Pertahanan itu sangat kuat.

that

Breakdown of Pertahanan itu sangat kuat.

• sangat: very
• kuat: strong
• pertahanan: the defence

Questions & Answers about Pertahanan itu sangat kuat.

Why is there no word for is in Pertahanan itu sangat kuat?

In Malay, you usually do not need a word like is/are when a noun is followed by an adjective.

So:

• Pertahanan itu sangat kuat = That/The defense is very strong

Malay often makes this kind of sentence with:

• subject + adjective

Examples:

• Rumah itu besar = The house is big
• Dia baik = He/She is kind

So the sentence is completely normal without a separate word for is.

What does itu mean here?

Itu literally often means that, but in sentences like this it can also work a bit like the, depending on context.

So pertahanan itu can mean:

• that defense
• the defense

It comes after the noun in Malay:

• pertahanan itu = that/the defense

This is different from English, where that comes before the noun.

Compare:

• buku itu = that book / the book
• orang itu = that person / the person

Why does itu come after the noun instead of before it?