Learn Hardcore Malay: Baju itu berwarna merah.

baju – can mean:
- a shirt
- a blouse
- a dress/top in some contexts
- in traditional clothing, it can be the upper garment (e.g. baju kurung)
For more specific words, you might see:
- kemeja – a collared shirt (like a dress shirt)
- baju T – a T‑shirt

So Baju itu berwarna merah is usually understood as “That shirt is red”, but depending on context, it could also be “That top is red” or “That piece of clothing is red.”

What does itu mean here? Is it “that” or “the”? Why does it come after baju instead of before it?

Itu basically means “that”, but it can also work like “the” in English, depending on context.

In Baju itu berwarna merah:

baju = shirt / top
itu = that

Together, baju itu literally means “shirt that” but is understood as “that shirt” or “the shirt”.

Malay normally puts demonstratives (ini = this, itu = that) after the noun:

baju itu = that shirt / the shirt
baju ini = this shirt / the shirt (near the speaker)

So the order is:

noun + ini/itu
baju itu, kereta ini, rumah itu, etc.

Whether you translate baju itu as “that shirt” or “the shirt” depends on how specific and how far it is in the situation, not on a change in the Malay form.

Why is there no word for “is” in Baju itu berwarna merah? How is “is” expressed in Malay?

Malay usually does not use a separate word for “is/are/am” when linking a subject to an adjective or descriptive phrase.

In English you say:

The shirt is red.

In Malay, you just put the parts together without “is”:

Baju itu berwarna merah. (literally: “That shirt red‑colored.”)

The linking function of “is” is understood from word order and context.

Malay only uses specific words (like ialah, adalah) in certain more formal or specific grammar situations, often when linking to a noun phrase, not a simple adjective:

Baju itu ialah hadiah daripada ibu saya.
“That shirt is a present from my mother.”

But for simple descriptions with adjectives or colors, you normally omit “is”.

What does berwarna mean literally, and how is it different from just warna?

warna = color (noun)
berwarna = to have color / to be (a certain) color

The prefix ber‑ often gives a meaning like “to have / to be with / to possess”. So berwarna literally is “having color” or “being colored”.

In this sentence:

berwarna merah = “to be red in color” / “is red”

You’ll often see berwarna + [color] as a more explicit or slightly more formal way of saying something is that color.

Some examples:

kereta itu berwarna biru – that car is blue
rambutnya berwarna hitam – his/her hair is black

Just warna by itself is “color”:

Apa warna baju itu? – What color is that shirt?

Could I say Baju itu merah instead of Baju itu berwarna merah? What’s the difference?

Yes, you can say Baju itu merah, and it is correct.

Difference in feel:

Baju itu merah.
- Very simple and direct.
- Common in everyday speech.
- Literally: “That shirt red.”
Baju itu berwarna merah.
- Slightly more explicit: “That shirt is red in color.”
- Sounds a bit more descriptive, sometimes a bit more formal or careful.

In normal conversation, many speakers would simply say Baju itu merah, especially if the context is obvious. Berwarna merah is still common, especially in descriptions (ads, writing, descriptions of objects, etc.).

Why does itu come after baju, and merah come after berwarna? Is word order different from English?

Yes, Malay word order is generally noun first, then its modifiers, which is often the reverse of English.

Demonstratives (this/that)
- English: that shirt
- Malay: baju itu (shirt that)
Adjectives / descriptions
With a simple adjective (without berwarna), you get:
- English: red shirt
- Malay: baju merah (shirt red)

In Baju itu berwarna merah:

Baju itu = that shirt
berwarna merah = is red in color

So although it looks different from English, the basic pattern is:
[noun + determiner] + [description]

This “noun-first, then modifiers” pattern is very common in Malay:

rumah besar – big house (literally: house big)
kereta baru itu – that new car (car new that)

How do I make this plural, like “The shirts are red”? Does the sentence change?

Malay usually does not mark plural on the noun or verb. Context tells you whether it’s singular or plural.

So Baju itu berwarna merah can mean:

“That shirt is red”
“Those shirts are red”

The Malay sentence stays the same; the difference is understood from context (for example, whether you are pointing at one shirt or several).

If you really want to emphasize plural, you can:

Repeat the noun: baju‑baju itu – those shirts
Or add a word like beberapa (several), banyak (many):
- Beberapa baju itu berwarna merah. – Several of those shirts are red.

But in most everyday situations, just Baju itu berwarna merah is enough; the listener figures out number from context.

How do I say “This shirt is red” instead of “That shirt is red”?

You change itu (“that”) to ini (“this”):

Baju itu berwarna merah. – That shirt is red.
Baju ini berwarna merah. – This shirt is red.

Remember:

ini = this (near the speaker)
itu = that (farther away, or already known in context)

The position stays the same: noun + ini/itu.

Is Baju itu berwarna merah more Malaysian Malay or Indonesian, or is it neutral?

The sentence Baju itu berwarna merah is perfectly natural in both Malaysian Malay and Indonesian.

Both varieties accept:

baju itu – that shirt / the shirt
berwarna merah – is red in color

Some differences you might see in everyday Indonesian speech:

Indonesians might also say Bajunya merah.
- ‑nya can mean “the/its/his/her”, so: “The shirt is red.”
Or just Baju itu merah. in casual speech.

In Malaysia, Baju itu merah. and Baju itu berwarna merah. are both fine and understood.

So your sentence is standard and neutral, acceptable in both Malaysia and Indonesia.

Are there any gender or agreement changes in words like merah? Does it change for masculine/feminine or plural?

No. Malay adjectives do not change for gender or number.

merah = red (same form for all cases)

It stays merah whether the noun is:

masculine, feminine, or inanimate
singular or plural

Examples:

baju merah – red shirt(s)
kereta merah – red car(s)
rumah merah – red house(s)
bunga merah – red flower(s)

So you don’t have to worry about agreement endings like in many European languages.

How do I pronounce baju, itu, berwarna, and merah as an English speaker?

Approximate pronunciations (slashes show sounds, not spelling):

baju – /BAH‑joo/
- ba like “ba” in “bark” (shorter)
- ju like “joo” in “jungle” (without the “ngle”)
itu – /EE‑too/
- i like “ee” in “see”
- tu like “too”
berwarna – /bər‑WAR‑nah/
- ber – like “ber” in “bird” but very short /bər/
- war – like “war” in “warmer” (but short)
- na – “nah”
merah – in Malaysia often /MAY‑rah/ or /MEH‑rah/; in Indonesia closer to /MƏ‑rah/
- me – like “meh” or a reduced “mə”
- rah – like “rah” in “Sarah”

Malay vowels are generally pure and short (no diphthongs like English “ay” in “day”), and stress is usually near the second‑to‑last syllable: BA‑ju, I‑tu, ber‑WAR‑na, ME‑rah.