Konvoi itu tiba sekarang.

Itu usually means that, but after a noun it often also helps make the noun definite, a bit like the in English.

So konvoi itu can mean:

• that convoy
• the convoy

Which one feels best depends on context.

Also notice the word order: in Malay, itu comes after the noun, not before it.

That is normal Malay word order.

Malay says:

• konvoi itu = that/the convoy
• rumah itu = that/the house
• orang itu = that/the person

So if you are an English speaker, this is an important pattern to get used to: demonstratives like ini and itu usually come after the noun.

Malay often does not need a verb like is/are in the same way English does.

In Konvoi itu tiba sekarang, the main verb is tiba = arrive. English may say arrives, is arriving, or has arrived, but Malay does not change the verb that way.

Malay often leaves tense and aspect to:

• context
• time words like sekarang (now)
• extra markers like sudah, akan, or sedang

So the sentence is grammatical even without any word corresponding to English is.

By itself, tiba does not show tense. Malay verbs usually do not change form for present, past, or future.

Instead, Malay uses context and time expressions:

• sekarang = now
• semalam = yesterday
• esok = tomorrow
• sudah = already
• akan = will

So in Konvoi itu tiba sekarang, sekarang tells you the action is happening now.

It can correspond to any of those in English, depending on context.

For example:

• Konvoi itu tiba sekarang = The convoy arrives now / is arriving now
• Konvoi itu tiba semalam = The convoy arrived yesterday
• Konvoi itu akan tiba esok = The convoy will arrive tomorrow

So the Malay verb stays the same, while the time meaning changes through other words.

Putting sekarang at the end is very natural in Malay. Time words are often placed after the verb or near the end of the clause.

So this pattern is common:

• Subjek + kata kerja + keterangan waktu
• Konvoi itu + tiba + sekarang

You can sometimes move time words for emphasis, but the version in your sentence is straightforward and natural.

Yes, sometimes. For example, Sekarang, konvoi itu tiba is possible, but it sounds more marked or more like you are setting the time frame first.

For a basic statement, Konvoi itu tiba sekarang is simpler and more neutral.

As a learner, it is safest to remember that clause-final sekarang is very common.

No. Malay does not have articles that work exactly like English a/an/the.

That means:

• konvoi can mean a convoy or just convoy
• konvoi itu often means the convoy or that convoy

Definiteness is usually shown by:

• context
• words like itu and ini
• sometimes word order and situation

So itu is one common way to make a noun feel more specific.

They are both demonstratives:

• ini = this
• itu = that

So:

• konvoi ini = this convoy
• konvoi itu = that convoy / the convoy

Again, both come after the noun.

They are similar, and both can often be translated as arrive.

But there is a slight difference in feel:

• tiba is often a bit more formal or neutral
• sampai is very common in everyday speech

So a speaker might also say Konvoi itu sampai sekarang only if they mean something else? Actually that would usually sound like the convoy still... until now, so not the same structure. To mean The convoy is arriving now, you would more naturally say something like Konvoi itu sampai sekarang only in a different context, so you should not treat tiba and sampai as fully interchangeable in every sentence shape.

A safer comparison is:

• Konvoi itu tiba di bandar.
• Konvoi itu sampai di bandar.

Both can mean The convoy arrived in the city.

Tiba is normally an intransitive verb, so it does not usually take a direct object.

You do not normally say something like tiba sesuatu for arrive something.

If you want to mention the place of arrival, you can use di:

• Konvoi itu tiba di bandar.
• Konvoi itu tiba di lapangan terbang.

So tiba describes the subject’s arrival, not an action done to an object.

A very common way is:

• Konvoi itu sudah tiba.

Here sudah means already.

This is useful because English often distinguishes:

• is arriving now
• has arrived already

Malay often shows that difference with words like sekarang and sudah, not by changing the verb itself.

It is a loanword, and it corresponds to English convoy.

Malay has many borrowed words, especially for modern, technical, or international concepts. Even when a word is borrowed, it still follows Malay grammar, so you get:

• konvoi itu
• konvoi besar
• konvoi tentera

just like native Malay nouns.

A rough English-style guide is:

• konvoi ≈ kon-voy
• itu ≈ ee-too
• tiba ≈ tee-bah
• sekarang ≈ suh-kah-rang

A few helpful notes:

• ti in tiba is a clear tee, not like English tie
• the final ng in sekarang is like the ng in song
• Malay pronunciation is usually more consistent than English spelling

So the whole sentence is roughly:

kon-voy ee-too tee-bah suh-kah-rang

It is understandable and grammatically fine if the intended meaning is that the convoy arrives at this moment.

But in real conversation, a native speaker might choose slightly different wording depending on the exact meaning:

• Konvoi itu sudah tiba. = The convoy has already arrived.
• Konvoi itu akan tiba sebentar lagi. = The convoy will arrive shortly.
• Konvoi itu tiba sekarang. = The convoy is arriving now / arrives now.

So the sentence works, but the most natural version depends on the situation you want to describe.