Sindiran itu menggunakan ironi.

In this sentence, itu comes after the noun sindiran and means something like that or the, depending on context.

• sindiran itu = that sarcasm / that sarcastic remark / the sarcasm
• In natural English translation, it often works like the

A key Malay pattern is that demonstratives like ini and itu usually come after the noun:

• buku itu = that book / the book
• rumah ini = this house

So sindiran itu is a normal Malay noun phrase.

Because in Malay, the demonstrative usually follows the noun.

So:

• sindiran itu = that sarcasm / the sarcasm
• ironi itu = that irony

This is different from English, where that comes before the noun.

Very roughly:

• English: that sarcasm
• Malay: sarcasm that → sindiran itu

If you say itu sindiran, that is usually not the normal noun-phrase pattern. It would sound more like a different structure, depending on context, rather than simply that sarcasm.

Menggunakan means to use, to employ, or to make use of.

So:

• Sindiran itu menggunakan ironi. = The sarcasm uses irony. = That sarcastic remark employs irony.

It is a fairly standard, neutral verb. In less formal speech, Malay speakers may also use guna on its own:

• Sindiran itu guna ironi.

That is more casual. Menggunakan is the more standard/full form.

Because menggunakan is a derived verb built from guna.

Breakdown:

• guna = use, usefulness
• menggunakan = to use

The prefix meN- forms an active verb, and before g it appears as meng-. So:

• guna → mengguna...
• with -kan → menggunakan

For learners, the easiest practical point is:

• guna = base word
• menggunakan = standard active verb meaning use

You do not need to overanalyze it every time; just learn menggunakan as the normal verb to use.

The sentence follows the common Malay word order Subject + Verb + Object.

So here:

• Sindiran itu = subject
• menggunakan = verb
• ironi = object

In other words:

• The sarcasm / that remark = the thing doing the action
• uses = the action
• irony = the thing being used

So the structure is very similar to English word order here.

Because Malay does not use articles like English a/an/the.

Whether a noun is understood as definite, indefinite, or generic depends on context.

So:

• ironi can mean irony, the irony, or an ironic device, depending on context

In this sentence, ironi is best understood as the general concept or rhetorical device irony.

This is very normal in Malay. You do not need an article before every noun.

Yes.

• Sindiran itu menggunakan ironi. = That sarcasm / the sarcastic remark uses irony.
• Sindiran menggunakan ironi. = Sarcasm uses irony or A sarcastic remark uses irony, depending on context

Adding itu makes the noun phrase more specific. It points to a particular sarcasm/remark already known in the conversation.

So:

• without itu = more general or less specifically identified
• with itu = more definite/specific

Not always exactly.

Sindiran can cover ideas like:

• a sarcastic remark
• a barbed comment
• an insinuation
• a mocking or indirect criticism

Depending on context, it may be translated as:

• sarcasm
• satire
• a dig
• a cutting remark
• an indirect criticism

So sindiran is a useful word, but its exact English equivalent depends on the situation.

Yes, essentially. Ironi is a Malay word corresponding closely to English irony.

Many Malay words of this type are loanwords or international vocabulary used in formal or literary contexts. Here, ironi means the rhetorical or stylistic device of irony.

So this sentence is saying that the sindiran makes use of irony as a technique.

It sounds fairly neutral to formal.

Why?

• menggunakan is a standard written/spoken form
• ironi is a somewhat literary or analytical word
• the whole sentence sounds like explanation or commentary, not casual chat

A more casual version might be:

• Sindiran itu guna ironi.

That said, your original sentence is perfectly natural and correct.

A simple pronunciation guide:

• sindiran → sin-dee-ran
• itu → ee-too
• menggunakan → muhng-goo-na-kan
• ironi → ee-ro-nee

A few helpful notes:

• Malay pronunciation is usually quite regular
• i is usually like ee in see
• u is usually like oo in food
• r is usually clearer/flapped more than in many English accents

So the full sentence is approximately:

sin-dee-ran ee-too muhng-goo-na-kan ee-ro-nee

Yes. Depending on context, possible translations include:

• That sarcasm uses irony.
• The sarcastic remark uses irony.
• That remark employs irony.
• The jibe makes use of irony.

This happens because:

• sindiran has a range of meanings
• itu can mean that or function like the
• Malay often leaves some things to context more than English does

So if the meaning has already been shown to the learner, that is helpful, because the exact English wording can vary.