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Lelaki muda itu suka berjoging di taman.

Lelaki muda itu suka berjoging di taman.
That young man likes to jog in the park.

Breakdown of Lelaki muda itu suka berjoging di taman.

suka
to like
itu
that
di
in
taman
the park
berjoging
to jog
lelaki
the man
muda
young
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Questions & Answers about Lelaki muda itu suka berjoging di taman.

What does itu mean here, and why is it at the end of lelaki muda itu instead of before the noun like English that young man?

Itu is a demonstrative that usually means that or, in many contexts, functions like the (marking something specific/known).

In Malay, the order is:

  • Noun + adjective + demonstrative
  • lelaki (man) + muda (young) + itu (that/the)
    → lelaki muda itu = that young man / the young man

So Malay says man young that, not that young man. The demonstrative normally comes after the noun phrase it modifies.

What is the difference between lelaki muda itu and lelaki itu muda?

They mean different things grammatically:

  • Lelaki muda itu

    • A noun phrase: that young man / the young young man
    • Used as the subject/object of a sentence.
    • The whole phrase refers to one specific person.

  • Lelaki itu muda

    • A full sentence: That man is young.
    • Lelaki itu = that man / the man
    • muda = young
    • Malay has no to be in the present tense, so lelaki itu muda literally: that man young.

So:

  • lelaki muda itu: identifies which man (the young one).
  • lelaki itu muda: says something about the man (he is young).
Does itu here mean that or the?

Technically itu means that, but in real usage it often works like the:

  • When you point or contrast: more like that

    • Lelaki muda itu suka berjoging. = That young man likes jogging. (e.g. you point at him)

  • When it just marks “known/specific”: can feel like the

    • In a story: Lelaki muda itu suka berjoging di taman. = The young man likes jogging in the park.

Malay doesn’t have a separate word for the. itu is one of the ways to signal that something is specific/definite.

Why is it lelaki muda and not muda lelaki? Do adjectives always come after the noun in Malay?

Yes, the normal order is:

  • Noun + adjective
    • lelaki muda = young man
    • rumah besar = big house
    • baju merah = red shirt

Putting the adjective first (e.g. muda lelaki) is ungrammatical in standard Malay.

There are some fixed phrases and special patterns where that can change, but for basic descriptions, remember:

NOUN + ADJECTIVE (not adjective + noun)

What exactly does suka mean? Is it like, love, or enjoy?

Suka covers a range of meanings:

  • Most commonly: to like

    • Saya suka kopi. = I like coffee.

  • Depending on context and tone, it can feel close to enjoy or mild love:

    • Saya suka berjoging. = I like/enjoy jogging.

For stronger love, Malays often use:

  • cinta (romantic), sayang (affection/“love, care”).

In this sentence:

  • Lelaki muda itu suka berjoging di taman.
    → best translated as likes or enjoys rather than deeply loves.
Is there any difference between suka and gemar?

Both can mean to like, but there are nuances:

  • suka

    • Very common, neutral, everyday.
    • Used in all kinds of situations.
    • Saya suka muzik. = I like music.

  • gemar

    • Slightly more formal or “bookish”.
    • Often used in writing, news, or polite/formal speech.
    • Beliau gemar berjoging di taman. = He/She is fond of jogging in the park.

In casual conversation, suka is more natural.
In the sentence given, suka is perfectly normal and colloquial.

Why is it berjoging and not just joging? What does the ber- prefix do?

Joging is the loanword jogging.

The prefix ber- is often added to make intransitive verbs (no direct object), often meaning to do X / to be with X / to have X. With many activities, ber- marks “doing that activity”:

  • berlari = to run
  • berenang = to swim
  • berjalan = to walk
  • berjoging = to jog

So:

  • Lelaki muda itu suka berjoging. = The young man likes to jog.

In speech, you may hear:

  • suka joging (without ber-) – this is very common and widely understood, but berjoging is more standard/complete.
What does di mean in di taman, and why isn’t it ke taman?

Di and ke are both prepositions of place, but they differ:

  • di = at / in / on (location)

    • di taman = at the park / in the park
    • Used when something is located somewhere.

  • ke = to (direction)

    • ke taman = to the park
    • Used when something is going/moving towards a place.

In Lelaki muda itu suka berjoging di taman, the focus is on his jogging in/at that location, so di is correct.

If you wanted to emphasize going there, you might say:

  • Lelaki muda itu suka pergi ke taman untuk berjoging. = The young man likes to go to the park to jog.
How would I make this plural, like The young men like jogging in the park?

Malay usually doesn’t mark plural if it’s clear from context. Lelaki muda itu can mean:

  • that young man
    or, in the right context,
  • those young men

But if you really want to show plural explicitly, you have options:

  1. Reduplication (noun-noun):

    • lelaki-lelaki muda itu suka berjoging di taman.
      = The young men like jogging in the park.

  2. Use para (for groups of people, slightly formal):

    • Para lelaki muda itu suka berjoging di taman.
      = Those young men / The young men like jogging in the park.

In everyday speech, many people just say:

  • Lelaki muda itu suka berjoging di taman.
    and let context show whether it’s singular or plural.
Why is there no word for is in this sentence?

Malay usually drops the verb “to be” (am/is/are) in the present tense when linking a subject to:

  • a noun
  • an adjective
  • a location

Examples:

  • Dia guru. = He/She is a teacher.
  • Dia muda. = He/She is young.
  • Dia di taman. = He/She is in the park.

In your sentence, the main verb is suka (likes), so there is no need for is:

  • Lelaki muda itu suka berjoging di taman.
    literally: That young man likes jogging at (the) park.
    (No extra “is” needed.)
What does taman mean exactly? Is it only park?

Taman most often means:

  • park / garden (public or private)

But it can also be used in:

  • taman bunga = flower garden
  • taman permainan = playground
  • taman perumahan = housing estate / residential area

In berjoging di taman, it most naturally means park.
Context decides whether you should translate it as park, garden, or residential area in English, but for jogging, park fits best.

How would I say The young man doesn’t like jogging in the park? Do I use tidak or bukan?

You use tidak to negate verbs and adjectives.

  • Lelaki muda itu tidak suka berjoging di taman.
    = The young man does not like jogging in the park.

Rule of thumb:

  • tidak

    • verbs/adjectives:

    • tidak suka (doesn’t like)
    • tidak besar (not big)

  • bukan

    • nouns/pronouns or to contrast identity:

    • Dia bukan doktor. = He/She is not a doctor.
    • Itu bukan kucing saya. = That is not my cat.

So here, because you are negating suka (a verb), you must use tidak, not bukan.