Juara itu sangat terkenal.

Malay often leaves out the verb to be in simple sentences like this.

So:

• Juara itu = the champion / that champion
• sangat terkenal = very famous

Malay does not need a separate word for is here.
So Juara itu sangat terkenal literally looks like:

• champion that very famous

but naturally means:

• The champion is very famous.

This is very normal in Malay.

Itu usually means that, but after a noun it often works like a definite marker, similar to the in English.

So:

• juara = champion
• juara itu = that champion or the champion

In many sentences, English learners can think of noun + itu as making the noun specific.

Compare:

• juara = a champion / champion
• juara itu = the champion / that champion

Whether it is best translated as the or that depends on context.

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

So Malay says:

• juara itu = that champion

not:

• itu juara for this meaning

This is a very common pattern:

• rumah itu = that house / the house
• orang itu = that person / the person
• buku itu = that book / the book

So the order is different from English.

Sangat means very.

In Malay, words like sangat usually come before the adjective they modify.

So:

• sangat terkenal = very famous

This is similar to English word order:

• very famous

Other examples:

• sangat besar = very big
• sangat cantik = very beautiful
• sangat baik = very good

Terkenal means famous, well-known, or known by many people.

It comes from the root kenal, which is related to knowing or being acquainted with.
But terkenal is a set word meaning famous / well-known, not simply known in every context.

So:

• kenal = know, be acquainted with
• terkenal = famous, well-known

For example:

• Saya kenal dia. = I know him/her.
• Dia terkenal. = He/She is famous.

Yes, it is the same prefix in form, but here you should learn terkenal mainly as a whole vocabulary item meaning famous or well-known.

Malay ter- can have several functions in different words, such as:

• stative/result meaning
• accidental/unintentional meaning
• superlative meaning in some contexts

But with terkenal, learners usually treat it as a fixed adjective:

• terkenal = famous

So although it is useful to know the prefix exists, the simplest and most practical approach is to memorize terkenal as one word.

No. Juara can mean champion, winner, or top performer in many kinds of competitions, not only sports.

It can be used for:

• sports champions
• singing contest winners
• school competitions
• other contests or rankings

Depending on context, juara may be translated as:

• champion
• winner
• title holder

So the sentence could refer to a sports champion, but it does not have to.

Yes. That is possible.

Because itu often means that, the sentence can be understood as:

• That champion is very famous

But in many contexts, English uses the where Malay uses noun + itu. So it may also be:

• The champion is very famous

The exact choice depends on the situation and what has already been mentioned.

Yes. That is also natural.

Both of these are possible:

• Juara itu sangat terkenal.
• Juara itu terkenal sekali.

Both mean roughly The champion is very famous.

A rough guide:

• sangat terkenal = very famous
• terkenal sekali = very famous / famous indeed

Both are common, though sekali often comes after the adjective.

That is generally not the normal standard order.

The usual pattern is:

• sangat + adjective
• adjective + sekali

So the natural choices are:

• sangat terkenal
• terkenal sekali

But terkenal sangat is not the usual standard phrasing for this meaning.

A simple learner-friendly pronunciation guide is:

• juara ≈ joo-AH-rah
• itu ≈ ee-too
• sangat ≈ sah-ngat
• terkenal ≈ ter-keh-NAHL

A few helpful notes:

• j in Malay sounds like English j in job
• u is usually like oo
• a is usually like ah
• stress in Malay is usually not as strong or dramatic as in English

So you can say it smoothly as:

• joo-AH-rah ee-too sah-ngat ter-keh-NAHL

It is neutral and standard Malay.

It works well in:

• writing
• news-style language
• conversation
• classroom examples

It is neither especially formal nor slangy, so it is a very good sentence pattern to learn.

Yes. You can easily add more information.

For example:

• Juara itu sangat terkenal di Malaysia. = The champion is very famous in Malaysia.
• Juara itu sangat terkenal dalam kalangan peminat sukan. = The champion is very famous among sports fans.
• Juara itu masih sangat terkenal. = The champion is still very famous.

This shows a useful basic pattern:

• [noun phrase] + [degree word] + [adjective]

In this sentence:

• Juara itu
  • sangat
    • terkenal