Kabel brek itu longgar.

In Malay, you usually do not need a verb like is/are when a noun is described by an adjective.

So:

Kabel brek itu longgar
literally looks like: brake cable that/the loose

But in natural English, it means The brake cable is loose or That brake cable is loose.

This is very common in Malay:

• Rumah itu besar = The house is big
• Dia sakit = He/She is sick

So the adjective longgar can directly follow the noun phrase without any extra verb.

Itu is a demonstrative word. It often means that, but in many contexts it can also function like the when the thing is already known from context.

So kabel brek itu can mean:

• that brake cable
• the brake cable

Which one sounds best in English depends on context.

A useful contrast:

• ini = this
• itu = that

Examples:

• Kabel brek ini longgar = This brake cable is loose
• Kabel brek itu longgar = That/The brake cable is loose

In Malay, the head noun usually comes first, and the modifying noun comes after it.

So:

• kabel brek = brake cable
• literally: cable brake

This is a very common pattern in Malay noun phrases:

• bilik tidur = bedroom (literally room sleep)
• kereta polis = police car
• minyak masak = cooking oil

English often puts the modifier first, but Malay often puts it after the main noun.

Brek is a borrowed word, ultimately from English brake. Malay has many loanwords, especially for modern objects and technology.

Likewise, kabel is also a loanword, from cable.

This is completely normal Malay. Many everyday Malay words come from English, Arabic, Sanskrit, Portuguese, Dutch, and other languages.

Because longgar is the adjective describing kabel brek itu.

Malay commonly places adjectives after the noun phrase they describe:

• rumah besar = big house
• baju merah = red shirt
• kabel brek itu longgar = the/that brake cable is loose

So the structure is:

[noun phrase] + [adjective]

Here:

• kabel brek itu = the/that brake cable
• longgar = loose

Yes, you can.

Kabel brek longgar is grammatical and means something like:

• Brake cables are loose
• The brake cable is loose
• A brake cable is loose

The exact meaning depends more on context because Malay does not mark the/a the way English does.

Adding itu makes the noun phrase more specific:

• Kabel brek longgar = more general or context-dependent
• Kabel brek itu longgar = a particular brake cable, often that/the brake cable

It can mean either one.

Malay itu is often taught as that, and that is correct. But in real usage, itu can also make a noun phrase definite, so English may translate it as the.

So depending on context:

• Kabel brek itu longgar = That brake cable is loose
• Kabel brek itu longgar = The brake cable is loose

If the speaker is pointing at it, that may be better.
If both speaker and listener already know which cable is meant, the may sound more natural in English.

A simple approximate pronunciation for an English speaker is:

KAH-bel brek EE-too LONG-gar

A few notes:

• kabel: the a is like ah
• brek: sounds close to English brake, but usually shorter and simpler
• itu: ee-too
• longgar: the ng is like in sing, and the g is clearly pronounced

Malay pronunciation is usually quite regular compared with English spelling.

Yes. Longgar is a common adjective meaning loose, and it can describe many things, for example:

• skru longgar = a loose screw
• baju longgar = loose clothing
• tali itu longgar = that rope/string is loose

So it is not limited to mechanical parts.

Depending on context, longgar can also suggest something not tight, not firm, or not closely fitted.

You would usually use tidak before the adjective:

Kabel brek itu tidak longgar
= The/That brake cable is not loose

This works because longgar is an adjective.

A useful pattern:

• tidak is used with adjectives and verbs
• bukan is usually used with nouns

Examples:

• Dia tidak sakit = He/She is not sick
• Itu bukan kabel brek = That is not a brake cable

In everyday Malay, you can often make a yes/no question just by using question intonation:

Kabel brek itu longgar?
= Is the brake cable loose?

You can also add question particles in some contexts, but intonation alone is very common in speech.

Another possible way is:

Adakah kabel brek itu longgar?

This is more formal or careful.

So:

• Kabel brek itu longgar? = common, conversational
• Adakah kabel brek itu longgar? = more formal

By itself, kabel does not show singular or plural clearly. Malay nouns usually do not change form for number.

So kabel brek could refer to:

• a brake cable
• the brake cable
• brake cables

Context tells you which one is meant.

However, in Kabel brek itu longgar, most learners will understand it as referring to one specific cable because of itu and the context of the sentence.

If you really wanted to mark plurality, Malay can use reduplication in some cases:

• kabel-kabel brek itu longgar = those/the brake cables are loose

But in many real situations, Malay still relies on context instead of marking plural explicitly.