Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Keranjang cucian itu berat.

Keranjang cucian itu berat literally is: “Laundry basket that heavy”
In Indonesian, berat (heavy) itself works as the predicate (like a verb meaning “to be heavy”).

You would not normally say ✗ Keranjang cucian itu adalah berat.
Adalah is mainly used in more formal contexts before nouns, e.g.:

Dia adalah guru. = He/She is a teacher.
But: Dia tinggi. = He/She is tall (no adalah, because tinggi is an adjective).

So here, berat already plays the role of “is heavy.”

What does itu mean here, and why is it at the end?

Itu is a demonstrative that usually corresponds to “that” or sometimes “the” (a specific one you and the listener both know about).

In Keranjang cucian itu berat:

keranjang cucian = laundry basket
itu = that (one), that (specific, known)
berat = heavy

So the structure is: [noun phrase] + itu + adjective

Placing itu after the noun phrase is the normal way to say “that (specific) X”:

buku itu = that book
rumah itu = that house
keranjang cucian itu = that laundry basket / the laundry basket (that we’re talking about)

If you put itu before the noun, it usually has a different structure/meaning:

Itu keranjang cucian. = That is a laundry basket. (Here itu is like “that” as a pronoun, the subject of the sentence.)

What’s the difference between ini and itu in a sentence like this?

Both ini and itu are demonstratives:

ini ≈ “this” (near the speaker)
itu ≈ “that” (farther away or already known in context)

Compare:

Keranjang cucian ini berat.
= This laundry basket is heavy. (near me/us, maybe I’m holding it)
Keranjang cucian itu berat.
= That laundry basket is heavy. (a bit further away, or the one we both already know about)

In practice:

ini often points to something physically close or just introduced.
itu often points to something a bit further away, or something already mentioned / obvious from context (like English “that” or even “the” in some cases).

Is berat an adjective or a verb in Indonesian?

From an English point of view, berat is an adjective meaning “heavy.”

But in Indonesian grammar, adjectives like berat, tinggi (tall), cantik (pretty), dingin (cold) can function as stative verbs—they already act as “to be heavy/tall/pretty/cold”.

That’s why you say:

Air itu dingin. = That water is cold.
Anjing itu besar. = That dog is big.
Keranjang cucian itu berat. = That laundry basket is heavy.

There is no extra “is” word needed; the adjective itself serves as the predicate of the sentence.

Could this sentence also mean “The laundry baskets are heavy” (plural)?

Yes, Indonesian does not usually mark plural with a separate word like “-s” in English, so:

keranjang cucian can mean “laundry basket” or “laundry baskets”, depending on context.
Keranjang cucian itu berat. could be understood as:
- The laundry basket is heavy.
- The laundry baskets are heavy.

If you want to make plural very clear, you can say:

Keranjang-keranjang cucian itu berat. = Those laundry baskets are heavy.
Semua keranjang cucian itu berat. = All those laundry baskets are heavy.

But in everyday speech, people often rely on context to understand whether it’s singular or plural.

Why is cucian after keranjang? Could I say cucian keranjang or keranjang cuci?

In Indonesian, when you have two nouns together, the main noun (the head) usually comes first, and the following noun describes or limits it.

keranjang cucian
= keranjang (basket) + cucian (laundry)
= basket of laundry → laundry basket

If you say:

cucian keranjang
literally: “laundry of basket” → sounds wrong / doesn’t make sense.
keranjang cuci
is also wrong, because cuci is the verb “to wash,” not a noun.

To make cuci into a noun meaning “washed things / laundry,” Indonesian adds -an:

cuci (to wash) → cucian (washed things / laundry)

So the natural, correct order is keranjang cucian = laundry basket.

What does cucian literally mean?

Cucian comes from the verb cuci (to wash) + the suffix -an, which often forms a result noun.

So:

cuci = to wash
cucian ≈ “things that are (to be) washed / have been washed” → laundry

Depending on context, cucian can mean:

dirty laundry waiting to be washed
clean laundry that has been washed
laundry in general

In daily speech, cucian by itself is often understood as “laundry (clothes) that need/needed washing.”

Can I omit itu and just say Keranjang cucian berat?

You can, and it is grammatically correct, but the nuance changes.

Keranjang cucian itu berat.
= That (specific) laundry basket is heavy. (definite; a particular basket you both know)
Keranjang cucian berat.
= Laundry baskets are heavy / A laundry basket is heavy / Laundry basket (is) heavy.
This sounds more like a general statement or part of a broader explanation, for example:
- Keranjang cucian berat, jadi hati-hati mengangkatnya.
  Laundry baskets are heavy, so be careful when lifting them.

In everyday conversation, if you’re talking about a specific visible basket, people almost always add ini or itu to show it’s that particular one.

How do I say “very heavy” or “really heavy” with this sentence?

You can use intensifiers like:

sangat = very (more neutral/formal, usually before the adjective)
sekali = very / extremely (after the adjective)
banget = very / really (informal, after the adjective)

Examples:

Keranjang cucian itu sangat berat.
= That laundry basket is very heavy.
Keranjang cucian itu berat sekali.
= That laundry basket is very/really heavy.
Keranjang cucian itu berat banget. (colloquial)
= That laundry basket is really heavy.

All of these are natural; banget is more casual, often used in speech.

Where is the word for “the” or “a” in this sentence?

Indonesian does not have articles like “a/an” or “the.” There is no direct equivalent word in Keranjang cucian itu berat.

The meaning of “a” or “the” comes from context and from words like ini and itu:

Keranjang cucian itu berat.
≈ That/the laundry basket is heavy.
(itu makes it specific/definite.)
Keranjang cucian berat.
could be understood more generally as “A/any laundry basket is heavy” or “laundry baskets are heavy,” depending on context.

So:

No special word for “a/an” – Indonesian just uses the bare noun.
ini/itu
- noun often work like “this/that” or sometimes “this/the” / “that/the” for specific known things.