Bas itu membawa ramai penumpang.

Itu literally means that, but after a noun it often works like the in English.

So:

• bas itu = that bus / the bus

In many contexts, English would naturally translate it as the bus, even though Malay uses itu.

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

So:

• bas itu = that bus
• rumah ini = this house
• orang itu = that person

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

Membawa means to carry, to bring, or sometimes to transport, depending on context.

In this sentence, with a bus as the subject, it most naturally means:

• carries
• is carrying
• transports

So Bas itu membawa ramai penumpang means the bus is carrying or transporting many passengers.

Bawa is the root word meaning carry/bring.

Membawa is the verb form with the meN- prefix, which is very common in standard Malay for active verbs.

So:

• bawa = root / more casual form
• membawa = standard active verb form

In formal or careful Malay, membawa is the expected form here.

In casual speech, people may say:

• Bas itu bawa ramai penumpang

But in standard written Malay, membawa is better.

Ramai is usually used for people or other animate beings in the sense of many.

Since penumpang means passengers, and passengers are people, ramai is the natural choice.

Compare:

• ramai penumpang = many passengers
• ramai orang = many people

Banyak is more general and is often used for things, quantities, or amount:

• banyak buku = many books
• banyak air = a lot of water

You may sometimes hear banyak penumpang, and it is understandable, but ramai penumpang is usually more natural.

Malay nouns often do not change form for plural.

So:

• penumpang can mean passenger or passengers
• the context tells you which one is meant

Here, ramai already shows that there are many of them, so plural meaning is clear:

• ramai penumpang = many passengers

Malay can sometimes show plural by reduplication:

• penumpang-penumpang

But that is not necessary here, and in this sentence it would sound less natural than simply ramai penumpang.

Malay verbs do not usually change form for tense the way English verbs do.

So membawa by itself does not specifically mean present or past.

Depending on context, the sentence could mean:

• The bus carries many passengers
• The bus is carrying many passengers
• The bus carried many passengers

If you want to make time clearer, Malay usually adds time words such as:

• semalam = yesterday
• sekarang = now
• setiap hari = every day

For example:

• Bas itu sedang membawa ramai penumpang = The bus is carrying many passengers.
• Bas itu membawa ramai penumpang setiap hari = The bus carries many passengers every day.

The structure is:

• Bas itu = subject
• membawa = verb
• ramai penumpang = object

So it follows a very familiar pattern for English speakers:

• Subject + Verb + Object

Breaking it down:

• Bas itu = the bus
• membawa = carries/is carrying
• ramai penumpang = many passengers

That makes this a straightforward Malay sentence in terms of word order.

Yes, you can.

• Bas membawa ramai penumpang = A bus / buses carry many passengers, or bus carries many passengers depending on context
• Bas itu membawa ramai penumpang = That bus / the bus carries many passengers

Adding itu makes the noun more specific. Without it, the sentence can sound more general or less specifically identified.

Yes.

The difference is:

• bas ini = this bus
• bas itu = that bus / the bus

So both are grammatically correct. The choice depends on whether the speaker means a bus near them (ini) or one farther away / already identified (itu).

Membawa is perfectly natural and common. It gives the idea that the bus carries/transports passengers.

Other verbs are possible in different contexts, for example:

• mengangkut = to transport / haul
• memuatkan = to accommodate / hold

But for a simple sentence, membawa ramai penumpang is very natural and easy to understand.

A very literal translation is:

• That bus carries many passengers.

Depending on context, a more natural English version might be:

• The bus is carrying many passengers.
• That bus has a lot of passengers.
• The bus carries a lot of passengers.

This is useful to remember because Malay and English do not always match word-for-word, especially with tense and articles.