Anjing liar itu berbahaya.

That wild dog is dangerous.

Breakdown of Anjing liar itu berbahaya.

• adalah: to be
• itu: that
• anjing: the dog
• berbahaya: dangerous
• liar: wild

Questions & Answers about Anjing liar itu berbahaya.

What does each word in Anjing liar itu berbahaya literally mean?

Word-by-word:

• anjing = dog
• liar = wild / untamed / stray (context-dependent)
• itu = that / the (a demonstrative that also often marks definiteness)
• berbahaya = dangerous / to be dangerous (from bahaya = danger)

So a very literal gloss would be: dog wild that dangerous → That wild/stray dog is dangerous.

Why is there no word for “is” in this sentence?

Indonesian usually does not use a separate verb for “to be” in simple present-tense descriptions.

In Anjing liar itu berbahaya:

• berbahaya already functions as “is dangerous”.
• You don’t add something like “adalah” here; adalah is mostly used in equational sentences (A = B, like Dia adalah dokter = He/She is a doctor), not before adjectives.

So:
Anjing liar itu berbahaya = That stray/wild dog is dangerous, with no extra “is” needed.

What exactly does itu mean here? Is it “that” or “the”?

itu literally means “that”, but it also often functions like “the” by making a noun definite/specific.

• anjing liar = a stray/wild dog / stray dogs (in general)
• anjing liar itu = that specific stray dog / the stray dog

Depending on context, it can be translated as:

• “that stray dog is dangerous” (a particular dog you’re pointing at or talking about), or
• “the stray dog is dangerous” (also specific, but “the” sounds more natural in some English contexts).

Is anjing liar itu singular or plural? Could it mean “those stray dogs are dangerous”?

Indonesian normally doesn’t mark singular vs plural on the noun.

So:

• anjing liar itu can mean “that stray dog” or “those stray dogs”, depending on context.
• berbahaya also doesn’t change for number, so it can mean “is dangerous” or “are dangerous”.

Examples of possible translations:

• That stray dog is dangerous.
• Those stray dogs are dangerous.
• The stray dog/dogs are dangerous.

If you really want to emphasize plural, you might say anjing-anjing liar itu (dogs-PL wild that), but context is usually enough.

Why is the adjective liar after anjing? Could I say liar anjing itu?

In Indonesian, adjectives that modify a noun normally come after the noun:

• anjing liar = wild dog
• orang kaya = rich person
• rumah besar = big house

So the natural order is: > noun + adjective(s) + demonstrative (itu/ini)
> anjing liar itu = that wild/stray dog

Putting liar before anjing (liar anjing itu) is ungrammatical in standard Indonesian and sounds wrong to native speakers.

What’s the difference between liar and other words like galak, buas, or jalanan for dogs?

They describe different qualities:

• liar

  • Basic meaning: wild, untamed, not domesticated.
  • anjing liar can be:
    • a truly wild dog (like a feral dog), or
    • a stray/street dog, depending on context.

• galak

  • Meaning: fierce, aggressive, likely to bite.
  • anjing galak = a fierce/mean dog (could be someone’s pet but very aggressive).

• buas

  • Stronger, more “savage,” often used for wild animals that attack.
  • anjing buas = a savage/ferocious dog (sounds more dramatic).

• jalanan

  • From jalan (street); anjing jalanan = street dog.
  • Focuses on where it lives (on the streets) rather than whether it’s wild or fierce.

In Anjing liar itu berbahaya, the focus is on the dog being not tame / not domesticated / stray, and therefore dangerous.

What’s the difference between bahaya, berbahaya, and membahayakan?

They’re all related to danger, but with different roles:

• bahaya

  • Noun: danger, risk
  • Example: Ada banyak bahaya di jalan ini. = There is a lot of danger on this road.
  • Also used as a warning: Bahaya! = Danger!

• berbahaya

  • Stative verb/adjectival: to be dangerous / dangerous
  • Anjing liar itu berbahaya. = That stray dog is dangerous.

• membahayakan

  • Transitive verb: to endanger / to put (someone/something) in danger
  • Anjing liar itu membahayakan anak-anak. = That stray dog endangers the children.

In your sentence, berbahaya is correct because you’re describing the dog’s quality: it is dangerous.

Could I say Anjing itu berbahaya instead? What changes in meaning?

Yes, you can say:

• Anjing itu berbahaya. = That dog is dangerous.

Difference:

• Anjing liar itu berbahaya.

  • You specify the dog is liar (wild/stray).
  • Implies it’s dangerous because it’s wild/stray.

• Anjing itu berbahaya.

  • Just tells you that particular dog is dangerous.
  • It might be a pet, a guard dog, or any dog—its “wildness” is not mentioned.

So liar adds an extra descriptive detail.

Can I just say Anjing liar itu bahaya instead of berbahaya?

In informal / colloquial spoken Indonesian, yes, people often say:

• Anjing liar itu bahaya. ≈ That stray dog is dangerous.

Here, bahaya (danger) is used like an adjective. This is common in casual speech.

However:

• berbahaya is the standard / more correct form for “is dangerous,” especially in writing or formal speech.
• For learners, it’s better to master berbahaya first, then recognize the colloquial bahaya in speech.

What’s the difference between itu and ini in this kind of sentence?

• ini = this (near the speaker)
• itu = that (farther from the speaker, or already known in the conversation)

Examples:

• Anjing liar ini berbahaya. = This stray dog (near me/us) is dangerous.
• Anjing liar itu berbahaya. = That stray dog (over there / that we’re talking about) is dangerous.

Both ini and itu come after the noun phrase:

• anjing liar ini
• anjing liar itu

How do I pronounce anjing and berbahaya correctly?

Rough guide (using English-like hints):

• anjing:

  • an like “un” in undo but with a clear a sound (like father), and nasalized towards the end.
  • jing like “jing” in jingling, but ng is one sound (as in sing), not like finger.
  • Stress is roughly on the first syllable: AN-jing.

• berbahaya:

  • ber like “bər” in ber (similar to ber in Berlin without a strong r).
  • ba like bah in Bahamas.
  • ha like ha in haha.
  • ya like ya in yard (but short).
  • Syllables: ber-ba-ha-ya, usually with light, fairly even stress.

Spoken smoothly: ber-ba-HA-ya (slight emphasis on ha for many speakers).