Sketsa itu ialah parodi.

Here, itu marks sketsa as something specific and already identifiable in context. Depending on context, it can feel like that or sometimes like the in English.

So sketsa itu can be understood as a specific sketch, not just any sketch.

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

So Malay says:

• sketsa itu = that sketch / the sketch
• buku ini = this book

This is a very common word order pattern, and it often feels unusual at first to English speakers because English puts this/that before the noun.

Ialah is a linking word used to connect the subject with a noun phrase that identifies it.

In this sentence:

• Sketsa itu = the subject
• parodi = the noun phrase identifying what it is

So ialah works somewhat like a formal is in this kind of sentence.

In standard Malay grammar, ialah is typically used before a noun phrase, while adalah is more typically used before an adjective phrase or prepositional phrase.

Because parodi is a noun, ialah is the expected formal choice here.

A simplified rule learners often use is:

• ialah
  • noun
• adalah
  • adjective / description / prepositional phrase

This rule is not perfect for every real-life example, but it is a very useful guide.

In careful standard grammar, Sketsa itu ialah parodi is better, because parodi is a noun.

That said, in real-world usage, some speakers do use adalah more broadly than the textbook rule suggests. So you may encounter adalah in similar sentences. But if you want the safest standard answer, use ialah here.

Yes, in many contexts Malay can omit the linking word, especially in less formal or more conversational style.

So you may also see:

• Sketsa itu parodi.

This still makes sense. Adding ialah makes the sentence sound more formal, structured, or written.

Malay does not use articles like a, an, or the in the same way English does.

So parodi can mean a parody without needing a separate article word.

Malay usually leaves that kind of information to context, or expresses it in other ways if needed.

Parodi is a loanword, and it is fully usable in Malay. Malay contains many borrowed words, especially in modern and cultural vocabulary.

For a learner, the important thing is that it behaves like a normal Malay noun in this sentence.

It sounds fairly neutral to formal, especially because of ialah.

A more conversational version would often be:

• Sketsa itu parodi.

The version with ialah is very natural in writing, explanations, definitions, and formal speech.

No. Malay does not usually mark tense on a verb the way English does, and in this sentence there is no verb being conjugated at all.

Sketsa itu ialah parodi is understood from context, usually as a present-time statement. If you wanted to make time clearer, Malay would normally add time words such as:

• dulu = before / formerly
• sekarang = now
• semalam = yesterday

Context does a lot of the work.

A simple learner-friendly pronunciation would be:

• Sketsa: SKET-sa
• itu: EE-too
• ialah: ee-AH-lah
• parodi: pa-RO-dee

The r in parodi is typically trilled or tapped more than in most English accents. The final h in ialah may be light, depending on speaker and accent.