Istana itu sangat besar.

that

Breakdown of Istana itu sangat besar.

• sangat: very
• besar: large
• istana: a palace

Questions & Answers about Istana itu sangat besar.

Why is there no word for is in Istana itu sangat besar?

Malay often leaves out the verb to be when linking a subject to an adjective.

So:

• Istana itu = the/that palace
• sangat besar = very big

Malay does not need a separate word for is here.
A literal structure would be something like:

• Palace that/the very big

But in natural English, we translate it as The palace is very big.

This is very common in Malay:

• Rumah itu besar = The house is big
• Dia cantik = She/He is beautiful

What does itu mean in this sentence?

Itu usually means that, but in many sentences it also helps mark something as specific or known, so it can feel like the in English.

In Istana itu sangat besar, itu can be understood as:

• that palace
• or more naturally in many contexts, the palace

Malay does not have exact articles like English a/an/the, so words like ini and itu often help do some of that work.

Why does come after instead of before it?