Polis mengesan kenderaan itu.

Yes. The basic word order is Subject + Verb + Object, just like in English:

Polis = subject
mengesan = verb
kenderaan itu = object

So the structure is very straightforward for an English speaker. One important difference, though, is that itu comes after the noun, not before it.

Mengesan usually means to detect, to trace, to track, or to locate, depending on context.

So in different situations, the sentence could suggest things like:

• the police detected the vehicle
• the police traced the vehicle
• the police tracked down the vehicle

It is not exactly the same as looking for it. It suggests that the police have found, identified, or successfully traced it in some way.

Because mengesan is the active verb form.

The root is kesan, and the prefix meng- is added to form a verb. In Malay, this kind of meN- prefix is very common for active verbs.

So:

kesan = root
mengesan = to detect / to trace

Also, when meN- is added to a root beginning with k, the k often disappears:

meN- + kesan → mengesan

This is a normal sound and spelling pattern in Malay.

Because in Malay, demonstratives usually come after the noun.

So:

kenderaan itu = that vehicle

This is normal Malay word order. Compare:

rumah itu = that house
lelaki ini = this man
buku itu = that book

This is one of the first word-order differences English speakers have to get used to.

It can feel like either one, depending on context.

Most literally, itu means that. So:

kenderaan itu = that vehicle

But in real usage, kenderaan itu can also be translated naturally as the vehicle, especially when the vehicle is already known from context.

So itu often marks something as specific or already identifiable, which is why English translations sometimes use the even though Malay does not have a direct article system like English.

It is often best understood as the police in a collective sense.

Malay nouns usually do not change form for singular and plural, so polis can refer to:

• the police as an institution
• police officers in general
• sometimes a police officer, depending on context

In this sentence, without any extra marker, many learners will understand polis as the police rather than a police officer.

If you clearly want one police officer, Malay often uses something like seorang polis or another more specific expression.

No, not by itself.

Malay verbs do not change form for tense the way English verbs do. Mengesan can refer to present, past, or even future depending on context.

So Polis mengesan kenderaan itu could mean things like:

• the police detect the vehicle
• the police detected the vehicle
• the police are tracking the vehicle

To make the time clearer, Malay usually adds time words or aspect markers, such as:

semalam = yesterday
sedang = in the process of
telah = already / has or have

For example:

Polis telah mengesan kenderaan itu = The police have detected / traced the vehicle
Polis sedang mengesan kenderaan itu = The police are tracking the vehicle

Because Malay does not use articles the way English does.

There is no direct equivalent that must appear before every noun. Instead, Malay shows definiteness or specificity through:

• context
• words like ini and itu
• sometimes number words or classifiers

So:

polis can mean police or the police, depending on context
kenderaan itu means a specific vehicle, so English often translates it as that vehicle or the vehicle

This is why Malay can look more compact than English.

Not necessarily. Kenderaan means vehicle, which is broader than car.

It can refer to things like:

• a car
• a motorcycle
• a van
• a truck
• another type of vehicle

If Malay specifically wanted to say car, it would usually use kereta.

So:

Polis mengesan kenderaan itu = The police traced the vehicle
Polis mengesan kereta itu = The police traced the car

Yes, it is fairly neutral to formal, and it is especially common in official, news, or report-style language.

That makes this sentence sound quite natural in a police or news context. A more everyday sentence might use a more specific noun such as kereta if the speaker means a car.

So this sentence has a slightly official tone, which fits the subject matter well.

A common passive version would be:

Kenderaan itu dikesan oleh polis

That means The vehicle was detected / traced by the police.

Here is the pattern:

mengesan = active
dikesan = passive

The word oleh means by, although in some contexts Malay may omit it if the agent is already clear.

This active and passive contrast is very common in Malay, so it is useful to notice:

Polis mengesan kenderaan itu = active
Kenderaan itu dikesan oleh polis = passive