Posisi kursi itu salah.

• posisi = position
• kursi = chair
• itu = that, or sometimes a the-like marker depending on context
• salah = wrong, incorrect

Word-for-word, it is something like position chair that wrong. Natural English would be That chair is in the wrong position or The position of that chair is wrong.

Indonesian often leaves out the verb to be in simple present-tense statements.

So instead of saying The position of that chair is wrong, Indonesian can simply say:

Posisi kursi itu salah
literally: The position of that chair wrong

This is completely normal. The meaning of is is understood from the sentence structure.

Indonesian very often puts two nouns together to show a relationship like possession or of.

So:

• posisi kursi = the chair's position / the position of the chair
• warna mobil = the car's color
• pintu rumah = the door of the house

This noun + noun pattern is very common, and English speakers usually need some time to get used to it.

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

So:

• kursi itu = that chair
• rumah itu = that house
• buku ini = this book

That is why you see kursi itu, not itu kursi, when it means that chair.

Its basic meaning is that, but in real sentences it can also make something sound definite, a bit like English the.

So kursi itu can often be understood as:

• that chair
• or the chair, if the chair is already known from context

Indonesian does not have exact equivalents of a/an/the, so words like itu sometimes help fill that role.

Most naturally, it is understood as the position of that chair, where itu goes with kursi:

• kursi itu = that chair

So the whole phrase is:

• posisi kursi itu = the position of that chair

In longer Indonesian noun phrases, grouping can sometimes depend on context, but this is the reading most learners should take here.

salah means wrong, incorrect, or mistaken.

In this sentence, it means the chair's placement or position is not correct. So it does not mean the chair itself is morally wrong or defective; it means its position is wrong.

Related expressions:

• salah tempat = in the wrong place
• tidak tepat = not appropriate / not quite right
• benar = correct

Yes. Both are natural alternatives.

• Kursi itu salah posisi = That chair is in the wrong position
• Posisi kursinya salah = The chair's position is wrong

The form kursinya means the chair or its chair-related noun, depending on context, and here it gives a natural the chair's feeling. In everyday speech, many speakers may prefer one of these alternatives because they sound a bit more conversational.

Sometimes, yes, but the nuance is a little different.

• posisi = position, placement, arrangement, sometimes even orientation
• letak = location, where something is situated

If you mean the chair is in the wrong spot, letak can work. If you mean its position more generally, posisi is a very good choice. In many situations, posisi sounds broader and more flexible.

To make it negative, put tidak before salah:

• Posisi kursi itu tidak salah = The position of that chair is not wrong

To make it a question, you can use apakah:

• Apakah posisi kursi itu salah? = Is the position of that chair wrong?

In casual speech, you can also just use question intonation:

• Posisi kursi itu salah?

Yes, it is grammatical and natural.

That said, in casual conversation, some speakers might more naturally say:

• Kursi itu salah posisi
• Posisi kursinya salah
• Posisi kursi itu tidak tepat

Using tidak tepat or kurang tepat can sound a little softer than salah, which can sound more direct.