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Anak kecil itu lari di taman.

Anak kecil itu lari di taman.
That small child runs in the park.

Breakdown of Anak kecil itu lari di taman.

itu
that
di
in
anak
the child
kecil
small
taman
the park
lari
to run
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Questions & Answers about Anak kecil itu lari di taman.

Why is it anak kecil itu and not itu anak kecil? What does itu actually do here?

Itu is a demonstrative, usually translated as that or the (depending on context).

  • Anak kecil itu literally = child small that → “that small child” / “the small child”.
  • The normal pattern is: noun + (adjective) + itu.

You can say itu anak kecil, but that tends to sound like you’re pointing something out or starting a new topic: “that small child (over there)…”. In most neutral descriptions, Malay prefers:

[Noun + modifiers] + itu
anak kecil itu = the/that small child
rumah besar itu = that big house

So in this sentence, itu is marking a specific child that the speaker and listener can identify, much like the in English.

What exactly does anak kecil mean? Is kecil an adjective? Why is there no word like “who is” between them?

Yes, kecil is an adjective meaning small / little.

Malay word order is typically:

noun + adjective
anak kecil = “small child” / “little child”

You don’t need a linking word like “who is” or “that is” (as in English). It is just one noun phrase:

  • anak = child
  • kecil = small
  • anak kecil = small child

If you say:

  • anak yang kecil → “the child who is small”

This sounds more like you’re picking out the child from a group (more contrastive or descriptive in context).
But anak kecil on its own is just “a small child / small kid” as a simple description.

Does anak kecil itu mean one child or the children? How do you know if it’s singular or plural?

By itself, anak kecil itu is number-neutral in Malay. It could mean:

  • “that small child” (singular), or
  • “those small children” (plural), depending on context.

Malay usually doesn’t mark singular/plural on nouns. Instead, you rely on:

  1. Context

    • If the story clearly talks about one child, it’s understood as singular.
    • If it talks about a group, it’s understood as plural.

  2. Additional words, if needed:

    • seorang anak kecil itu = that one small child (explicitly singular, using the human classifier seorang).
    • anak-anak kecil itu = those small children (plural formed by reduplication).

In everyday speech, anak kecil itu will usually be interpreted as one specific child unless the context suggests otherwise.

Why is it lari and not berlari? Are both correct, and is there any difference?

Both lari and berlari can mean “to run”, but there are some nuances:

  • lari = base verb “run”
    • Very common in everyday speech.
    • Often feels a bit more casual or neutral.
  • berlari = derived verb (ber- + lari)
    • Can sound slightly more formal or “complete”.
    • Often used in writing, storytelling, or when you want a slightly more descriptive feel.

In this sentence, both are grammatically fine:

  • Anak kecil itu lari di taman.
  • Anak kecil itu berlari di taman.

The meaning is the same: “The little child runs / is running in the park.”
In conversation, lari is extremely natural. Berlari might appear more in narratives, essays, or to sound a bit more polished.

How do you say “is running” in Malay? Shouldn’t there be something like “sedang” or “sedang lari”?

Malay doesn’t have to mark tense or aspect the way English does. Lari by itself can mean:

  • “runs”
  • “ran”
  • “is running”
  • “was running”

Context decides the time/aspect.

If you specifically want to show that the action is in progress right now, you can add sedang:

  • Anak kecil itu sedang lari di taman.
  • Anak kecil itu sedang berlari di taman.

Both mean roughly: “The little child is running in the park (right now).”

So:

  • Without sedang: neutral about time/aspect; depends on context.
  • With sedang: clearly progressive/ongoing action.
Why is it di taman and not ke taman? What’s the difference between di and ke?

di and ke are both common prepositions, but they do different jobs:

  • di = at / in / on

    • Shows location (where something is).
    • di taman = in/at the park

  • ke = to / towards

    • Shows movement to a destination (where you’re going).
    • ke taman = to the park

Your sentence:

  • Anak kecil itu lari di taman.
    → The child is running in the park (location).

If you said:

  • Anak kecil itu lari ke taman.
    → The child is running to the park (movement towards the park, not inside it yet).

So di taman is correct here, because the child is already in the park, running there.

Is the word order in Anak kecil itu lari di taman fixed? Can I move di taman earlier, like Anak kecil itu di taman lari?

The basic, most natural order is:

[Subject] + [Verb] + [Place]
Anak kecil itu (subject) + lari (verb) + di taman (place)

So:

  • Anak kecil itu lari di taman.
    → Very natural and standard.

You can move phrases around for emphasis, but it changes the feel and sometimes sounds awkward or literary. For example:

  • Di taman, anak kecil itu lari.
    → “In the park, the little child runs.” (Emphasis: in the park, more like narrative or written style.)

However:

  • Anak kecil itu di taman lari.
    → This sounds odd or ungrammatical in standard Malay. The verb is usually placed right after the subject in simple sentences.

So for normal usage, keep:

Anak kecil itu lari di taman.

How would I say “The little child is running around in the park” or “running in the park repeatedly”?

You can add words to show the manner or repetition of the action:

  1. Running around (moving here and there):

    • Anak kecil itu berlari-lari di taman.
    • Anak kecil itu berlari ke sana ke mari di taman.
      • ke sana ke mari = here and there

  2. Repeatedly / for some time (playful nuance):

    • Anak kecil itu asyik berlari di taman.
      • asyik here: keeps doing it / absorbed in doing it

Your original sentence is neutral; these extra words give more detail about how the child is running.

Is there any gender in anak kecil itu? How do I say “the little boy” vs “the little girl”?

Malay nouns do not have grammatical gender.
Anak kecil itu is gender-neutral: “the little child”.

If you want to specify:

  • budak lelaki itu = that boy
  • budak perempuan itu = that girl

For a more child-like tone:

  • budak lelaki kecil itu = that little boy
  • budak perempuan kecil itu = that little girl

But anak kecil itu itself doesn’t say whether the child is male or female.

How do you pronounce the words in Anak kecil itu lari di taman?

Using a rough English-based guide (Malaysian Malay pronunciation):

  • anak → AH-nak
    • a as in father
  • kecil → kə-CHIL
    • first syllable kə like “ke” in kernel (very short “uh”)
    • c is like English ch in church
  • itu → EE-too
    • i like see
    • u like food (but shorter)
  • lari → LAH-ree
    • a as in father, r lightly rolled or tapped
  • di → dee
  • taman → TAH-mun
    • last syllable man but with a very short “u/ə” sound, not a long “man” like in English.

So spoken smoothly: AH-nak kə-CHIL EE-too LAH-ree dee TAH-mun.