Menara itu sangat tinggi.

that

Breakdown of Menara itu sangat tinggi.

• sangat: very
• tinggi: tall
• menara: a tower

Questions & Answers about Menara itu sangat tinggi.

Why is there no word for is in Menara itu sangat tinggi?

In Malay, you often do not need a verb like is/are when linking a subject to an adjective.

So:

• Menara itu sangat tinggi = That/The tower very tall
• Natural English: That tower is very tall or The tower is very tall

This is completely normal in Malay. The adjective tinggi can directly describe the subject without adding a separate word for is.

If the predicate is a noun, Malay sometimes uses words like ialah or adalah in more formal situations, but with simple adjective sentences like this, they are usually not used.

Why does itu come after menara instead of before it?

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

So:

• menara itu = that tower / sometimes the tower
• buku ini = this book
• rumah itu = that house

This is one of the most important word-order differences from English.

So do not say:

• itu menara if you mean that tower as a noun phrase

Instead, say:

• menara itu