Tayar itu kempis.

That tyre is flat.

Breakdown of Tayar itu kempis.

• itu: that
• tayar: a tyre
• kempis: flat or deflated

Questions & Answers about Tayar itu kempis.

Why is there no word for is in 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.

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What does itu mean here, and why does it come after tayar?

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

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Is kempis an adjective or a verb?