Tayar itu kempis.

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

So:

• Tayar itu kempis = literally something like That tire flat
• Natural English: That tire is flat or The tire is flat

This is very normal in Malay when the predicate is an adjective or a noun.

Itu usually means that, and in Malay demonstratives normally come after the noun, not before it.

So:

• tayar itu = that tire

In context, itu can also make the noun feel definite, so depending on the situation it may be translated as:

• that tire
• the tire

This noun + demonstrative order is standard in Malay:

• rumah itu = that house
• orang itu = that person
• kereta itu = that car

In this sentence, kempis functions like an adjective meaning flat, deflated, or not inflated.

So the structure is:

• Tayar itu = the/that tire
• kempis = flat

Malay adjectives can act as the main predicate of a sentence without needing is.

Yes. In real usage, itu often points to a specific thing, so that tire is a very direct reading. But in some contexts, English may translate it more naturally as the tire.

Malay does not match English articles exactly, so translation depends on context.

For example:

• If you are pointing at a tire: that tire is flat
• If the tire has already been mentioned: the tire is flat

You do not always have to use itu.

• Tayar itu kempis = That/The tire is flat
  
  • specific tire
• Tayar kempis = A tire is flat / Tires are flat / Flat tire depending on context
  
  • less specific, more general, or headline-like

Malay often relies heavily on context, so leaving out itu makes the sentence less specifically tied to one known tire.

A simple English-friendly guide is:

• tayar ≈ TAH-yar
• itu ≈ ee-TOO
• kempis ≈ kem-PEES

A rough full pronunciation: TAH-yar ee-TOO kem-PEES

A more technical approximation is: /ta.jar i.tu kəm.pis/

Malay pronunciation is usually quite regular compared with English spelling.

Here it is most naturally understood as singular because the sentence is about one specific tire.

But Malay nouns are often not marked for number the way English nouns are. The same form can sometimes be singular or plural depending on context.

• tayar = tire / tires
• tayar-tayar = tires (explicit plural, though not always necessary)

So context tells you whether one tire or more than one is meant.

No. Tayar is very common and standard, but you may also hear ban in everyday speech.

Examples:

• Tayar itu kempis
• Ban itu kempis

Both can mean The tire is flat, though tayar is a very standard learner-friendly word to know.

These words are related, but they are not exactly the same:

• kempis = flat, deflated
• bocor = leaking, punctured
• pecah = burst, blown out

So:

• Tayar itu kempis = The tire is flat.
• Tayar itu bocor = The tire has a leak / is punctured.
• Tayar itu pecah = The tire burst.

A tire can be kempis because it is bocor, but the words do not mean exactly the same thing.

Not as the normal neutral sentence.

The standard order is:

• Tayar itu kempis

That is:

• subject = tayar itu
• predicate = kempis

Putting kempis first would sound unusual in ordinary basic Malay unless you were using a marked style for emphasis, poetry, or a special construction. For everyday learning, stick with Tayar itu kempis.

This is a very common Malay pattern:

noun phrase + adjective

In this sentence:

• Tayar itu = noun phrase
• kempis = adjective

Other examples with the same pattern:

• Rumah itu besar = The house is big.
• Buku itu mahal = The book is expensive.
• Anak itu sakit = The child is sick.

This is one of the most useful basic sentence patterns in Malay.