Kucing itu gemuk.

Malay often uses a zero copula in simple sentences like this. That means there is no separate word for is/am/are in many basic statements.

So:

• Kucing itu gemuk = The/that cat is fat

Malay does have words like ialah and adalah, but they are not normally used between a noun and an adjective in a simple sentence like this.

Itu literally often means that, but in many sentences it also works a bit like the, making the noun specific.

So kucing itu can mean:

• that cat
• the cat

Which one sounds best in English depends on context.

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

So:

• kucing itu = that cat
• rumah ini = this house

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

Yes. Gemuk is an adjective meaning fat, plump, or chubby, depending on context.

In Kucing itu gemuk, gemuk is the predicate adjective: it tells you what the cat is like.

Structure:

• kucing itu = the subject
• gemuk = the description

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

So kucing can mean:

• cat
• cats

In this sentence, kucing itu is normally understood as that/the cat, so singular makes the most sense.

If you really wanted to make it clearly plural, context would usually do that, or you might say something like:

• kucing-kucing itu = those cats / the cats

In this sentence, gemuk comes after kucing itu because it is part of the predicate, not because Malay always puts adjectives there in the same way English does.

Compare these:

• Kucing itu gemuk = The/that cat is fat
• kucing gemuk = a fat cat / fat cats

So Malay often has:

• noun + adjective for a noun phrase: kucing gemuk
• subject + adjective for a full sentence: Kucing itu gemuk

They are different structures:

• Kucing itu gemuk = That/The cat is fat
  
  • full sentence
• kucing gemuk itu = that fat cat
  
  • noun phrase, not a full sentence by itself

So in the first one, gemuk is what you are saying about the cat.
In the second one, gemuk is just part of describing which cat you mean.

You normally use tidak before an adjective.

So:

• Kucing itu tidak gemuk = The/that cat is not fat

In everyday speech, tak is a common short form of tidak:

• Kucing itu tak gemuk

Do not usually use bukan here. Bukan is mainly used to negate nouns and certain other structures, not ordinary adjectives like gemuk.

In casual speech, you can often just use question intonation:

• Kucing itu gemuk? = Is that/the cat fat?

A more explicit form is:

• Adakah kucing itu gemuk?

In more formal Malay, you may also see forms like:

• Gemukkah kucing itu?

But for a learner, the first two are the most useful to recognize.

A simple learner-friendly pronunciation is:

• kucing ≈ koo-ching
• itu ≈ ee-too
• gemuk ≈ guh-mook

A few helpful notes:

• c in Malay is pronounced like English ch
• g is always hard, like in go
• u is usually like oo
• the final k in some Malay speech may sound softened or unreleased, depending on accent

It depends on who or what you are talking about.

For animals, gemuk is usually straightforward and not especially strange:

• Kucing itu gemuk = the cat is fat/chubby

For people, gemuk can sound quite direct, and sometimes rude, depending on tone and situation. Learners should be careful using it about people unless the context is clearly friendly or neutral.

Yes, but the meaning changes.

• Kucing itu gemuk = The/that cat is fat
• Kucing gemuk can mean either:
  • A fat cat / fat cats as a noun phrase, or
  • Cats are fat / a cat is fat in some contexts, though this is less specific

So itu helps identify a specific cat. Without it, the phrase is more general or less definite.

Yes, it is completely natural. It is a basic, everyday Malay sentence with a very common structure:

• noun phrase + adjective

It is the kind of sentence often used in beginner lessons because it shows several important Malay patterns at once:

• no is
• itu after the noun
• adjective used directly as the predicate