Tasik itu sangat dalam.

That lake is very deep.

Breakdown of Tasik itu sangat dalam.

• adalah: to be
• itu: that
• sangat: very
• tasik: the lake
• dalam: deep

Questions & Answers about Tasik itu sangat dalam.

Where is the English word “is” in this Malay sentence?

Malay does not usually use a separate verb like “is/are” before adjectives.

In Tasik itu sangat dalam, the structure is:

• Tasik itu – that lake
• sangat dalam – very deep

There is no explicit word for “is”. The meaning “is” is simply understood from the pattern [noun] + [adjective].

So:

• Tasik itu sangat dalam = That lake very deep → That lake is very deep.

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

Itu is a demonstrative that basically means “that”.

In practice, it can function like:

• “that lake” (pointing to one particular lake), and
• often feels similar to “the lake” in English, because it refers to a specific, known lake.

So:

• tasik = lake (general)
• tasik itu = that specific lake / the lake (that one)

Can I leave out itu and just say Tasik sangat dalam?

Yes, you can, but the meaning changes slightly.

• Tasik itu sangat dalam – That lake is very deep (a specific lake)
• Tasik sangat dalam – Lakes are very deep (a general statement about lakes), or the lake is very deep if context already makes it clear.

Without itu, the sentence feels more general or less specifically “that one over there”.

What exactly does sangat mean? Is it like “very” or “too”?

Sangat means “very” and is usually neutral, not “too”.

• sangat = very (high degree, but not necessarily excessive)
• terlalu = too (excessive)

Examples:

• Tasik itu sangat dalam. – That lake is very deep.
• Tasik itu terlalu dalam. – That lake is too deep (implies a problem, e.g. too deep to swim safely).

Where do I put sangat in relation to the adjective? Before or after?

In standard Malay, sangat usually comes before the adjective:

• sangat dalam – very deep
• sangat cantik – very beautiful
• sangat besar – very big

Alternatively, Malay also commonly uses sekali after the adjective to mean “very”:

• dalam sekali – very deep
• cantik sekali – very beautiful

So you can say:

• Tasik itu sangat dalam.
• Tasik itu dalam sekali.

Both mean “That lake is very deep”, with very similar nuance.

Can I say Tasik itu dalam sangat instead of sangat dalam?

In colloquial spoken Malay, people sometimes say:

• Tasik itu dalam sangat.

This is very informal and sounds casual / conversational.

In standard Malay, for writing or careful speech, you should use:

• Tasik itu sangat dalam.
  or
• Tasik itu dalam sekali.

What part of speech is dalam here? I’ve seen dalam meaning “inside” too.

Dalam is a very common word with a few functions:

1. Adjective – deep

   • Tasik itu sangat dalam. – That lake is very deep.

2. Preposition – in / inside

   • dalam tasik – in the lake
   • dalam beg – in the bag

In your sentence, dalam is clearly an adjective (“deep”), not the preposition “in/inside”.

Is tasik singular or plural? How do you know?

On its own, tasik does not show number. It can mean “lake” or “lakes”, depending on context.

In Tasik itu sangat dalam:

• itu points to one specific lake, so it is naturally understood as singular → “that lake”.

To be more obviously plural, Malay might use:

• tasik-tasik – lakes (via reduplication, often more formal/written)
• banyak tasik – many lakes

Is Tasik itu sangat dalam a complete sentence, even though there’s no verb?

Yes, it is complete and perfectly grammatical.

Malay allows sentences like:

• [Noun/subject] + [adjective phrase]

Examples:

• Dia tinggi. – He/She is tall.
• Baju ini mahal. – This shirt is expensive.
• Tasik itu sangat dalam. – That lake is very deep.

No extra verb is needed in these adjective-based sentences.

Can I use adalah in this sentence, like Tasik itu adalah sangat dalam?

In this case, no – that sounds unnatural.

General guideline:

• Adalah is not normally used directly before a simple adjective phrase like sangat dalam.

You would normally say simply:

• Tasik itu sangat dalam.

Adalah is more common before:

• noun phrases: Dia adalah guru. – He/She is a teacher.
• longer, more formal predicates.

So:
✗ Tasik itu adalah sangat dalam. (unnatural)
✓ Tasik itu sangat dalam. (natural)

Does sangat sound formal or can I use it in casual speech?

Sangat is perfectly normal in casual speech and also acceptable in writing. It’s slightly on the neutral/formal side, but not stiff.

In very casual speech, people might instead say:

• dalam betul – really deep
• dalam gila / dalam gila-gila – extremely deep (slangy)
• dalam sangat – very deep (colloquial order)

But sangat dalam is safe and natural in almost any context.

Can I use amat instead of sangat here? What’s the difference?

Yes, you can say:

• Tasik itu amat dalam.

Amat also means “very”, but:

• amat often sounds more formal or literary than sangat.
• In everyday conversation, sangat is more common.

Meaning-wise, both sangat and amat express a high degree, like “very”.

Can I move sangat dalam to the front: Sangat dalam tasik itu?

You can say something like:

• Sangat dalam tasik itu.

but it sounds poetic, emphatic, or stylistic, not like a neutral everyday sentence.

Normal, neutral word order is:

• Tasik itu sangat dalam.

Fronting the adjective phrase is more like:

• “Very deep is that lake.”
  which is unusual in everyday English, and similarly unusual in everyday Malay except for emphasis or literary style.

Should tasik be capitalised here?

No. tasik here is a common noun meaning “lake”, so it is written with a lowercase t:

• Tasik itu sangat dalam.

You only capitalise it if it is part of a proper name, for example:

• Tasik Kenyir
• Tasik Chini

Then you would capitalise the whole name:

• Tasik Kenyir itu sangat dalam. – That Lake Kenyir is very deep.