Kertas itu nipis.

to be

Breakdown of Kertas itu nipis.

• itu: that
• kertas: the paper
• nipis: thin

Questions & Answers about Kertas itu nipis.

In the sentence Kertas itu nipis, what does each word literally mean?

Word by word:

• kertas = paper
• itu = that / the (a demonstrative that often works like that or a definite marker)
• nipis = thin

So Kertas itu nipis literally is That paper thin, which in natural English becomes That paper is thin or The paper is thin.

Is itu more like the or more like that in English?

Itu is primarily a demonstrative meaning that (referring to something further away or already known in the context).

However, Malay does not have separate words for the and a/an. Often, a noun + itu is used for a specific/definite thing, so in translation it can correspond to either:

• kertas itu → that paper (when you want to contrast with other paper, or point at it)
• kertas itu → the paper (when it is clear from context which paper you mean)

So grammatically it is that, but in natural English translation it may be rendered as the.

Why does itu come after kertas, instead of before like in English (that paper)?

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

• kertas ini = this paper
• kertas itu = that paper

This is just a basic word-order difference between the languages:

• English: that
  • noun
• Malay: noun
  • itu

So kertas itu is the normal way to say that paper / the paper.

Why is there no word for is in Kertas itu nipis?

Malay generally does not use a verb like English “to be” when the predicate is:

• an adjective: nipis (thin), besar (big), cantik (beautiful)
• a noun of certain types in everyday speech

So you simply put:

• subject
  • adjective

Examples:

• Buku itu tebal. = That book is thick.
• Dia penat. = He/She is tired.

The sentence Kertas itu nipis is fully complete without any extra word for is.

When do I use adalah or ialah instead of leaving out is?

Adalah and ialah are used in more formal contexts, and mainly:

• between a subject and a noun phrase or prepositional phrase
• in explanations and definitions

Examples:

• Malaysia ialah sebuah negara di Asia Tenggara.
  = Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia.
• Tugas saya adalah untuk membantu pelanggan.
  = My task is to help customers.

You normally do not use adalah/ialah before a simple adjective in everyday speech:

• Natural: Kertas itu nipis.
• Very formal / slightly forced: Kertas itu adalah nipis.

So for thin, big, expensive, new etc., just put the adjective; no adalah needed in normal speech.

Where do adjectives like nipis go in Malay, before or after the noun?

In Malay, most descriptive adjectives come after the noun:

• kertas nipis = thin paper
• buku tebal = thick book
• rumah besar = big house

In Kertas itu nipis, the structure is:

• Kertas itu = that paper / the paper (subject)
• nipis = thin (adjective functioning as the predicate)

So Malay has:

• noun + (demonstrative) + adjective

where English might have:

• the/that + noun + is + adjective

Can I say just Kertas nipis? What is the difference from Kertas itu nipis?

Yes, you can say Kertas nipis, but the meaning and feel are different.

• Kertas itu nipis.
  → Refers to a specific paper that is known in the context (that one over there / the one we were talking about).
  → That paper is thin / The paper is thin.

• Kertas nipis.
  → More general; could mean (The) paper is thin in a generic sense, or thin paper as a phrase (depending on context and intonation).
  → As a full sentence, it can sound a bit incomplete or like you are speaking very telegraphically.

For a clear, natural full sentence about a specific sheet, Kertas itu nipis is better.

Does Kertas itu nipis talk about one paper or many papers?

On its own, kertas itu is number-neutral; it does not show singular or plural:

• kertas itu can be that paper (one sheet)
• or those papers (some specific papers)

Malay often relies on context or quantifiers for number:

• satu kertas = one sheet of paper
• beberapa kertas = several sheets of paper
• banyak kertas = a lot of paper / many sheets of paper
• kertas-kertas itu = those papers (explicitly plural with reduplication)

So Kertas itu nipis could be translated as:

• That paper is thin, or
• Those papers are thin, depending on the situation.

How do I say The paper is not thin in Malay?

You negate an adjective with tidak.

So:

• Kertas itu nipis. = The paper is thin.
• Kertas itu tidak nipis. = The paper is not thin.

A quick note:

• tidak negates adjectives, verbs, and prepositions.
• bukan mainly negates nouns and is used for equational sentences or for emphasis/contrast.

Here, because nipis is an adjective, tidak is the correct choice.

How would I say This paper is thin, instead of That paper is thin?

Use ini (this) instead of itu (that):

• Kertas ini nipis. = This paper is thin.

Pattern:

• noun + ini = this + noun
• noun + itu = that + noun

In colloquial Malay (especially in Malaysia), you will often hear:

• kertas ni (for kertas ini)
• kertas tu (for kertas itu)

So in casual speech: Kertas ni nipis.

Can itu also mean it? Does it mean that here?

Yes, itu can sometimes function like an English that/it, especially when referring back to something already mentioned:

• Itu sahaja. = That’s all.
• Itu betul. = That is correct.

But in Kertas itu nipis, itu is not a separate subject pronoun. It is attached to the noun as a demonstrative:

• kertas itu = that paper / the paper

The subject of the sentence is the whole phrase kertas itu, not itu alone.

Is there any difference between nipis and tipis?

In Malay:

• nipis is the standard Malay word for thin (especially for flat objects like paper, cloth, etc.).
• tipis is more characteristic of Indonesian, though many Malay speakers understand it and sometimes use it under Indonesian influence.

So for standard Malay (as used in Malaysia/Brunei/Singapore context), nipis is safer and more correct:

• kertas nipis = thin paper

In Indonesian, the same idea would usually be kertas tipis.

How do you pronounce Kertas itu nipis?

A simple guide using English-like spelling:

• kertas ≈ kər-tas
  
  • ke- like the ker in kernel, but very short
  • -tas like tuss in tusk (without the final k sound)
• itu ≈ ee-too
  
  • i like ee in see
  • tu like too
• nipis ≈ nee-piss (but with a short, clean p and s, not exaggerated)

Stress is usually on the first syllable of each word: KƏR-tas EE-tu NEE-pis, but Malay stress is much flatter than English; syllables are quite evenly timed.

Is Kertas itu nipis a complete sentence on its own?

Yes. The structure is:

• subject: kertas itu (that paper / the paper)
• predicate: nipis (thin)

Malay does not need an extra subject pronoun or a verb to be here. Kertas itu nipis is a perfectly natural, complete sentence meaning That paper is thin / The paper is thin.