Negeri itu besar.

In Malay, demonstratives like ini (this) and itu (that) usually come after the noun.

So:

• negeri itu = that state
• rumah itu = that house
• orang itu = that person

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

Malay often leaves out the verb to be in simple sentences like this.

So:

• Negeri itu besar. literally looks like That state big.
• Natural English: That state is big.

This is completely normal in Malay. You do not need a separate word for is in sentences like this.

Itu often means that, but in real usage it can also make something sound definite, a bit like the in English.

So depending on context:

• Negeri itu besar. can mean That state is big
• It may also feel like The state is big

Learners should first remember the basic meaning that, but be aware that actual usage is sometimes broader than that.

Not quite.

• negeri usually means state, province, or region
• negara usually means country or nation

So in modern standard Malay:

• Negeri itu besar. = That state is big
• Negara itu besar. = That country is big

In some older, literary, or fixed expressions, negeri can sometimes refer to a country or land, but for everyday learning, state/province is the safest meaning.

Yes, adjectives usually come after the noun in Malay.

Examples:

• rumah besar = big house
• kereta besar = big car
• negeri besar = big state

In your sentence, besar is not just describing the noun inside a noun phrase. It is the main predicate of the sentence:

• Negeri itu besar. = That state is big.

So the final position is completely normal.

A very literal breakdown is:

• negeri = state
• itu = that
• besar = big

So the literal order is:

state that big

But the natural English meaning is:

That state is big.

This is an important difference.

• negeri besar = a big state / big state
  This is a noun phrase, not usually a complete sentence by itself.
• negeri itu besar = that state is big
  This is a full sentence.

So:

• negeri besar itu = that big state
• negeri itu besar = that state is big

A small change in word order changes the structure.

Yes, but the meaning changes.

• Negeri itu besar. = That state is big / The state is big
• Negeri besar. usually means big state rather than a full sentence

Without itu, the phrase is more likely to be understood as a noun phrase unless the context makes the sentence meaning clear.

So if you want the clear meaning That state is big, keeping itu is best.

Use tidak before the adjective:

• Negeri itu tidak besar. = That state is not big.

This is the normal way to negate an adjective in Malay.

A simple spoken question can use intonation:

• Negeri itu besar? = Is that state big?

A more formal written style can use adakah:

• Adakah negeri itu besar? = Is that state big?

So in everyday conversation, intonation is often enough.

A simple learner-friendly pronunciation guide is:

• Negeri: nuh-GUH-ree
• itu: ee-too
• besar: buh-SAR

A few notes:

• The e in negeri and besar is often a schwa, like the a in about
• The r is usually clearer than in many English accents, often lightly tapped

So the whole sentence sounds roughly like:

nuh-GUH-ree ee-too buh-SAR