Questions & Answers about Rumah besar itu dekat sekolah.
Why is there no is in this sentence?
Indonesian typically drops the copula is in equational or location sentences. Instead of saying Rumah besar itu adalah dekat sekolah, you simply put the subject Rumah besar itu before the predicate dekat sekolah.
Why is the adjective besar placed after rumah instead of before it?
In Indonesian, adjectives follow the noun they modify. So rumah besar literally reads house big, which corresponds to big house in English.
What does itu do in Rumah besar itu dekat sekolah?
Itu is a demonstrative that adds definiteness, similar to that or functioning like the. Placed after the noun phrase, rumah besar itu means that/the big house.
Can I omit itu and still be correct?
Yes. Dropping itu makes the sentence more indefinite:
Rumah besar dekat sekolah = a big house is near school, without pointing to any specific one.
How would I say this big house instead of that big house?