Lubang jari pada bola boling itu kecil.

The finger hole in that bowling ball is small.

Breakdown of Lubang jari pada bola boling itu kecil.

• itu: that
• kecil: small
• pada: during
• bola boling: a bowling ball

Questions & Answers about Lubang jari pada bola boling itu kecil.

Why is the adjective kecil placed at the end of the sentence?

In Malay, adjectives normally come after the noun or noun phrase they describe.

So:

• lubang jari ... kecil = the finger hole(s) ... small

Also, Malay usually does not use a word like is/are between the subject and the adjective.

So the structure is:

• Lubang jari pada bola boling itu kecil
• literally: finger hole(s) on that bowling ball small

That is a normal Malay sentence pattern.

Why is there no word for is/are in this sentence?

Malay often leaves out the equivalent of to be in simple statements.

So instead of saying:

• The finger holes are small

Malay simply says:

• Lubang jari ... kecil

This is very common when a noun is being described by an adjective.

Compare:

• Rumah itu besar = That house is big
• Buku ini mahal = This book is expensive

No separate is/are is needed.

What does itu do here, and why does it come after bola boling?