Suara itu aneh.

In Indonesian, demonstratives like ini and itu usually come after the noun.

• suara itu = that sound / that voice
• rumah itu = that house
• orang itu = that person

So the word order is different from English. English says that sound, but Indonesian says sound that.

Literally, itu means that. But in real use, suara itu can sometimes feel like that sound or simply the sound, depending on context.

For example:

• Suara itu aneh. = That sound is strange.
• In some situations, it may also be understood as The sound is strange.

So itu often helps make the noun more specific or definite.

Indonesian often leaves out the verb to be in simple sentences like this.

So:

• Suara itu aneh. literally looks like
• That sound strange.

But the natural English meaning is:

• That sound is strange.

This is very normal in Indonesian when a noun is followed by an adjective, another noun, or certain other types of predicate.

Examples:

• Dia sakit. = He/She is sick.
• Rumahnya besar. = His/Her house is big.
• Anak itu pintar. = That child is smart.

Yes, aneh is an adjective meaning strange, odd, or weird.

In Suara itu aneh, the adjective is not directly modifying the noun inside a noun phrase. Instead, it is acting as the predicate of the sentence:

• suara itu = subject
• aneh = predicate adjective

So the structure is:

• That sound
  • is strange

This is why aneh comes after suara itu.

This is a very useful question.

• Suara itu aneh. = That sound is strange.
• Suara aneh itu = that strange sound

In the first sentence, aneh is the predicate: it tells you something about suara itu.

In the second phrase, aneh directly describes suara, and itu points to that noun phrase as a whole.

So:

• suara itu aneh = full sentence
• suara aneh itu = noun phrase

Compare:

• Mobil itu mahal. = That car is expensive.
• Mobil mahal itu = that expensive car

Suara can mean both sound and voice, depending on context.

Possible meanings include:

• a sound you hear
• a person’s voice
• noise in general

So Suara itu aneh could mean:

• That sound is strange
• That voice is strange

The context tells you which one is intended.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

• suara ≈ soo-AH-rah
• itu ≈ EE-too
• aneh ≈ AH-neh

A few notes:

• u is usually like oo in food
• a is usually like a in father
• e in aneh is like e in bed
• r is usually tapped or lightly rolled, not the English r

So the full sentence is roughly:

• soo-AH-rah EE-too AH-neh

Yes, it is completely natural and normal.

Suara itu aneh. is a simple, everyday Indonesian sentence. It sounds neutral and can be used in conversation or writing.

For example, if someone hears a strange noise, they might say:

• Suara itu aneh.
• Dari mana suara itu? = Where is that sound coming from?

Yes. Aneh can cover several English words depending on context, such as:

• strange
• odd
• weird
• unusual

So Suara itu aneh might also be translated as:

• That sound is odd.
• That voice is weird.

The exact nuance depends on the situation and tone.

Yes, but it means something slightly different.

• Suara itu aneh. = That sound is strange.
• Itu suara aneh. = That is a strange sound.

So the difference is in sentence structure:

• Suara itu aneh starts with the sound as the topic/subject.
• Itu suara aneh starts with that and identifies what it is.

Both are correct, but they are not the same sentence.

By itself, suara itu does not clearly mark singular or plural. Indonesian nouns usually do not change form for number.

So depending on context, it could refer to:

• that sound
• those sounds
• that voice
• those voices

However, in a short sentence like Suara itu aneh, people will usually understand it as singular unless context suggests otherwise.

If you really want to make it plural, you could say:

• suara-suara itu = those sounds / those voices

Yes. Besides meaning that, itu is often used for something already identified in the conversation or situation.

So suara itu can refer to:

• something physically distant: that sound
• something already mentioned: that sound
• something understood by both speakers: roughly the sound

This is one reason learners sometimes feel that itu overlaps with English the, even though its core meaning is still demonstrative.