Cuaca itu buruk.

Malay often leaves out the verb to be when linking a subject to an adjective or noun.

So:

• Cuaca itu buruk = The/that weather is bad
• literally: weather that bad

This is completely normal in Malay. You do not need a separate word for is here.

Itu usually means that, but in many sentences it can also feel like the, depending on context.

So cuaca itu can mean:

• that weather
• the weather

In natural translation, English may use either one depending on the situation.

A useful pattern is:

• kata nama + itu = that/the + noun

Examples:

• rumah itu = that house / the house
• orang itu = that person / the person
• cuaca itu = that weather / the weather

In Malay, adjectives usually come after the noun they describe.

So:

• cuaca buruk = bad weather
• literally: weather bad

This is different from English, where adjectives usually come before the noun.

Compare:

• rumah besar = big house
• kereta lama = old car
• cuaca buruk = bad weather

Because itu belongs to cuaca, not to buruk.

The sentence structure is:

• Cuaca itu = that/the weather
• buruk = bad

So the full meaning is:

• That weather is bad
• or more naturally, The weather is bad

If you move itu to the end, you get a different structure:

• cuaca buruk itu = that bad weather

So compare these carefully:

• Cuaca itu buruk = That/the weather is bad
• Cuaca buruk itu = That bad weather

By itself, Malay does not mark tense the way English does.

So Cuaca itu buruk could mean:

• The weather is bad
• The weather was bad

The exact time usually comes from context or from time words such as:

• semalam = yesterday
• hari ini = today
• tadi = earlier
• esok = tomorrow

For example:

• Semalam, cuaca itu buruk. = Yesterday, the weather was bad.
• Hari ini, cuaca itu buruk. = Today, the weather is bad.

Yes. Cuaca buruk is a very common phrase meaning bad weather.

But it is not exactly the same as Cuaca itu buruk.

• Cuaca buruk = bad weather or the weather is bad, depending on context
• Cuaca itu buruk = that/the weather is bad

So itu makes the noun phrase more specific.

Yes, buruk is a normal and correct word here.

Buruk can mean things like:

• bad
• poor
• unpleasant

With cuaca, it gives the idea of bad weather.

You may also hear cuaca buruk in weather reports or general conversation.

A related word is teruk, which often means terrible, severe, or very bad. It is stronger in tone.

So:

• Cuaca itu buruk = The weather is bad
• Cuaca itu teruk = The weather is terrible / really bad

Very often, yes.

A common Malay sentence pattern is:

• noun + adjective

and if the noun is the subject:

• subject + adjective

Examples:

• Rumah itu besar. = The house is big.
• Makanan ini sedap. = This food is delicious.
• Cuaca itu buruk. = The weather is bad.

So this sentence follows a very common Malay pattern.

A simple learner-friendly pronunciation is:

• cuaca ≈ choo-AH-cha
• itu ≈ ee-too
• buruk ≈ boo-rook

A fuller rough guide:

• cu sounds like chu
• a is usually a clear ah
• c in Malay is pronounced like English ch
• u is usually like oo in food

So the whole sentence sounds roughly like:

• choo-AH-cha ee-too boo-rook

It is neutral and standard Malay.

You can use it in:

• everyday conversation
• writing
• teaching examples
• weather-related discussion

It is a simple, natural sentence and not slangy.

Not for the same meaning.

Cuaca itu buruk means:

• That/the weather is bad

But Itu cuaca buruk would usually mean something more like:

• That is bad weather

So the focus changes.

Compare:

• Cuaca itu buruk. = The weather is bad.
• Itu cuaca buruk. = That is bad weather.

Both can be grammatical in the right context, but they do not mean the same thing.