Pemain itu tangkas.

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

So:

Pemain itu tangkas.
literally looks like player that agile

but naturally means The player is agile or That player is agile.

This is normal and very common in Malay.

Itu usually means that, but in many contexts it can also work a bit like the in English.

So pemain itu can mean:

• that player
• the player

The exact meaning depends on context.

In Malay, words like ini and itu usually come after the noun they describe.

So Malay says:

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

This is different from English, where this, that, and the come before the noun.

Pemain means player.

It comes from the root main, which means to play.
Adding the prefix pe- / peN- makes a word for a person who does the action.

So:

• main = play
• pemain = player

This is a very common pattern in Malay.

In this sentence, tangkas is the description being said about the subject pemain itu.

So the structure is:

• Pemain itu = subject
• tangkas = predicate adjective

Malay commonly puts the adjective after the subject in this kind of sentence.

Also, even inside noun phrases, adjectives usually come after the noun:

• pemain tangkas = an agile player

So the position of tangkas is very normal in Malay.

You might see adalah in more formal Malay, but in a simple everyday sentence like this, Pemain itu tangkas is more natural.

A useful rule of thumb:

• no copula is the most normal everyday pattern
• adalah may appear in formal writing
• ialah is generally used before nouns, not adjectives

So for learners, Pemain itu tangkas is the best model.

Usually, that changes how the phrase sounds.

• Pemain itu tangkas. = The/that player is agile.
• pemain tangkas = an agile player / agile player

Without itu, it often sounds more like a noun phrase than a full sentence.

So if you want a clear complete sentence about a specific player, itu helps a lot.

You use ini:

Pemain ini tangkas.

Just like itu, ini comes after the noun:

• pemain ini = this player
• pemain itu = that player

Malay often does not mark plural unless it needs to be clear.

If you want to clearly say the players are agile, you could say:

• Pemain-pemain itu tangkas.
• Para pemain itu tangkas.

Both are possible.
Reduplication (pemain-pemain) is a common way to show plural, and para is often used for groups of people.

A rough English-friendly guide is:

pemain → puh-MAIN
itu → ee-too
tangkas → tahng-kahs

A few helpful notes:

• ng in tangkas sounds like the ng in sing
• the first syllable of pemain is a weak vowel, like puh or peh
• Malay stress is usually less strong than English stress, so try not to over-emphasize one syllable too much

A rough full pronunciation is:

puh-MAIN ee-too tahng-kahs