Pengantaraan itu sukarela.

Malay often leaves out the verb to be in simple present-tense sentences.

So:

Pengantaraan itu sukarela
literally looks like That/the mediation voluntary

but it naturally means That mediation is voluntary or The mediation is voluntary.

This is very normal in Malay. Adjectives and nouns can act as the predicate without needing a separate word for is.

Itu usually means that, but after a noun it can also make the noun feel definite, similar to the in English.

So pengantaraan itu can mean:

• that mediation
• the mediation
• the mediation we’re talking about

Which one sounds best depends on context.

Yes. In this sentence, sukarela functions like an adjective meaning voluntary.

So the structure is:

• pengantaraan itu = the/that mediation
• sukarela = voluntary

Together: The/That mediation is voluntary.

In other contexts, sukarela can also appear in expressions like:

• secara sukarela = voluntarily
• kerja sukarela = volunteer work / voluntary work

Here, sukarela is not directly modifying the noun inside the noun phrase. It is the predicate of the sentence.

So this sentence is structured like:

• Subject: pengantaraan itu
• Predicate: sukarela

That is why it works like The mediation is voluntary.

If you wanted voluntary mediation as a noun phrase, you would typically say:

pengantaraan sukarela

So compare:

• pengantaraan itu sukarela = the mediation is voluntary
• pengantaraan sukarela = voluntary mediation

Yes, you may see that, especially in more formal writing.

Adalah can be used before adjective phrases in formal Malay, so:

Pengantaraan itu adalah sukarela

is possible and means the same thing.

However, in many everyday situations, Malay prefers the shorter version:

Pengantaraan itu sukarela

That version is very natural and common.

Yes. This is something that often surprises English speakers.

Although itu literally means that, when it comes after a noun it often helps mark the noun as specific or already known in the conversation. Because of that, English may translate it as the instead of that.

So:

• pengantaraan itu could be that mediation
• but in context it could also be the mediation

Malay does not have a direct article system like English a/an/the, so words like itu often help do some of that work.

Pengantaraan is a noun meaning something like mediation, intermediation, or the act/process of acting as an intermediary, depending on context.

It is a fairly formal word. You are more likely to see it in official, legal, administrative, or academic language than in very casual conversation.

It is formed with Malay affixes, which often turn a root idea into an abstract noun. So pengantaraan refers to the process or act itself, not a person.

Yes, it is natural, especially in formal or semi-formal contexts.

It sounds like something you might see in:

• legal or policy documents
• mediation guidelines
• organizational procedures
• formal explanations

Because pengantaraan is a somewhat formal noun, the whole sentence feels more formal than casual everyday speech.

Use these two patterns:

• Pengantaraan itu sukarela = The/That mediation is voluntary
• pengantaraan sukarela = voluntary mediation

This is an important difference:

• In the first one, sukarela is the predicate of a full sentence.
• In the second one, sukarela is part of the noun phrase.

So English voluntary mediation is not the same structure as The mediation is voluntary, even though the same words are involved.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

puh-ngan-tah-raan ee-too soo-kuh-reh-lah

A few useful notes:

• peng- begins with the ng sound heard in sing
• a is usually like the a in father
• u is usually like oo in food
• Malay pronunciation is generally quite regular compared with English

A more syllable-by-syllable breakdown:

• pe-ngan-ta-ra-an
• i-tu
• su-ka-re-la

The stress in Malay is usually not as strong or dramatic as in English.

Yes, depending on context.

Because itu can sometimes just mark something as definite or already known, English translation may vary between:

• That mediation is voluntary
• The mediation is voluntary
• sometimes even Mediation is voluntary

The best translation depends on what has already been mentioned in the surrounding text. If the sentence refers to a specific mediation process already under discussion, the mediation or that mediation is usually best.