Kerusi itu cukup empuk.

to be

Breakdown of Kerusi itu cukup empuk.

• itu: that
• kerusi: the chair
• empuk: soft

Questions & Answers about Kerusi itu cukup empuk.

What is kerusi and what part of speech is it?

Kerusi is a noun in Malay, and it means chair in English.

Why is itu placed after kerusi, and what does it mean?

In Malay, demonstratives (words for “this” or “that”) usually follow the noun they modify. Here, itu means that, so kerusi itu literally reads as “chair that,” equivalent to English “that chair.”

Why isn’t there an article like the or a before kerusi?

Malay does not use articles such as a, an, or the. Instead, definiteness is shown by context or by adding a demonstrative (e.g., itu = that, ini = this).

What part of speech is cukup in this sentence, and what nuance does it add?

Here, cukup functions as an adverb of degree meaning “quite,” “sufficiently,” or “enough.” It modifies empuk to indicate that the chair’s softness meets a certain comfort level.

Why is cukup placed before empuk rather than after?