Kabinet itu usang; walau bagaimanapun, engselnya masih kuat.

In Malay, demonstratives such as ini and itu usually come after the noun, not before it as in English.

So:

• kabinet itu = that cabinet
• depending on context, it can also feel like the cabinet

Malay does not have a true article system like English the/a, so itu often helps make the noun feel specific and identifiable.

Kabinet is a borrowing, and it is used in Malay. In this sentence it means a piece of furniture, like a cabinet.

Be aware that kabinet can also mean a government cabinet, depending on context. Malay often uses loanwords naturally, so this is not unusual.

For furniture, other words may also appear in some contexts, such as almari, but kabinet is perfectly understandable.

Usang means something like worn, aged, shabby, or outdated from age/use.

It is often used for things such as:

• furniture
• books
• clothes
• objects that look old and used

It is not just old in a neutral sense. It suggests that the thing has become visibly aged, worn down, or no longer fresh-looking.

So kabinet itu usang is stronger than simply saying the cabinet is old.

Malay often leaves out the verb to be when describing something with an adjective.

So:

• Kabinet itu usang = The/That cabinet is worn/old
• Engselnya masih kuat = Its hinges are still strong

This is very normal in Malay. You do not need a word like English is/are in sentences like this.

Here, usang is the predicate adjective: it tells you what the cabinet is like.

So the structure is:

• Kabinet itu = the subject
• usang = the description/predicate

That is different from a noun phrase like:

• kabinet usang itu = that worn cabinet

In kabinet usang itu, usang directly modifies kabinet inside the noun phrase.

In Kabinet itu usang, the sentence is saying The cabinet is worn.

Walau bagaimanapun means however, nevertheless, or even so.

Yes, it is somewhat formal or at least more polished than a simple but. It is very common in writing and formal speech.

So this sentence has a slightly more careful, written style.

A more everyday version would be:

• Kabinet itu usang, tetapi engselnya masih kuat.

That means basically the same thing, but tetapi is simpler and more conversational.

Yes. In this sentence, tetapi would work well.

Compare:

• Kabinet itu usang; walau bagaimanapun, engselnya masih kuat.
• Kabinet itu usang, tetapi engselnya masih kuat.

The difference is mostly one of style:

• walau bagaimanapun = more formal, more like however/nevertheless
• tetapi = plain but

Both are correct here.

Engsel means hinge.

The ending -nya here most naturally means its, so engselnya means its hinge or its hinges, depending on context.

In Malay, -nya can mark:

• possession: its
• or sometimes a definite sense: the

So in this sentence, engselnya is best understood as its hinge(s).

Malay does not have to mark plural the way English does.

A bare noun can be:

• singular
• plural
• generic

The context tells you which one is meant.

So engselnya can mean:

• its hinge
• its hinges

In real life, a cabinet usually has more than one hinge, so learners often understand it as its hinges.

If someone wanted to make the plural very explicit, they could say:

• engsel-engselnya

But that is not necessary unless the speaker wants to emphasize plurality.

Because masih is an adverb meaning still, and it comes before the adjective or description it modifies.

So:

• masih kuat = still strong

This is normal Malay word order.

You will often see the same pattern in sentences like:

• masih baru = still new
• masih cantik = still beautiful
• masih elok = still in good condition

Yes. Kuat can describe physical strength, sturdiness, or resistance to damage.

For something like a hinge, masih kuat suggests that it is still:

• sturdy
• solid
• functioning well
• not loose or weak

So even though the cabinet is old and worn, the hinge hardware is still durable.

Yes. A semicolon can be used in Malay much like in English, especially in more formal writing, to connect two closely related clauses.

Here it works well because the second clause contrasts with the first:

• the cabinet is worn
• however, the hinges are still strong

You could also write it with a full stop or a comma, depending on style:

• Kabinet itu usang. Walau bagaimanapun, engselnya masih kuat.
• Kabinet itu usang, tetapi engselnya masih kuat.

All of these are possible; the original version simply sounds a bit more formal and polished.