The word ‘sebaiknya’ is generally used for advising, but it can also be used to give a polite command and can be placed either at the beginning of the sentence or after the mention of the addressee.
- Sebaiknya kamu tanya gurumu dulu.
- Kamu sebaiknya tanya gurumu dulu.
- It is best that you ask your teacher first.
- You had better ask your teacher first.
Lebih Baik and Sebaiknya
There are several phrases you can use to give someone advice about what to do and what not to do. For example, to advise someone what to do you can use sebaiknya or lebih baik. Sebaiknya and lebih baik mean something like the English “I would advise you to…” or “I suggest that you…” or simply “You should…” Examples:
- Sebaiknya Anda pergi ke Bali. Bali indah sekali.
- You should go to Bali. Bali is very beautiful
- Sebaiknya Anda naik bus dari Jakarta ke Bandung. Taksi terlalu mahal.
- I suggest you go by bus from Jakarta to Bandung. A taxi would be too expensive.
- Lebih baik Anda tinggal di losmen saja. Hotel Sheraton terlalu mahal.
- You should just stay in a “losmen”. The Sheraton Hotel is too expensive.
- Lebih baik Anda berbelanja di pasar. Ada bermacam-macam barang di pasar.
- I suggest you shop in the market. There are all sorts of things in the market.
And if you want to suggest that someone not do something, you can add the word jangan to sebaiknya or lebih baik. Look at how jangan is used in these examples.
- Sebaiknya Anda jangan makan di rumah makan itu. Kurang enak.
- I’d suggest you don’t eat at that restaurant. It’s not really very nice.
- Lebih baik Anda jangan naik bus ke Klungkung. Naik taksi saja.
- I don’t think you should go to Klungkung by bus. Go by taxi instead.
- Sebaiknya Anda jangan menginap di Hotel Mutiara. Ada hotel yang lebih murah.
- I’d advise you not to stay at the Mutiara Hotel. There are cheaper hotels.
- Lebih baik jangan pulang dulu.
- My advice is don’t go home yet.
Of course, you can preface your use of sebaiknya and lebih baik with Menurut pendapat saya, Menurut saya, or Saya kira. Examples:
Menurut pendapat saya sebaiknya Anda pergi ke Bali. Bali indah sekali.
Saya kira sebaiknya Anda naik bus dari Jakarta ke Bandung. Taksi terlalu mahal.