Pengganas itu masuk ke istana.

In Malay, demonstratives like ini and itu usually come after the noun.

So:

• pengganas itu = that terrorist / the terrorist
• istana itu = that palace / the palace

This is different from English, where this/that comes before the noun.

A common pattern is:

noun + ini/itu

For example:

• buku ini = this book
• orang itu = that person

In many sentences, itu can also feel like the in English when the noun is already known from context.

It can be understood either way depending on context.

In careful grammar, itu literally means that. But in real usage, Malay often uses itu where English would naturally say the, especially when referring to something already identified.

So pengganas itu could be:

• that terrorist
• or simply the terrorist

Native speakers often rely on context rather than forcing a strict distinction.

Ke is a preposition that usually means to, toward, or sometimes into depending on the verb and context.

In this sentence:

• masuk = enter / go in
• ke istana = to the palace / into the palace

So ke marks the destination.

A useful basic idea:

• ke = movement toward a place
• di = location at a place

Compare:

• masuk ke istana = enter/go into the palace
• di istana = at the palace / in the palace

Yes, sometimes you can, especially in less formal or more streamlined usage. But masuk ke istana is very clear and standard.

There is a small nuance:

• masuk ke istana clearly highlights movement into the palace
• masuk istana can sound more compact and direct, but some learners may find it less transparent at first

For beginners, using ke with destinations is a good habit because it makes the structure easier to understand.

Masuk is a very common verb meaning:

• enter
• go in
• come in
• get into

It is often used for movement from outside to inside.

Examples:

• Dia masuk rumah. = He/She entered the house.
• Sila masuk. = Please come in.
• Air masuk bilik. = Water got into the room.

So in your sentence, masuk describes the act of going into the palace.

By itself, pengganas can be singular or plural. Malay nouns usually do not change form for singular vs. plural the way English nouns do.

So pengganas can mean:

• terrorist
• terrorists

In your sentence, context strongly suggests a singular reading because of how it is being referred to as a specific entity: pengganas itu.

If Malay speakers want to make plurality very explicit, they might use:

• para pengganas = the terrorists
• pengganas-pengganas = terrorists

But often context is enough.

Yes. Pengganas is a derived noun.

It comes from the root ganas, which means something like:

• fierce
• violent
• savage

The prefix peng- forms a noun referring to a person associated with the action or quality.

So pengganas is roughly:

• a violent person
• an aggressor
• a terrorist

This kind of word formation is very common in Malay. For example:

• ajar = teach

• pengajar = teacher/instructor

• usaha = effort/enterprise
• pengusaha = operator/entrepreneur

So learning prefixes like peng- is very helpful.

Malay verbs usually do not change form for tense like English verbs do.

So masuk can mean:

• enters
• entered
• will enter

The time is normally understood from context or made clear with time words such as:

• semalam = yesterday
• tadi = earlier
• sekarang = now
• esok = tomorrow

Examples:

• Pengganas itu masuk ke istana semalam. = The terrorist entered the palace yesterday.
• Pengganas itu akan masuk ke istana. = The terrorist will enter the palace.

Without any time marker, the sentence is neutral and context decides the time.

Yes. This is the normal basic Malay word order:

Subject + Verb + Prepositional phrase

So here:

• Pengganas itu = subject
• masuk = verb
• ke istana = destination phrase

This is very similar to English word order:

• The terrorist entered the palace

Malay often feels familiar to English speakers in simple statements because the basic order is frequently straightforward.

Istana specifically means palace, especially a royal palace. It is not a general word for a house or building.

Compare:

• rumah = house/home
• bangunan = building
• istana = palace
• kastil = castle, in some contexts

So istana strongly suggests a royal or grand official residence.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

pengganas → roughly pung-GAH-nas

A few notes:

• ng in Malay is like the sound in English sing
• the a is usually a clear ah sound
• stress in Malay is generally not as strong or dramatic as in English, but learners often say this word with the strongest emphasis around the middle syllable

So you can aim for something like: peng-ga-nas with smooth, even syllables.

On its own, ke often just marks movement toward a destination. However, the verb masuk already carries the idea of entering or going in, so together masuk ke istana naturally gives the sense of going into the palace.

So while ke itself does not always mean into, the whole phrase does.

Compare:

• pergi ke istana = go to the palace
• masuk ke istana = enter/go into the palace

That difference comes mainly from the verb, not just the preposition.