Harga itu termasuk cukai.

In Malay, demonstratives such as ini and itu usually come after the noun.

So:

• harga itu = that price
• harga ini = this price

This is normal Malay word order, even though in English we say that price.

It can be understood either way depending on context.

In a basic sense, itu means that. But in natural Malay, it is also often used to make a noun feel more specific or definite, so harga itu can sometimes sound closer to the price in English.

So this sentence may be understood as either:

• That price includes tax
• The price includes tax

The exact choice depends on context.

Malay often does not use a separate word like English is/am/are in simple sentences.

In this sentence, termasuk already works as the main predicate, so you do not need a word equivalent to is.

Malay:

• Harga itu termasuk cukai

Natural English:

• That price includes tax
• That price is tax-inclusive

So nothing is missing; the Malay sentence is complete as it is.

Here, termasuk means includes or is inclusive of.

So termasuk cukai means:

• includes tax
• tax is included

This word is very common when talking about prices, lists, categories, and what is or is not part of something.

Examples:

• Harga ini termasuk penghantaran. = This price includes delivery.
• Yuran itu tidak termasuk makan. = That fee does not include meals.

Yes. Masuk usually means to enter or go in. But termasuk is a derived word with its own common meaning: to be included / to include / to count as part of.

So although they are related, you should learn termasuk as a fixed, very useful vocabulary item.

For example:

• masuk rumah = enter the house
• termasuk cukai = includes tax

Malay does not have articles like English a, an, and the.

Whether a noun is understood as general, specific, singular, or plural usually depends on context.

So:

• harga = price / the price / a price
• cukai = tax / the tax

In this sentence, context tells us that it means a specific price and tax being discussed.

Yes, you can.

• Harga itu termasuk cukai = That/The price includes tax
• Harga termasuk cukai = Price includes tax / The price includes tax

Leaving out itu makes the sentence a little more general or less specifically anchored to that particular price. In many real situations, both are possible.

For example, on a sign or menu, Harga termasuk cukai sounds very natural.

You say:

• Harga itu tidak termasuk cukai.

Here, tidak negates termasuk.

So:

• termasuk = includes
• tidak termasuk = does not include

This is extremely useful in shops, hotels, invoices, and advertisements.

Yes, and it is also natural, but the focus changes.

• Harga itu termasuk cukai = That price includes tax
• Cukai termasuk dalam harga itu = Tax is included in that price

Both express nearly the same idea, but from different angles:

• first sentence focuses on the price
• second sentence focuses on the tax

The phrase dalam harga itu means in that price.

Malay nouns usually do not change form for singular and plural.

So cukai can mean tax, and in some contexts it could also be understood more broadly depending on what kind of tax is meant. Here, it is best understood simply as tax in a general sense.

If you needed to be more specific, Malay often adds extra words, for example:

• cukai jualan = sales tax
• cukai perkhidmatan = service tax

A simple approximate pronunciation for an English speaker is:

HAR-gah EE-too ter-MAH-sook CHOO-kai

A few notes:

• harga: the r is lightly rolled or tapped in many accents
• itu: two clear vowels, ee-too
• termasuk: stress is not as strong as in English, but mah may help you say it smoothly
• cukai: roughly choo-kai

Malay pronunciation is generally quite regular, so once you know the spelling, it is usually easier to say than English.