Buku matematik itu susah.

That mathematics book is difficult.

Breakdown of Buku matematik itu susah.

• adalah: to be
• itu: that
• buku: the book
• susah: difficult
• matematik: mathematics

Questions & Answers about Buku matematik itu susah.

In this sentence, does itu mean that or the?

Itu can cover both ideas, depending on context:

• As that: pointing to a specific book (maybe one that is farther away or already mentioned).

  • That math book (over there) is difficult.

• As something close to the: marking that the speaker and listener both know which book is meant, even if no pointing is involved.

  • The math book is difficult (the one we’ve been talking about).

In practice, buku matematik itu usually means that particular math book or the math book we both know about. Malay doesn’t sharply separate the and that the way English does.

Why is there no word for is in Buku matematik itu susah?

Malay usually doesn’t use a separate verb like is when linking a noun to an adjective.

The structure is simply:

• Subject + Adjective
• Buku matematik itu (subject) + susah (adjective)

So:

• Buku matematik itu susah.
  That math book is difficult.

No extra word (like is) is required. You just place the describing word (susah) after the thing being described.

Words like ialah / adalah exist, but:

• they are mainly used in more formal contexts
• and typically before a noun phrase, not a simple adjective here

For everyday speech, Buku matematik itu susah is perfectly complete.

Where exactly should itu go, and can I say Itu buku matematik susah instead?

In Malay, demonstratives like ini (this) and itu (that) normally come after the noun they describe:

• buku itu – that book / the book
• buku matematik itu – that math book / the math book

So:

• Buku matematik itu susah.
  is the natural way to say That math book is difficult.

If you put itu before the noun, itu usually works more like that (thing) as a pronoun:

• Itu buku saya. – That is my book.

So Itu buku matematik susah sounds incomplete or odd unless you add more structure, for example:

• Itu buku matematik yang susah. – That is the math book that is difficult.

As a simple sentence, stick with Buku matematik itu susah.

Can susah mean things other than difficult? What nuances does it have?

Susah mainly means difficult, but it has a wider “burdensome” feel. Common nuances:

1. Difficult / hard

   • Peperiksaan itu susah. – The exam is difficult.

2. Troublesome / causing hassle

   • Jangan susahkan dia. – Don’t trouble him / don’t make things hard for him.

3. In difficulty / in hardship (when used about a person’s situation)

   • Dia hidup susah. – He lives in hardship / has a hard life.

In Buku matematik itu susah, the natural reading is:

• That math book is difficult (to study / understand)

It doesn’t usually mean the book is “annoying” as a personality; it’s about the subject matter being hard.

Does this sentence talk about one book or can it also mean several books?

On its own, Buku matematik itu susah is number-neutral:

• It can mean That math book is difficult (one book),
• or Those math books are difficult (more than one),

depending on context.

If you really want to make it clearly plural, you have options:

• Buku-buku matematik itu susah.
  Those math books are difficult. (reduplication buku-buku marks plural)

• Semua buku matematik itu susah.
  All those math books are difficult.

Without such markers, Malay relies on context to tell you whether it’s singular or plural.

Is matematik acting like an adjective here, or is buku matematik a kind of compound noun?

Matematik is a noun (mathematics), and buku matematik is a noun + noun phrase, similar to math book in English.

• buku – book
• matematik – mathematics
• buku matematik – math book (a book about mathematics)

Malay very often uses noun + noun to express what English might call “adjective + noun”:

• buku sejarah – history book
• guru matematik – math teacher
• kelas bahasa – language class

So buku matematik is best thought of as a compound-like phrase: math book.

Do I need to capitalize matematik in this sentence?

Normally, no.

Malay capitalization rules (simplified):

• Capitalize the first word of a sentence.
• Capitalize proper names (people, places, specific institutions).
• Do not usually capitalize common nouns or school subjects, unless they are part of a title.

So:

• Buku matematik itu susah. – correct in normal writing.
• Buku Matematik Itu Susah. – would be used if this were, for example, a book title, headline, or you are following a stylistic rule for titles.

For regular sentences, matematik remains lowercase.

Can I add a word like very to say the book is very difficult?

Yes. Common intensifiers include:

• sangat – very
• amat – very (slightly more formal)
• terlalu – too (as in too difficult)
• sekali – very (placed after the adjective)

Examples:

• Buku matematik itu sangat susah.
  That math book is very difficult.

• Buku matematik itu susah sekali.
  That math book is very difficult.

• Buku matematik itu terlalu susah.
  That math book is too difficult.

The basic structure stays the same; the intensifier comes before or (for sekali) after susah.

What’s the difference between susah, sukar, and payah in this kind of sentence?

All three can relate to difficulty, but they differ in feel and usage.

1. susah

   • Very common, informal to neutral.
   • Can mean difficult, troublesome, or hard (in life).
   • Buku matematik itu susah. – That math book is difficult.

2. sukar

   • Feels more formal / literary, often used in writing, news, or formal speech.
   • Focused more narrowly on “difficult”.
   • Buku matematik itu sukar. – also That math book is difficult, but sounds more formal.

3. payah

   • Colloquial; can sound more emotional, like really hard, a pain, or a struggle.
   • Buku matematik itu payah. – That math book is really tough / such a pain.

All are understandable, but susah is the safest, most neutral choice in everyday speech.

How would I say Math is difficult in general, not just that math book?

To talk about the subject in general:

• Matematik susah.
  Math is difficult.

You can expand it for clarity or emphasis:

• Subjek matematik susah.
  The subject of math is difficult.

• Matematik itu susah.
  Mathematics is difficult. (Here itu can give a sense of “as for mathematics” or “that thing called mathematics”.)

In more formal writing, you might see:

• Matematik ialah subjek yang susah.
  Mathematics is a subject that is difficult.

Can I say Buku matematik yang itu susah, and how is that different from Buku matematik itu susah?

You can say buku matematik yang itu, but it has a specific use and is less common than buku matematik itu.

1. Buku matematik itu susah.

   • That math book is difficult.
   • itu directly points to or identifies the book (the math book we both know / are looking at).

2. Buku matematik yang itu susah.

   • Literally: The math book that one is difficult.
   • yang itu behaves like that one and is often used when you are choosing or contrasting among several:
     • e.g. You have several math books in front of you:
       Bukan yang ini, tapi buku matematik yang itu susah.
       Not this one, but that math book (over there) is difficult.

For a simple, standalone sentence, Buku matematik itu susah is more natural and more commonly taught. Use yang itu when you are emphasizing that particular one (not the others).