Orang itu sangat kejam.

Orang means person or people, depending on context. Adding itu makes it more specific: that person or sometimes the person.

So:

• orang = a person / people
• orang itu = that person / the person

In this sentence, itu helps point to a particular person being talked about.

In many cases, itu means that, but in natural Indonesian it also often works like the when referring to something already known in the conversation.

So orang itu can mean:

• that person
• the person

The exact translation depends on context. Indonesian does not have articles like a and the, so words like itu often help give that kind of meaning.

In Indonesian, adjectives usually come after the noun or after the subject they describe.

So the pattern is:

• orang itu = that person
• sangat kejam = very cruel

Whole sentence:

• Orang itu sangat kejam. = That person is very cruel.

This is normal Indonesian word order.

Indonesian often does not use a verb like is / am / are in simple descriptive sentences.

English:

• That person is very cruel.

Indonesian:

• Orang itu sangat kejam.

There is no need for a separate word meaning is here. This is one of the most important differences from English.

Sangat means very and is placed before the adjective.

• sangat kejam = very cruel

Another common intensifier is sekali, which usually comes after the adjective:

• kejam sekali = very cruel

So both are possible:

• Orang itu sangat kejam.
• Orang itu kejam sekali.

Both are natural. Sangat can sound a little more neutral or formal, while sekali is also very common in everyday speech.

No, that is not natural Indonesian.

With sangat, the usual order is:

• sangat + adjective
• sangat kejam

With sekali, the usual order is:

• adjective + sekali
• kejam sekali

So these are correct:

• Orang itu sangat kejam.
• Orang itu kejam sekali.

But kejam sangat is generally not the normal pattern in standard Indonesian.

It can mean either, depending on context.

• orang = person / people

Examples:

• satu orang = one person
• dua orang = two people

In Orang itu sangat kejam, it is understood as that person because of the context and because itu points to a specific individual.

Yes. Dia sangat kejam means he/she is very cruel.

Difference:

• orang itu sangat kejam = that person is very cruel
• dia sangat kejam = he/she is very cruel

Use orang itu when you want to refer to that person more explicitly. Use dia when the person is already established as he/she in the conversation.

Usually kejam describes someone as cruel, especially a person, but it can also describe actions, treatment, or situations in some contexts.

Examples:

• orang yang kejam = a cruel person
• perlakuan yang kejam = cruel treatment

In your sentence, it clearly describes the person.

A rough pronunciation guide for English speakers is:

• Orang ≈ oh-rang
• itu ≈ ee-too
• sangat ≈ sah-ngat
• kejam ≈ kuh-jam

A few helpful notes:

• r in orang is usually tapped or lightly rolled.
• ng in orang is like the ng in sing.
• The e in kejam is often a schwa-like sound, similar to the a in about.
• Stress in Indonesian is generally not as strong as in English.

Yes. Kejam is a strong negative word. It means more than just mean or unkind. It suggests real cruelty, harshness, or a lack of compassion.

So if you use:

• Orang itu sangat kejam.

you are making a serious judgment about that person. In English, depending on context, it could sound like:

• That person is very cruel.
• That person is extremely heartless.

So learners should know that kejam is not a mild adjective.

Not in the same way.

Itu belongs with orang here:

• orang itu = that person / the person

If you move itu, the sentence changes or becomes unnatural for this meaning.

Correct:

• Orang itu sangat kejam.

Not correct for the same meaning:

• Orang sangat kejam itu.

So keep itu after the noun when it is acting like that.

Use tidak before the adjective:

• Orang itu tidak kejam. = That person is not cruel.

If you want to say not very cruel, you can say:

• Orang itu tidak terlalu kejam. = That person is not too cruel / not very cruel.

So for adjectives, tidak is the normal negator.