Anjing itu sangat kuat.

That dog is very strong.

Breakdown of Anjing itu sangat kuat.

• adalah: to be
• itu: that
• anjing: the dog
• sangat: very
• kuat: strong

Questions & Answers about Anjing itu sangat kuat.

What is the role of itu in Anjing itu sangat kuat?

itu is a demonstrative determiner meaning that, making anjing definite (that dog). Malay doesn’t have articles like the, so itu covers both the and that functions.

Why isn’t there an article equivalent to a or the before anjing?

Malay does not use articles.

• Definiteness is shown with demonstratives (ini, itu) or context.
• Indefiniteness can be implied or specified with classifiers like seekor for animals (e.g., seekor anjing = “a dog”).

Could I say Anjing ini sangat kuat instead? How do ini and itu differ?

Yes.

• ini = this, used for something near the speaker: Anjing ini sangat kuat (“This dog is very strong”).
• itu = that, for something farther away or already mentioned: Anjing itu sangat kuat.

How do adjectives work in Malay? Why is kuat placed after anjing and after sangat?

Adjectives follow the noun they describe. sangat is an adverb and goes before the adjective kuat.
Structure:
Noun + (Demonstrative) + Adverb + Adjective
=> Anjing itu + sangat + kuat

What exactly does sangat mean? Are there alternatives?

sangat means very. Other intensity words include:

• amat (more formal “very”)
• sungguh (literary “truly/very”)
• teramat (“extremely”)

Do adjectives in Malay change according to gender or number?

No. Adjectives are invariable. They never agree with gender or number. kuat stays the same for singular/plural and for all genders.

How do you pluralize anjing to say the dogs are very strong?

Malay often relies on context for plurality. To emphasize plural, you can reduplicate:

• Anjing-anjing itu sangat kuat. (“The dogs are very strong.”)
  Without reduplication, Anjing itu sangat kuat could be singular or plural depending on context.

How do I say a very strong dog in Malay?

Use the animal classifier seekor and optionally the relative marker yang:

• Seekor anjing yang sangat kuat.
  In casual speech you might drop yang:
• Seekor anjing sangat kuat.

How do you make this sentence negative?

Insert tidak (not) before the adjective or right after the noun:

• Anjing itu tidak kuat. (“That dog is not strong.”)
• Anjing itu tidak sangat kuat. (“That dog is not very strong.”)
  Colloquially, tak often replaces tidak.

How can I turn this into a yes/no question?

Several ways:

• Add Apakah at the start: Apakah anjing itu sangat kuat?
• Use rising intonation: Anjing itu sangat kuat?
• In informal speech: Anjing itu kuat tak? (“Is that dog strong?”)

How do I ask “How strong is that dog?” in Malay?

Use question words like seberapa or betapa:

• Seberapa kuat anjing itu?
• Betapa kuatnya anjing itu?

What’s the difference between kuat and keras?

• kuat = “strong, powerful, durable,” used for people, animals, forces, feelings.
• keras = “hard, firm, tough” or “loud,” more about physical hardness or volume.
  Examples:
  • Dia sangat kuat. (“He/She is very strong.”)
  • Pintu itu sangat keras. (“That door is very hard.””)