Cawangan bank itu dibuka hari ini.

Cawangan means branch, and bank means bank, so cawangan bank means bank branch.

The order may feel reversed to an English speaker. In Malay, the main noun usually comes first, and the word that describes or narrows it comes after:

• cawangan bank = bank branch
• literally: branch bank

So the structure is normal Malay noun order.

Itu is a demonstrative word. It often means that, but in many sentences it can also function like the when the noun is already specific or known from context.

So cawangan bank itu can mean:

• that bank branch
• or more naturally in many contexts, the bank branch

Which English translation sounds best depends on the situation.

In Malay, demonstratives such as ini and itu normally come after the noun phrase, not before it.

So:

• cawangan bank itu = that/the bank branch
• hari ini = today literally day this

This is a very common Malay pattern. English puts words like this and that before the noun, but Malay usually puts ini/itu after it.

Dibuka is the verb buka with the prefix di-.

• buka = open
• dibuka = be opened / is opened / was opened, depending on context

The prefix di- usually marks a passive verb in standard Malay. That means the thing receiving the action is the focus of the sentence.

So in Cawangan bank itu dibuka hari ini, the focus is on the bank branch, not on the person who opened it.

No. They are different.

• di as a preposition means at/in/on and is written separately:
  • di bank = at the bank
• di- as a passive prefix is attached to the verb:
  • dibuka = opened / be opened

So dibuka must be written as one word.

Yes. It is a passive sentence.

Cawangan bank itu dibuka hari ini focuses on the bank branch as the thing affected by the action. The person or group who did the opening is not mentioned.

If you want to mention the doer, you can add it, for example:

• Cawangan bank itu dibuka oleh pengurus hari ini.
• The bank branch was opened by the manager today.

The word oleh often introduces the agent in passive sentences.

Malay usually does not mark tense the way English does. There is often no separate word corresponding directly to is, was, or were in this kind of sentence.

Instead, time is understood from:

• context
• time expressions such as hari ini = today
• sometimes aspect markers like sudah, sedang, or akan

So dibuka by itself does not tell you past or present as clearly as English does. The full meaning comes from the sentence and the situation.

It can depend on context.

Most naturally, in a sentence like this, dibuka hari ini often suggests was opened today or opened today, especially if you are talking about a new branch starting operations.

However, in some contexts, Malay can also use dibuka to mean something like is open or is being opened, depending on what is being discussed.

A useful comparison:

• Cawangan bank itu dibuka hari ini
  often focuses on the act/result of opening
• Cawangan bank itu buka hari ini
  more colloquially means That bank branch is open today

So the passive form dibuka and the bare adjective/verb buka are similar, but not identical in nuance.

Hari ini means today and here it comes at the end of the sentence, which is very natural in Malay.

• Cawangan bank itu dibuka hari ini.

You can also move it to the front for emphasis:

• Hari ini, cawangan bank itu dibuka.

Both are grammatical. The version with hari ini at the end is a neutral, common word order.

Usually, no, not with the same meaning.

Membuka is the active form and normally means to open something. It usually expects an object:

• Pengurus membuka cawangan bank itu hari ini.
• The manager opened the bank branch today.

If you say Cawangan bank itu membuka hari ini, it sounds like the bank branch opens something today, which is not what you want here.

So for this sentence, dibuka is the correct choice if you mean the bank branch was opened today.

You can switch to an active sentence by making the doer the subject and using membuka:

• Pengurus membuka cawangan bank itu hari ini.
• The manager opened the bank branch today.

Compare the two patterns:

• Passive: Cawangan bank itu dibuka hari ini.
• Active: Pengurus membuka cawangan bank itu hari ini.

Malay uses both patterns, but the passive is very common when the doer is unknown, unimportant, or not being emphasized.