Benih itu kecil.

Malay often does not use a verb like is/am/are in simple sentences with adjectives.

So:

• Benih itu kecil = The seed is small
• literally, it is closer to seed that small

This is very normal in Malay. When an adjective describes the subject, you usually do not need a separate word for is.

Other examples:

• Rumah itu besar = The house is big
• Air itu sejuk = The water is cold

Itu usually means that, but in sentences like this it can also feel like the in English.

So benih itu can mean:

• that seed
• the seed

Malay does not have articles exactly like English a/an/the, so words like ini and itu often help show which thing you mean.

• benih ini = this seed
• benih itu = that seed / the seed

In context, English might translate itu in different ways.

In Malay, demonstratives such as ini (this) and itu (that) usually come after the noun.

So Malay says:

• benih itu = that seed
• rumah ini = this house
• buku itu = that book

This is different from English, where this/that come before the noun.

In Malay, adjectives usually come after the noun they describe.

So:

• benih kecil = small seed
• rumah besar = big house
• kereta merah = red car

In Benih itu kecil, kecil is the adjective small, and it comes after the subject phrase benih itu.

This is the normal Malay word order.

By itself, benih can be understood as seed or seeds, depending on context.

Malay nouns usually do not have a special ending like English -s for plural. Context tells you whether it is singular or plural.

If you want to show plurality more clearly, Malay can use:

• reduplication: benih-benih = seeds
• a number: tiga benih = three seeds
• a context word: banyak benih = many seeds

In Benih itu kecil, it most naturally sounds like that/the seed is small, but context could affect interpretation.

Yes. In many contexts, both are possible translations.

That is because itu can point to something specific, like that, but English sometimes prefers the instead of that depending on the situation.

So:

• if you are pointing at a seed, that seed is small
• if the seed is already known in the conversation, the seed is small

Malay does not always make the same distinction English does.

You could simply say:

• Benih kecil

Malay usually does not use an article equivalent to a/an.

However, whether benih kecil means a small seed or seeds are small or something more general depends on context.

If you want a full sentence meaning The seed is small, adding itu helps make it more specific:

• Benih itu kecil

You say:

• Benih itu tidak kecil = The seed is not small

Use tidak to negate adjectives and verbs.

Examples:

• Rumah itu tidak besar = The house is not big
• Air itu tidak panas = The water is not hot

A useful contrast:

• tidak is used with verbs and adjectives
• bukan is usually used to negate nouns or noun phrases

So here, because kecil is an adjective, tidak is the correct choice.

A very common way is just to use question intonation:

• Benih itu kecil? = Is the seed small?

You can also make it more explicitly formal with adakah:

• Adakah benih itu kecil?

Both are understandable, but plain intonation is very common in everyday speech.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

• benih → buh-neeh
• itu → ee-too
• kecil → kuh-cheel

A rough full pronunciation:

• buh-neeh ee-too kuh-cheel

A few notes:

• e in benih and kecil is often like a weak uh sound
• c in Malay is pronounced like English ch
• kecil sounds like kə-chil in more careful description

Yes, but it means something slightly different as a noun phrase, not the same full sentence.

• Benih itu kecil = The seed is small
• Benih kecil itu = that small seed

So:

• Benih itu kecil is a complete sentence
• Benih kecil itu is a noun phrase

If you want a full sentence with that small seed, you need to add more:

• Benih kecil itu mahal = That small seed is expensive

It is neutral and completely normal Malay.

• benih is a standard word for seed
• itu is standard
• kecil is standard

So Benih itu kecil is a natural, basic sentence that works well in normal spoken and written Malay.