Keluarga itu miskin.

• keluarga = family
• itu = that, and in many contexts it can also make the noun sound definite, like the
• miskin = poor

So the structure is basically:

keluarga itu + miskin
that/the family + poor

In Malay, demonstratives like ini (this) and itu (that) usually come after the noun, not before it.

So:

• keluarga itu = that family / the family
• buku ini = this book

This is a very common Malay pattern.

Malay often leaves out the verb to be in simple sentences like this.

So English:

• The family is poor

Malay:

• Keluarga itu miskin

There is no need to add a separate word for is in normal everyday Malay.

It can feel like either one, depending on context.

• Literally, itu means that
• But in many sentences, noun + itu also works a lot like the + noun in English

So keluarga itu miskin can mean:

• That family is poor
• The family is poor

The exact choice in English depends on the situation.

You can, but it may change how the phrase is understood.

• Keluarga itu miskin clearly means The/that family is poor
• Keluarga miskin is more likely to be understood as poor family or poor families, depending on context

So if you want a clear full sentence about a specific family, Keluarga itu miskin is better.

Here, keluarga is singular in the sense of one family.

Even though a family contains several people, the word itself is treated as a single unit, just like English family.

If you wanted to show plural more clearly, context usually does the job, or sometimes Malay uses reduplication:

• keluarga-keluarga = families

But in this sentence, it normally means the family.

In this sentence, miskin is the predicate: it tells us something about the subject keluarga itu.

Malay commonly puts this kind of describing word after the subject:

• Rumah itu besar = That house is big
• Budak itu lapar = That child is hungry
• Keluarga itu miskin = That family is poor

Also, when adjectives directly modify nouns, they often come after the noun too:

• keluarga miskin = poor family

So seeing miskin after keluarga is completely normal.

You might see that in more formal or written Malay, but in everyday speech it is usually unnecessary.

The most natural everyday sentence is:

Keluarga itu miskin.

Adding adalah can sound more formal or stiff:

• Keluarga itu adalah miskin.

So for a learner, the safest and most natural choice here is the shorter version without adalah.

By itself, Malay does not mark tense the way English does.

So Keluarga itu miskin most naturally means:

• The family is poor
• or That family is poor

If you want to make time clearer, you add time words:

• Keluarga itu dahulu miskin = That family was poor before
• Keluarga itu akan menjadi miskin = That family will become poor

Without extra words, the sentence is usually understood as present or general.

Yes, miskin is the normal direct word for poor, especially about money or economic condition.

It is not automatically rude, but it is quite direct. In sensitive contexts, Malay may use softer or more formal expressions, such as:

• kurang berada = less well-off
• berpendapatan rendah = low-income

So:

• Keluarga itu miskin = straightforward and clear
• A softer version might be something like Keluarga itu kurang berada

Yes, sometimes keluarga can refer to a family as a social unit or household, depending on context.

In many basic sentences, translating it as family is best. But in real usage, the boundary between family and household can sometimes be flexible.

So Keluarga itu miskin usually means That family is poor, but in some contexts it may imply the whole household is poor.