Gaya itu berbeza.

Malay often does not need a present-tense verb like is/are in simple descriptive sentences.

So:

• Gaya itu berbeza
  literally looks like style that different
• but naturally means That style is different or The style is different

This is very normal in Malay. English needs is, but Malay usually does not in this kind of sentence.

Itu usually means that, and in Malay demonstratives come after the noun.

So:

• gaya itu = that style
• rumah itu = that house
• orang itu = that person

This is the normal Malay order:

• noun + ini/itu

So gaya itu is not unusual at all; it is exactly how Malay normally says that style.

Yes, in many contexts itu can feel like that, but in translation it can sometimes come across more naturally as the.

So gaya itu berbeza could be understood as:

• That style is different
• or The style is different

The exact English wording depends on context. Malay does not have a direct word exactly like the English article the, so itu can sometimes help make a noun feel more definite.

It behaves a bit like both from an English learner’s point of view.

In this sentence, berbeza means to be different or different as a predicate. You can think of it as a stative verb or an adjective-like predicate.

The important practical point is:

• berbeza can stand directly after the subject
• you do not need a separate word for is

So in Gaya itu berbeza, berbeza is the part that tells you the style is different.

Beza is the root word, connected with the idea of difference.

Berbeza is the more standard form meaning:

• to differ
• to be different

In careful standard Malay, berbeza is the safer and more natural choice in a sentence like this.

So:

• beza = difference / differentness / root idea
• berbeza = be different

A learner should generally use berbeza when making a full sentence such as Gaya itu berbeza.

You usually do not need to.

The most natural everyday sentence is simply:

• Gaya itu berbeza

In some formal styles of Malay, adalah can appear before certain predicates, including adjective phrases, but in normal speech it is often omitted. Because of that, Gaya itu adalah berbeza may sound more formal or stiff, and many learners are better off just using the simpler version.

So the best default choice is:

• Gaya itu berbeza

They are related, but not exactly the same.

• berbeza = different / differs
• lain = other / another / different, depending on context

Gaya itu berbeza directly says that the style is different.

Gaya itu lain can also mean something like That style is different, but it may sound more like That style is unusual / not the same / another kind of style, depending on context.

So if you specifically want the clear idea is different, berbeza is the better choice.

No. Gaya can mean several related things, such as:

• style
• manner
• way
• fashion
• pose

The best translation depends on context.

So Gaya itu berbeza could mean:

• That style is different
• That manner is different
• That way is different

In many learning examples, style is the most natural translation, but gaya is a broader word than just that.

Malay does not rely on stress in quite the same way English does, but context can still shift the focus.

For example:

• Gaya itu berbeza
  neutral statement: That style is different

Depending on context, the focus could be on:

• gaya → it is the style that is different
• itu → that style, not some other one
• berbeza → the key point is that it is different

In normal speech, though, you do not usually need to mark this very strongly. The sentence works fine as a plain statement.