Kawan itu lincah.

Malay often uses zero copula in simple present-tense descriptions. That means there is usually no separate word for is/am/are.

So:

• Kawan itu lincah = That friend is lively/agile
• literally: friend that lively

This is completely normal in Malay.

Itu usually means that, but after a noun it can also make the noun feel more definite, like the in English.

So kawan itu can mean:

• that friend
• the friend

Which one sounds best depends on context.

A useful pattern is:

• kawan ini = this friend
• kawan itu = that friend / the friend

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

So Malay says:

• kawan itu = that friend
• rumah ini = this house

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

Lincah usually describes someone or something as:

• agile
• nimble
• lively
• sprightly
• quick in movement

For a person, it often suggests energetic, quick, and active movement. Depending on context, lincah can sound positive, like someone who is cheerful and full of energy.

So Kawan itu lincah could mean something like:

• That friend is lively
• That friend is agile
• That friend is very energetic

Yes. Kawan is a common word for friend or companion.

Some related words:

• kawan = friend
• teman = friend/companion
• sahabat = close friend, often a bit warmer or more literary

In everyday speech, kawan is very common and natural.

No. Malay adjectives do not change for:

• singular/plural
• gender
• case

So lincah stays lincah no matter who or what it describes.

Examples:

• Kawan itu lincah = That friend is lively
• Budak itu lincah = That child is lively
• Mereka lincah = They are lively

The adjective does not agree with the noun the way it might in some other languages.

Yes. In many contexts, kawan itu can be understood as either:

• that friend
• the friend

Malay does not have a separate article system like a/the in English. Words like ini and itu often help show whether something is specific.

So the exact English translation depends on the situation.

You can say:

• Kawan itu tidak lincah.

Here, tidak means not and is used to negate adjectives and verbs.

So:

• lincah = lively/agile
• tidak lincah = not lively / not agile

A useful contrast:

• tidak is used with verbs and adjectives
• bukan is usually used with nouns

So here tidak is the correct choice.

Yes. You can add degree words before the adjective.

Examples:

• Kawan itu sangat lincah. = That friend is very lively.
• Kawan itu agak lincah. = That friend is quite/rather lively.
• Kawan itu terlalu lincah. = That friend is too lively.
• Kawan itu lebih lincah. = That friend is more lively/agile.

These words come before lincah.

A simple approximate pronunciation is:

• kawan ≈ KAH-wan
• itu ≈ EE-too
• lincah ≈ LEEN-chah

A few helpful notes:

• kawan has two clear syllables: ka-wan
• itu is usually pronounced clearly as i-tu
• c in Malay is pronounced like ch in chair, so lincah has a ch sound

So the full sentence sounds roughly like:

KAH-wan EE-too LEEN-chah

A common way is:

• Kawan-kawan itu lincah.

Here, kawan-kawan is a reduplicated form meaning friends.

So:

• kawan = friend
• kawan-kawan = friends

Malay often uses reduplication to show plurality, but it is not always necessary if the context already makes the meaning clear.

Yes, you could. That sentence means something like:

• That friend is a lively person.

The structure is a bit fuller:

• seorang = a person / one person
• yang = who/that

So:

• Kawan itu lincah = simpler, more direct
• Kawan itu seorang yang lincah = slightly more descriptive or emphatic

Both are grammatical, but the shorter version is more straightforward for basic description.