Sel itu sangat kecil.

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

So:

• Sel itu sangat kecil
• literally: cell that very small
• natural English: That cell is very small or The cell is very small

This is completely normal in Malay. When you describe something with an adjective, you usually do not need a separate word for is/are.

More examples:

• Rumah itu besar = That house is big
• Buku ini baru = This book is new

Itu usually means that, but in real sentences it can also feel like the, depending on context.

In Sel itu sangat kecil, itu points to a specific cell:

• that cell
• or sometimes the cell, if the cell is already known in the conversation

So sel itu is not just a cell in general. It is a particular one.

Compare:

• sel = a cell / cells / cell in a general sense
• sel itu = that cell / the cell

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

So:

• sel itu = that cell
• buku ini = this book
• rumah itu = that house

This is different from English, where this and that come before the noun.

A helpful pattern is:

• noun + ini = this noun
• noun + itu = that noun

Because sangat is an intensifier meaning very, and it normally comes before the adjective it modifies.

So:

• sangat kecil = very small
• sangat besar = very big
• sangat mahal = very expensive

The basic pattern is:

• sangat + adjective

In this sentence:

• kecil = small
• sangat kecil = very small

Yes. Both are natural and mean very small.

So these are both correct:

• Sel itu sangat kecil
• Sel itu kecil sekali

A very rough comparison:

• sangat kecil = neutral, common, straightforward
• kecil sekali = also common, sometimes a bit more emphatic or expressive

Both are good Malay. Learners will hear both patterns often.

Yes. It follows a very common Malay sentence pattern:

• noun phrase + adjective phrase

Here:

• Sel itu = subject/topic, that cell
• sangat kecil = description, very small

So the full structure is:

• Sel itu
  • sangat kecil
• That cell
  • very small

This is a standard way to make descriptive sentences in Malay.

Kecil is an adjective meaning small.

It can describe size, and sometimes age or status depending on context. For example:

• rumah kecil = small house
• anak kecil = small child / little child

In your sentence, it clearly refers to physical size:

• Sel itu sangat kecil = That cell is very small

Not necessarily. Sel can mean different kinds of cell, depending on context.

Common meanings include:

• a biological cell
• a prison cell
• sometimes a battery cell
• other technical uses of cell

So without context, sel itu sangat kecil could refer to different kinds of cells. The surrounding topic tells you which one is meant.

Sel is pronounced roughly like English sell.

A simple guide:

• sel ≈ sell
• itu ≈ ee-too
• sangat ≈ sah-ngat
• kecil ≈ kuh-cheel

Very roughly, the whole sentence sounds like:

• sell ee-too sah-ngat kuh-cheel

Pronunciation varies a little by speaker and region, but this will be understood.

No, not by itself. Sel itu is singular in sense unless context strongly suggests otherwise.

Malay nouns usually do not change form for singular vs. plural, so context is important. But if you specifically wanted to show plural, you might say:

• sel-sel itu = those cells

So:

• sel itu = that cell / the cell
• sel-sel itu = those cells

Normally, no, if you mean That cell is very small.

The natural form is:

• Sel itu sangat kecil

Because in Malay, itu usually comes after the noun when it means that.

Starting with itu can happen in other structures, but it would not be the normal way to express this sentence. For a learner, the safest pattern is:

• noun + itu + description

So:

• Sel itu sangat kecil is the standard choice.