Filem itu tentang cinta lama; mereka tinggal di dua bandar berbeza tetapi tetap mahu berkahwin.

That movie is about an old love; they live in two different cities but still want to get married.

Breakdown of Filem itu tentang cinta lama; mereka tinggal di dua bandar berbeza tetapi tetap mahu berkahwin.

• adalah: to be
• itu: that
• mereka: they
• mahu: to want

Questions & Answers about Filem itu tentang cinta lama; mereka tinggal di dua bandar berbeza tetapi tetap mahu berkahwin.

Why is itu placed after filem instead of before it, like in English "that film"?

In Malay, demonstratives like itu (that/the) and ini (this) usually come after the noun:

• filem itu = that film / the film
• rumah itu = that house / the house
• budak ini = this child

So filem itu is literally “film that”, but it is translated as “that film” or “the film” in English.

Here, itu makes filem specific, much like “the” or “that” in English. Without it:

• filem itu = that film / the film
• filem = a film / films (non‑specific, depending on context)

You could drop itu and just say Filem tentang cinta lama…, but then it sounds more like “A film about an old love…”, not one specific film already known to speaker and listener.

What exactly does tentang mean, and could I replace it with another word?

Tentang means “about / regarding / on the topic of”. It links the subject (filem itu) to what it is about (cinta lama):

• Filem itu tentang cinta lama = That film is about an old love.

Common alternatives:

• mengenai – also “about / regarding”
  • Filem itu mengenai cinta lama.