Kanak-kanak itu nakal.

Not necessarily.

In Malay, repetition of a word is called reduplication. Often, reduplication can show plurality, but in kanak-kanak, the repeated form is a fixed word meaning child or children/kids.

So here, kanak-kanak is best learned as one vocabulary item.

A learner might expect:

• kanak = child
• kanak-kanak = children

But in modern Malay, kanak by itself is not normally used that way. The full form kanak-kanak is the normal word.

Because of that, kanak-kanak itu can refer to:

• that child
• those children
• the child / the children

The exact number often depends on context.

It can mean any of those, depending on context.

Itu literally means that, but in real Malay it often also works a bit like the, making something definite or already known.

So kanak-kanak itu may be understood as:

• that child
• that kid
• the child
• those children
• the children

Malay often leaves number less specific than English does. English usually forces you to choose between child and children, but Malay does not always do that.

Itu is a demonstrative, usually meaning that.

In noun phrases, Malay normally puts the demonstrative after the noun:

• budak itu = that child / the child
• rumah itu = that house / the house

So:

• kanak-kanak itu = that child / those children / the child / the children

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

Because Malay often does not use a verb like to be in simple sentences with adjectives.

In English, you say:

• The child is naughty.

In Malay, you can simply say:

• Kanak-kanak itu nakal.

Literally, the structure is more like:

• that child naughty

This is completely normal Malay grammar.

The adjective nakal can act as the predicate by itself, so no separate word for is/are is needed.

Yes. Nakal is an adjective meaning something like naughty, mischievous, or sometimes cheeky, depending on context.

In this sentence, it comes after the subject and functions as the description:

• Kanak-kanak itu = the child / those children
• nakal = naughty

So the whole sentence means that the child or children have that quality.

Because nakal is the predicate of the sentence, not just an adjective inside the noun phrase.

The structure is:

• Kanak-kanak itu = subject
• nakal = predicate adjective

So this is like:

• That child is naughty.

Compare it with an adjective directly modifying a noun:

• budak nakal itu = that naughty child

In budak nakal itu, nakal is part of the noun phrase. In Kanak-kanak itu nakal, nakal is the main description in the sentence.

That difference is important.

Yes, it can.

Malay often does not mark singular vs. plural as strictly as English. Kanak-kanak can refer to:

• one child, especially in some contexts
• children/kids in general
• a group of children

If the speaker needs to be very clear, context usually helps. Sometimes another word is chosen instead, such as:

• budak itu nakal = that child is naughty
• budak-budak itu nakal = those children are naughty

But kanak-kanak itu nakal itself can still be understood either way depending on the situation.

It is a common and correct word, but not always the most casual everyday one.

Some related words are:

• kanak-kanak = child / children; somewhat formal or neutral
• budak = child / kid; very common in everyday speech
• anak = child, son, daughter; often used in family relationships rather than just a child

So in conversation, many speakers might also say:

• Budak itu nakal.

That sounds very natural too.

Usually it is mildly negative, but often not extremely harsh.

Nakal often describes someone, especially a child, as:

• mischievous
• naughty
• playful in a troublesome way

Depending on tone, it can sound:

• critical: That child is badly behaved
• lighthearted: That kid is cheeky/mischievous

So the exact feeling depends on context and voice tone.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

ka-nak ka-nak ee-too na-kal

More roughly:

• kanak-kanak = kah-nahk kah-nahk
• itu = ee-too
• nakal = nah-kahl

Malay pronunciation is usually quite regular, and each vowel is normally pronounced clearly. The rising/falling stress is much less dramatic than in English, so try to say it smoothly rather than heavily stressing one word.