Perlanggaran itu menyebabkan kecederaan kecil dan kerugian.

It follows the very common Malay pattern Subject + Verb + Object, much like English:

• Perlanggaran itu = the subject
• menyebabkan = the verb
• kecederaan kecil dan kerugian = the object

So a very literal breakdown is:

• Perlanggaran itu = that/the collision
• menyebabkan = caused
• kecederaan kecil dan kerugian = minor injuries and losses

That makes this a fairly straightforward sentence for an English speaker.

Itu usually means that, but in many sentences it also works a bit like the by making the noun definite.

So:

• perlanggaran = collision
• perlanggaran itu = that collision / the collision

In Malay, demonstratives like ini and itu normally come after the noun:

• buku itu = that book / the book
• rumah ini = this house

So perlanggaran itu is perfectly normal word order in Malay.

Perlanggaran means collision, crash, or impact in this context.

It comes from the root langgar, which can mean to hit, to crash into, or sometimes to violate/break depending on context.

A useful thing to know is that:

• perlanggaran usually refers to a collision/crash
• pelanggaran more often refers to a violation/infringement

So the form in your sentence points to a physical collision, not breaking a rule.

Menyebabkan means to cause.

It is built from the root sebab, which is related to cause/reason.

So:

• sebab = cause/reason
• menyebabkan = to cause

It is a transitive verb, which means it normally takes an object: it causes something.

In this sentence:

• Perlanggaran itu = what did the causing
• menyebabkan = caused
• kecederaan kecil dan kerugian = what was caused

So this verb works very much like English cause in grammar.

Because kecederaan is a noun, while cedera is usually an adjective or a word meaning injured / injury-related state.

Compare:

• cedera = injured
• kecederaan = injury / injuries

Malay often forms abstract or result nouns with ke-...-an. Here:

• cedera → kecederaan

Since the sentence is talking about what the collision caused, it needs a noun:

• caused injuries not
• caused injured

So kecederaan is the correct form for this structure.

Because in Malay, adjectives usually come after the noun they describe.

So:

• kecederaan kecil = literally injury small
• natural English = minor injury / small injury

This is normal Malay word order:

• rumah besar = big house
• kereta merah = red car
• kecederaan kecil = minor injury

So even though English says minor injuries, Malay puts the describing word after the noun.

It is understandable, but many speakers would find kecederaan ringan more natural for minor injuries.

Compare:

• kecederaan kecil = literally small injuries
• kecederaan ringan = minor/light injuries

So your sentence is grammatically clear, but ringan is often the more idiomatic choice when talking about the seriousness of injuries.

Kerugian means loss, losses, or damages, often in a material or financial sense.

It comes from rugi, which means loss or to suffer a loss.

So:

• rugi = loss / to lose
• kerugian = loss, losses, damages

In this sentence, kerugian probably refers to things like:

• property damage
• financial loss
• other material losses resulting from the collision

Because Malay often does not mark singular vs plural unless it needs to.

A bare noun can mean:

• singular
• plural
• a general category

So kecederaan could mean:

• injury
• injuries

And kerugian could mean:

• loss
• losses

The exact number usually comes from context. English forces you to choose more often, but Malay often leaves it open.

Yes. In many contexts, both are possible.

Malay does not have articles exactly like English the and a/an, so itu often covers meanings that English splits up differently.

Depending on context:

• perlanggaran itu = that collision
• perlanggaran itu = the collision

If the collision has already been mentioned, English may prefer the collision. If the speaker is pointing it out more specifically, English may prefer that collision.

Yes, but the meaning would change slightly.

• Perlanggaran itu menyebabkan... = That/The collision caused...
• Perlanggaran menyebabkan... = Collisions cause... or A collision caused..., depending on context

With itu, the sentence clearly refers to a specific collision already known in the conversation or text.

Without itu, it can sound more general or less specifically anchored.

So itu helps make the reference definite and specific.