Kapal itu tenggelam di laut.

That ship sinks in the sea.

Breakdown of Kapal itu tenggelam di laut.

• itu: that
• laut: the sea
• di: in/at
• kapal: the ship

Questions & Answers about Kapal itu tenggelam di laut.

Why is itu placed after kapal instead of before it?

In Indonesian, demonstratives like ini (this) and itu (that/the) usually come after the noun.

So:

• kapal itu = that ship / the ship
• rumah ini = this house

This is one of the first word-order differences English speakers notice. In English, demonstratives go before the noun; in Indonesian, they normally go after it.

In this sentence, kapal itu can often be understood as the ship or that ship, depending on context.

Does kapal itu mean that ship or the ship?

It can mean either, depending on context.

Indonesian does not have a separate word that works exactly like English the. Because of that, itu is often used not only for that, but also to refer to something specific and already identifiable, which can sound like the in English.

So:

• kapal itu = that ship
• kapal itu can also feel like the ship

The exact interpretation depends on the situation and the surrounding conversation.

Is there any tense in this sentence? How do we know whether it means sank, is sinking, or ?