Kanak-kanak itu teruja.

Malay often uses reduplication (repeating a word) as part of its grammar and vocabulary.

In this case, kanak-kanak is the normal word meaning child or children, especially in a neutral or somewhat formal style. So it is best learned as a single vocabulary item, not as two separate words you need to interpret each time.

Also, reduplication in Malay often has something to do with plurality or a general class, which is one reason English speakers notice it quickly.

It can depend on context.

• itu literally often means that
• but in many sentences it also gives a sense like the, meaning a specific person or thing already known in the conversation

So kanak-kanak itu could be understood as:

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

Malay often does not force you to mark singular vs plural as clearly as English does, so context helps.

In Malay, demonstratives like ini and itu usually come after the noun.

So:

• kanak-kanak itu = that child / those children / the child / the children
• rumah itu = that house
• buku ini = this book

This is a very normal Malay pattern, even though it feels reversed compared with English.

There is no separate word for are here, because Malay often does not use a verb like to be in simple sentences with adjectives.

So:

• Kanak-kanak itu teruja. literally looks like The child/children that excited
• but naturally it means The child is excited or The children are excited

This is called a zero copula pattern. English needs is/are, but Malay often does not.

Here, teruja is functioning like an adjective, meaning excited or thrilled.

In Malay, adjectives can act directly as the predicate of a sentence:

• Dia gembira. = He/She is happy.
• Mereka letih. = They are tired.
• Kanak-kanak itu teruja. = The child/children are excited.

So teruja describes the state of the subject.

Not in a way that is very helpful for beginners.

Although teruja starts with ter-, it is usually best to learn teruja as a whole word meaning excited/thrilled. If you already know that ter- can sometimes mark things like accidental action or a resulting state, that does not map neatly enough here to make it worth over-analyzing at first.

So for learners, the safest approach is:

• treat teruja as a fixed adjective
• learn its meaning directly

Because in Kanak-kanak itu teruja., teruja is the predicate of the sentence, not just a modifier inside the noun phrase.

The structure is:

• Kanak-kanak itu = the subject
• teruja = what is being said about the subject

If you wanted something closer to the excited children as a noun phrase, Malay would often use yang:

• kanak-kanak yang teruja itu = those/the excited children

So without yang, and with a full stop, this is most naturally read as a complete sentence: The children are excited.

Yes, depending on context.

This can be confusing because reduplication often suggests plurality, but kanak-kanak is also a set expression and may refer to:

• one child, especially when something else makes that clear
• children in general
• a group of children

If you want to make one child very clear, Malay often uses:

• seorang kanak-kanak = a child / one child

If you want to make plurality clearer, context, numbers, or words like semua can help:

• semua kanak-kanak itu = all those children

It is a very common and correct word, but it sounds a bit more neutral or formal than some everyday alternatives.

For example:

• kanak-kanak = child/children, polite and standard
• budak / budak-budak = kid/kids, more casual

So Kanak-kanak itu teruja. sounds perfectly natural, but a casual spoken version might use budak-budak in some contexts.

A rough guide is:

• kanak-kanak → kah-nak kah-nak
• itu → ee-too
• teruja → teh-roo-jah or tuh-roo-jah

A few useful pronunciation notes:

• j sounds like the j in jam
• the r is usually a light tapped or trilled Malay r
• the first e in teruja is often a weak vowel, similar to uh or ə

So the whole sentence is roughly:

kah-nak kah-nak ee-too tuh-roo-jah

Yes, but the meaning changes slightly.

• teruja = excited, thrilled, often with energy or anticipation
• gembira = happy, glad
• seronok = really enjoying it, having fun

So:

• Kanak-kanak itu teruja. = The children are excited.
• Kanak-kanak itu gembira. = The children are happy.

Both are correct, but teruja has a stronger feeling of excitement.