Learn Hardcore Malay: Perempuan itu ramah di pejabat. - That woman is friendly at the office.

Perempuan itu ramah literally feels like “That woman friendly”, but it means “That woman is friendly.”
The link “is” is just understood from the pattern [subject] + [adjective].

You only use a verb like ialah or adalah in more formal sentences, mostly when linking to a noun phrase, not to a simple adjective:

Perempuan itu ialah ketua pejabat. – That woman is the head of the office.
But you still say Perempuan itu ramah, not Perempuan itu adalah ramah in normal speech.

What exactly does itu mean here? Is it “that” or “the”?

Itu is a demonstrative meaning “that”, but in many real situations it also works like a definite article (“the”).

perempuan = a woman / women (in general)
perempuan itu = that woman / the woman (the specific one we both know)

So Perempuan itu ramah di pejabat can be understood as:

“That woman is friendly at the office.” or
“The woman is friendly at the office.” (when both speakers know which woman is meant).

The key idea: itu makes the noun specific/definite, often translated as either “that” or “the” depending on context.

Can I leave out itu and just say Perempuan ramah di pejabat?

You can, but the meaning changes.

Perempuan itu ramah di pejabat.
→ A particular, known woman is friendly at the office.
Perempuan ramah di pejabat.
→ Sounds like “(A) friendly woman is at the office” or “Women are friendly at the office” or even a kind of general statement, depending on context. It’s not clearly specific.

In normal conversation, if you mean a specific woman, you almost always keep itu (or another clarifying word) to show that specificity.

Does ramah always mean “friendly”? Does it have any other nuances?

Ramah mainly means friendly / pleasant / affable – someone who is nice to talk to, welcoming, and not cold or rude.

Nuances:

It often implies sociable and approachable, not just “not rude.”
It can sometimes include a sense of being polite and warm in speech and behavior.

Compare with:

baik – good, kind (a good-hearted person, morally nice)
mesra – warm, close, intimate (emotionally close relationship; also used for “user‑friendly”: mesra pengguna)

So ramah is best learned as “friendly in a social, approachable way.”

Do adjectives like ramah go before or after the noun in Malay?

Adjectives in Malay normally go after the noun.

perempuan ramah – a friendly woman
pejabat besar – a big office
kereta baru – a new car

So:

Perempuan itu ramah. – That woman is friendly.
Structure: [Noun] [demonstrative] [adjective]

Putting the adjective before the noun (ramah perempuan) is wrong in standard Malay.

What does di pejabat literally mean? Is it “in the office” or “at the office”?

di is a preposition meaning “at / in / on”, depending on context.
pejabat means “office” in Malay.

So di pejabat can be translated as “at the office” or “in the office”. English forces you to choose; Malay doesn’t distinguish here.

Examples:

Dia bekerja di pejabat. – She works at the office.
Kami makan tengah hari di pejabat. – We eat lunch at/in the office.

The exact English preposition (at vs in) is chosen based on what sounds natural in English, not because Malay uses different words.

How do we know what tense it is? Could Perempuan itu ramah di pejabat mean “was friendly” too?

Malay verbs and adjectives generally do not change form for tense. The sentence on its own is time‑neutral.

Perempuan itu ramah di pejabat could mean:

That woman is friendly at the office. (present)
That woman was friendly at the office. (past)
Even That woman will be friendly at the office. (in some contexts)

The time is usually clear from context, or from extra words:

dulu – before / used to
- Dulu, perempuan itu ramah di pejabat. – Before, that woman was friendly at the office.
sekarang – now
- Sekarang, perempuan itu ramah di pejabat. – Now, that woman is friendly at the office.
nanti – later
- Nanti, perempuan itu akan ramah di pejabat. – Later, that woman will be friendly at the office.

You can also add akan for future, telah / sudah for completed actions, though these are more common with verbs than with adjectives like ramah.

Is perempuan always female? What’s the male equivalent?

Yes, perempuan refers to a female person (a woman).

Common gender pairs:

perempuan – woman
lelaki – man

You can also say:

wanita – woman (more formal/polite, often used in official contexts)
pria – man (much more Indonesian; Malaysians/Bruneians/Singaporeans usually say lelaki)

So if you wanted a male version of the sentence:

Lelaki itu ramah di pejabat. – That man is friendly at the office.

Is perempuan polite, or should I use wanita instead?

Both are common, but there is a register and nuance difference:

perempuan
- Neutral in many everyday contexts, but can sound a bit blunt or less refined in some situations.
- In certain tones or contexts, it can feel slightly disrespectful (e.g. “perempuan tu…” with a scornful tone).
wanita
- More formal and respectful, often used in media, official speech, public signage.
- Common in phrases like hak wanita (women’s rights), persatuan wanita (women’s association).

As a learner, when in doubt in a polite or formal context, wanita is the safer choice. Among friends talking casually, perempuan is very common and usually fine.

Your sentence is neutral; but in a more formal style you could say:

Wanita itu ramah di pejabat.

How would I say “The women are friendly in the office” (plural)?

Malay does not mark plural as clearly as English. Perempuan itu can already mean “that woman” or “those women” depending on context.

Common options:

Rely on context (most natural):
- Perempuan itu ramah di pejabat.
  Context or extra words like semua (all) can show it’s plural:
  - Semua perempuan itu ramah di pejabat. – All those women are friendly at the office.
Reduplication (more explicit plural):
- Perempuan‑perempuan itu ramah di pejabat. – Those women are friendly at the office.
  This is grammatically correct, but in everyday speech people often avoid repeating a long word unless needed for clarity.
Use a plural marker like “para” (formal):
- Para perempuan itu ramah di pejabat. – Those women (plural) are friendly at the office.
  Para is quite formal and usually appears in written or ceremonial language (e.g. para pelajar, the students).

In conversation, Perempuan itu ramah di pejabat with plural context is usually enough.

Can I replace perempuan itu with a pronoun? How would that change the sentence?

Yes. Once it’s clear who you are talking about, you can use dia (he/she):

Dia ramah di pejabat. – She is friendly at the office.

Notes:

dia is gender‑neutral in form; context tells you whether it’s he or she.
If you want to be very clear it’s a woman, the context usually already does that. You don’t change the pronoun itself.

So you might introduce her with:

Perempuan itu ramah di pejabat. – That woman is friendly at the office.

Then later just say:

Dia memang ramah. – She really is friendly.

Can I move di pejabat to the front, like Di pejabat, perempuan itu ramah?

Yes, that is grammatical and quite natural, especially in written or slightly formal speech:

Di pejabat, perempuan itu ramah. – At the office, that woman is friendly.

Functionally it’s the same meaning, but putting di pejabat first:

Emphasizes the location first.
Can lightly contrast with other places: e.g. Di pejabat, perempuan itu ramah, tetapi di rumah dia sangat pendiam. – At the office, that woman is friendly, but at home she is very quiet.

Both word orders are correct:

Perempuan itu ramah di pejabat.
Di pejabat, perempuan itu ramah.

Use whichever better fits the emphasis you want.