especially in writing or exams:

daripada guru saya is preferred and considered more correct, because the source is a person.

So:

Informal speech: dari guru saya may sound normal in conversation.
Standard / formal Malay: daripada guru saya is the safer, recommended choice.

Why is it guru saya and not saya guru for “my teacher”?

In Malay, possessive pronouns (my, your, his/her, etc.) usually come after the noun, not before it.

Pattern:
> NOUN + PRONOUN

Examples:

guru saya = my teacher
buku saya = my book
rumah kami = our house
kereta dia = his/her car

So:

guru saya = my teacher
saya guru would mean something more like “I (am) a teacher”, and even that would be more naturally said as Saya guru (as a full sentence).

For possession, remember: Noun first, pronoun after.

Why is saya repeated: Saya hargai … guru saya? Is that normal?

Yes, this is completely normal. The two saya do different jobs:

The first Saya = subject (“I”)
The second saya in guru saya = possessor (“my”)

So the structure is:

Saya (I) hargai (appreciate) nasihat jujur (honest advice) daripada guru saya (from my teacher).

Malay often repeats the same pronoun in different roles within one sentence. This doesn’t sound strange to native speakers.

If the context is very clear, you might sometimes drop the subject in informal speech:

Hargai nasihat jujur daripada guru saya.
- Literally “Appreciate the honest advice from my teacher.”
- But then it feels more like a general statement or an instruction, not clearly “I appreciate…”.

So keeping the first Saya clearly marks it as “I appreciate…”.

Is nasihat countable in Malay? How do I say “a piece of advice” or “some advice”?

Nasihat works a bit like “advice” in English: it’s often used as an uncountable noun, but it can be counted with numbers or classifiers if needed.

Common patterns:

General / uncountable
- Saya hargai nasihat jujur daripada guru saya.
  - I appreciate the honest advice from my teacher.
- Just nasihat = “advice” (no number).
Some advice / pieces of advice
- beberapa nasihat – some advice / several pieces of advice
- banyak nasihat – a lot of advice
One piece of advice (more explicit counting)
- satu nasihat – one piece of advice
- sebuah nasihat – one piece of advice (using the classifier buah; less common but possible)

In everyday use, people usually just say nasihat without counting it, unless the number is important.

How formal or informal does this sentence sound? Can I say it to my teacher?

Saya hargai nasihat jujur daripada guru saya. sounds polite and neutral, suitable for:

Speaking to a teacher in person
Writing a message, note, or email to a teacher
Talking about your teacher to someone else

If you want to make it a bit more formal or stronger, you can say:

Saya amat menghargai nasihat jujur daripada guru saya.
- “I greatly appreciate the honest advice from my teacher.”

But the original sentence is already respectful and appropriate for most contexts.

Can I change the word order, like putting daripada guru saya earlier in the sentence?

In everyday Malay, you can move some phrases around for emphasis, but you should keep the core order Subject – Verb – Object clear.

Your original:

Saya hargai nasihat jujur daripada guru saya.

Possible variation (still natural):

Saya hargai nasihat jujur guru saya.
- Here, daripada is dropped; guru saya directly modifies nasihat.
- Slight nuance: “I appreciate my teacher’s honest advice.”

Another (more complex) variation:

Saya menghargai guru saya yang memberi nasihat jujur.
- “I appreciate my teacher who gives honest advice.”
- Now the focus is more on appreciating the teacher, not only the advice.

However, you normally wouldn’t move daripada guru saya all the way to the front like:

✗ Daripada guru saya, saya hargai nasihat jujur.
- This sounds awkward and unnatural in Malay.

So small rearrangements are possible, but the original word order is the most straightforward and natural.