Guru kata usaha saya sama penting dengan keputusan akhir.

The teacher says my effort is as important as the final result.

Breakdown of Guru kata usaha saya sama penting dengan keputusan akhir.

• adalah: to be
• dengan: with
• guru: the teacher
• penting: important
• saya: my
• kata: to say
• usaha: the effort
• akhir: final
• sama: equally
• keputusan: the result

Questions & Answers about Guru kata usaha saya sama penting dengan keputusan akhir.

Why is there no word for “that” after Guru kata?

In Malay, the word bahawa can be used to mean “that” in reported speech, but it is often dropped in everyday sentences.

• Full form (more formal): Guru kata bahawa usaha saya sama penting dengan keputusan akhir.
• Natural everyday form: Guru kata usaha saya sama penting dengan keputusan akhir.

So the “that” is understood from context and does not need a separate word.

Is Guru kata correct, or should it be Guru berkata or Guru mengatakan?

All are possible, but they differ slightly in style:

• Guru kata…
  – Very common and natural in spoken Malay.
  – Slightly more informal/neutral.

• Guru berkata…
  – More formal or written style.
  – Still very common in narratives, news, stories.

• Guru mengatakan bahawa…
  – More formal and explicit.
  – Often followed by bahawa.

In everyday conversation, Guru kata… is perfectly fine and very natural.

Why isn’t there a verb like “is” (am/is/are) in usaha saya sama penting dengan…?

Malay usually does not use a separate verb like “to be” (am/is/are) before adjectives.

• English: My effort *is as important as the final result.*
• Malay: Usaha saya sama penting dengan keputusan akhir.

The structure is basically:

• [Noun] + [Adjective phrase]
• usaha saya (my effort) + sama penting dengan keputusan akhir (as important as the final result)

You only add adalah in specific contexts (often more formal or contrastive), for example:

• Usaha saya adalah sama penting dengan keputusan akhir. (sounds more formal / written)

What exactly does usaha mean here?

Usaha means effort, attempt, or hard work.

In this sentence:

• usaha saya = my effort / the effort I put in

It refers to the learner’s effort in studying, working, trying, etc., not a project or business.

Why is it usaha saya and not saya usaha for “my effort”?

In Malay, possessive pronouns usually come after the noun they describe.

• usaha saya = my effort
• buku saya = my book
• kawan saya = my friend

So the pattern is:

• [Noun] + [Possessive pronoun] not
• [Possessive pronoun] + [Noun] (like in English)

How does the structure sama penting dengan work? Can it be used with other adjectives?

Yes, sama … dengan is a general pattern for “as … as” in comparisons.

Structure:

• sama + [adjective] + dengan + [thing being compared]

Examples:

• sama penting dengan = as important as
• sama besar dengan = as big as
• sama mahal dengan = as expensive as
• sama pandai dengan = as clever as

So:

• Usaha saya sama penting dengan keputusan akhir.
  = My effort is as important as the final result.

I’ve seen sama pentingnya dengan before. What’s the difference from sama penting dengan?

Both are grammatical and mean essentially the same thing.

• sama penting dengan
  – Very common and natural.
  – Neutral, straightforward comparison.

• sama pentingnya dengan
  – The -nya adds a slight emphasis or makes it sound a bit more formal/complete.
  – Often appears in written Malay or careful speech.

In your sentence, both are possible:

• Usaha saya sama penting dengan keputusan akhir.
• Usaha saya sama pentingnya dengan keputusan akhir.

The first is slightly simpler and more conversational.

What does keputusan akhir literally mean, and why is the order like that?

Keputusan akhir literally means “final decision/result”.

• keputusan = decision / result / outcome
• akhir = final / last

In Malay, adjectives usually come after the noun:

• keputusan akhir = final decision
• ujian akhir = final exam
• bab terakhir = last chapter

So keputusan akhir is “final result/decision,” with akhir describing keputusan.

Does keputusan mean “decision” or “result” here?

It can mean both in Malay; the exact nuance depends on context.

• In a school or learning context, keputusan akhir often means final result, e.g. exam scores, grades.
• In other contexts, keputusan akhir could mean final decision, e.g. in a meeting or court.

Without extra context, both “final result” and “final decision” are possible translations.

Why isn’t there any tense marker like “said” vs “says”? How do we know if Guru kata is past or present?

Malay normally does not change the verb form for tense. Kata stays the same.

Time is understood from context or from time words like:

• tadi (a while ago)
• semalam (yesterday)
• nanti (later)

So Guru kata usaha saya sama penting dengan keputusan akhir can be:

• The teacher *said my effort is as important as the final result.*
• The teacher *says my effort is as important as the final result.*

You choose the tense in English based on the situation.

Should there be a kepada saya (to me) after Guru kata?

It’s optional, depending on how specific you want to be.

• Guru kata usaha saya sama penting dengan keputusan akhir.
  – General statement: The teacher said that…

• Guru kata kepada saya usaha saya sama penting dengan keputusan akhir.
  – More explicit: The teacher said to me that my effort is as important as the final result.

In normal conversation, if it’s already clear the teacher is talking to you, you can leave kepada saya out.

Can the word order be changed to Kata guru, usaha saya sama penting dengan keputusan akhir?

Yes. That is also correct and quite natural, especially in written or narrative style.

• Guru kata, usaha saya sama penting dengan keputusan akhir.
• Kata guru, usaha saya sama penting dengan keputusan akhir.

Both mean the same.
Kata guru (lit. “said the teacher”) is a stylistic variation you often see in storytelling or reports.