Gelanggang itu kosong.

In Malay, you often do not need a separate word for is/are in simple sentences like this.

So:

• Gelanggang itu kosong = The court/arena is empty
• literally, it is more like court that empty

This is normal Malay structure. The adjective kosong can directly describe the subject without a copula verb.

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

So:

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

This is one of the most important word-order differences from English.

It can feel like either, depending on context.

• Basic meaning: itu = that
• In many real sentences, noun + itu also works a lot like the + noun when the thing is already known

So gelanggang itu kosong could be understood as:

• That court is empty
• or The court is empty

Malay has no exact word that always equals English the, so itu often helps mark something as specific.

Gelanggang can mean a place where an activity or contest happens. Depending on context, it may be translated as:

• court
• arena
• ring
• field
• sometimes even a more figurative stage or platform

For example, it can refer to:

• a sports court
• a martial arts area
• a boxing ring
• a competition arena

So the most natural English translation depends on the situation.

Yes. Kosong is usually an adjective meaning:

• empty
• vacant
• blank
• unoccupied

Examples:

• bilik kosong = an empty room / a vacant room
• kerusi kosong = an empty seat
• botol kosong = an empty bottle

In Gelanggang itu kosong, kosong is the predicate adjective describing gelanggang itu.

Yes, you could.

• Gelanggang itu kosong = The/that court is empty
  
  • more specific
• Gelanggang kosong = A court is empty / the court is empty / courts are empty, depending on context
  
  • less specific, more general

Malay often leaves definiteness unstated unless context or words like itu make it clearer.

Because the sentence is structured as:

• Subject: gelanggang itu
• Predicate: kosong

So the pattern is:

• [noun phrase] + [adjective]

This is a very common Malay sentence pattern:

• Rumah itu besar = The house is big
• Bilik ini sejuk = This room is cold
• Jalan itu sunyi = That road is quiet

No. That would be a different structure.

• gelanggang itu kosong = The/that court is empty
  
  • full sentence
• gelanggang kosong = empty court
  
  • noun phrase

So:

• gelanggang kosong can mean an empty court
• gelanggang itu kosong is a complete statement

This is the difference between attributive use and predicative use of the adjective.

No. Kosong is used very widely.

It can describe:

• places: bilik kosong = empty room
• containers: botol kosong = empty bottle
• seats: tempat duduk kosong = empty seat
• forms or spaces: ruang kosong = blank space
• time slots: jadual saya kosong = my schedule is free/empty

So it is a very useful everyday word.

You would usually use tidak before the adjective:

• Gelanggang itu tidak kosong = The court is not empty

A natural opposite is also:

• Gelanggang itu penuh = The court is full

So:

• kosong = empty
• tidak kosong = not empty
• penuh = full

A simple learner-friendly pronunciation is:

• guh-LAHNG-gahng

A few helpful points:

• the first ge- is often a weak sound like guh
• ng is the same sound as in English sing
• the final -ng is pronounced clearly

And kosong is roughly:

• KOH-song

Malay pronunciation is usually more regular than English spelling, so once you learn the sounds, it becomes easier.

It is neutral and perfectly normal.

Gelanggang itu kosong would work in:

• everyday conversation
• writing
• simple descriptions
• announcements, depending on context

It is neither especially formal nor slangy.