Breakdown of Perempuan itu bekerja di kantor pusat.
itu
that
di
at
bekerja
to work
kantor pusat
the head office
Questions & Answers about Perempuan itu bekerja di kantor pusat.
What does itu mean here? Is it the or that?
Itu is a demonstrative that usually means that or the.
- Perempuan itu can be translated as that woman or the woman, depending on context.
- Indonesian doesn’t have a separate word for the, so itu often plays that role when you’re referring to a specific thing/person already known in the context.
- It always comes after the noun: perempuan itu, not itu perempuan (the latter is possible but sounds more like you’re pointing: “that woman over there”).
What’s the difference between perempuan and wanita?
Both mean woman, but there are some nuances:
- Perempuan is very common in everyday speech and is considered neutral or slightly more natural in many contexts.
- Wanita is often used in more formal or institutional contexts: hak wanita (women’s rights), organisasi wanita, etc.
- In modern usage, many style guides prefer perempuan for general use because wanita historically can sound a bit more objectifying in some contexts.
In this sentence, perempuan is perfectly normal and natural.
Why is there no word for is in this sentence?