Sifat itu sukar berubah.

Sifat usually means trait, characteristic, quality, or nature.

In this sentence, it most likely refers to a person’s or thing’s basic character/trait. Depending on context, English might translate it as:

• trait
• nature
• characteristic
• sometimes personality trait

So sifat is a fairly broad word, not just one exact English word.

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

So:

• sifat ini = this trait
• sifat itu = that trait

This is a very common Malay pattern:

• buku itu = that book
• rumah ini = this house

So the word order is normal Malay grammar.

It can do both, depending on context.

Malay does not have articles exactly like English a/an/the. Because of that, itu often works as:

• that
• or a definite marker similar to the, when the thing is already known

So sifat itu could feel like:

• that trait
• or the trait, if both speaker and listener already know which trait is being talked about

This is one reason direct word-for-word translation from Malay to English can feel a little flexible.

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

So where English says:

• That trait is difficult to change

Malay can simply say:

• Sifat itu sukar berubah.

This is very normal. In Malay, adjectives can function directly as the predicate without needing a separate word meaning is.

You will see this pattern a lot:

• Dia tinggi. = He/She is tall.
• Rumah itu besar. = That house is big.
• Sifat itu sukar berubah. = That trait is hard to change.

Sukar is an adjective meaning difficult, hard, or not easy.

In this sentence, it describes how easy or difficult the action berubah is. So sukar berubah means something like:

• difficult to change
• hard to change

You can think of it as an adjective followed by a verb phrase.

A close synonym is susah, but sukar often sounds a bit more neutral or formal.

Berubah means to change, to become different, or to undergo change.

It is usually intransitive, meaning the subject itself changes, rather than changing something else.

So:

• berubah = change / become different
• mengubah = change something
• diubah = be changed / be altered

That distinction is useful in Malay.

This is an important nuance.

• berubah focuses on the subject itself changing
• diubah focuses on something being changed by an outside agent

So:

• Sifat itu sukar berubah suggests that trait is hard to change / does not change easily
• Sifat itu sukar diubah suggests that trait is hard to alter by someone

In many contexts, both can be translated similarly in English, but the Malay viewpoint is slightly different.

Berubah is more about the trait undergoing change.
Diubah is more about someone trying to change it.

The prefix ber- often forms intransitive verbs in Malay. It can suggest that the subject:

• does the action itself
• is in a state
• undergoes the action

In berubah, it gives the sense of undergoing change or changing.

You do not always need to translate ber- separately, but it helps explain why berubah is different from ubah, mengubah, and diubah.

Very roughly:

• ubah = change/alter (base idea)
• berubah = change, become different
• mengubah = change something
• diubah = be changed

The sentence can be divided like this:

• Sifat itu = subject
• sukar berubah = predicate

More specifically:

• sifat itu = that trait
• sukar = difficult
• berubah = to change

So the overall structure is:

noun phrase + adjective + verb

This is natural in Malay. The predicate is not just one word; it is the idea difficult to change.

Not explicitly.

Malay does not mark tense the way English does. A sentence like this is usually understood from context.

So Sifat itu sukar berubah can naturally mean something like:

• That trait is hard to change
• That trait has been hard to change
• That trait will be hard to change

But without extra time words, the default feeling is usually a general present statement or a timeless truth.

Yes, it is natural and grammatical.

It sounds fairly neutral and slightly formal because of sukar. In everyday speech, some speakers might also use susah:

• Sifat itu susah berubah.

That would sound a bit more conversational.

But Sifat itu sukar berubah is perfectly good Malay.

Yes, depending on the exact meaning you want.

For example:

• perangai = behavior, temperament, disposition
• tabiat = habit, disposition
• watak = character
• ciri = feature, characteristic

So if the sentence is specifically about a person’s temperament, another word might sometimes fit better. But sifat is broad and very common, so it works well in many contexts.

You would replace itu with ini:

• Sifat ini sukar berubah.

Remember that both ini and itu usually come after the noun:

• sifat ini = this trait
• sifat itu = that trait