Pesakit itu menderita.

• pesakit = patient / sick person
• itu = that / the
• menderita = to suffer / is suffering

So the whole sentence means something like That patient is suffering or The patient suffers, depending on context.

In Malay, demonstratives such as ini (this) and itu (that) usually come after the noun.

So:

• pesakit itu = that patient
• buku ini = this book

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

Yes. The basic word order here is:

• Pesakit itu = subject
• menderita = verb

So it follows a Subject + Verb pattern, just like English:

• The patient suffers
• That patient is suffering

The main difference is inside the subject phrase: pesakit itu literally looks like patient that.

Malay verbs do not change form for tense the way English verbs do. Menderita itself does not tell you whether the action is present, past, or future.

So Pesakit itu menderita could be understood as:

• The patient suffers
• The patient is suffering

The exact time usually comes from context or from extra time words, such as:

• sedang menderita = is suffering
• telah menderita = has suffered
• akan menderita = will suffer

They are related, but they are not the same kind of word.

• sakit usually means sick, ill, or pain
• pesakit means patient or a sick person

Examples:

• Dia sakit. = He/She is sick.
• Pesakit itu menderita. = That patient is suffering.

So pesakit is a noun, while sakit is usually an adjective or a noun depending on the sentence.

Menderita means to suffer or to endure suffering. It can refer to:

• physical pain
• illness
• emotional suffering
• hardship in general

So it is broader and stronger than simply saying someone is ill.

Compare:

• Pesakit itu sakit. = That patient is ill.
• Pesakit itu menderita. = That patient is suffering.

The second sentence suggests more distress, pain, or hardship.

Yes, you can, but the meaning changes slightly.

• Pesakit itu menderita = that patient / the patient is suffering
• Pesakit menderita = patients suffer or a patient is suffering, depending on context

Including itu makes the noun phrase more specific. It points to a particular patient already known or visible in the context.

Not always. In many sentences, itu can be translated as that, but in natural English it is often better translated as the if the speaker is referring to a specific known thing.

So pesakit itu could be:

• that patient
• the patient

Both can be correct. The best choice depends on the situation.

Menderita contains the prefix meN-, which is a very common Malay verb-forming prefix. For a beginner, the most important thing is simply to learn menderita as the verb to suffer.

You will often see this kind of verb in Malay:

• menulis = to write
• membaca = to read
• menderita = to suffer

You do not need to analyze the prefix every time, but it is useful to recognize that many Malay verbs begin this way.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

• pesakit ≈ puh-SAH-keet
• itu ≈ ee-too
• menderita ≈ muhn-duh-REE-tah

A few helpful points:

• Malay pronunciation is usually quite regular.
• The r in menderita is typically a tapped or lightly rolled r.
• Stress in Malay is generally not as strong or dramatic as in English.

You can add sedang before the verb:

• Pesakit itu sedang menderita.

This makes the ongoing action clearer: The patient is suffering right now or The patient is currently suffering.

Without sedang, the original sentence is still correct, but it is more neutral and depends more on context.