Pertandingan itu masih seri.

Pertandingan broadly means competition, contest, or match.

In this sentence, it is being used for something like a sports contest, so match is a natural translation. However, depending on context, pertandingan can also refer to a larger competition, not just one game.

For a single sports match, Malay often also uses perlawanan. So:

• Pertandingan itu masih seri.
• Perlawanan itu masih seri.

Both can work, but perlawanan is often more specifically the match/game.

In Malay, words like ini (this) and itu (that/the) usually come after the noun.

So:

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

This is normal Malay word order.

Also, in real usage, itu can sometimes sound like either that or the, depending on context. So pertandingan itu can naturally be understood as the match if the match is already known.

Malay usually does not use a verb equivalent to English is/am/are in simple sentences like this.

So English:

• The match is still tied.

Malay:

• Pertandingan itu masih seri.

This is completely normal. Malay often just places the subject before the description:

• Dia penat. = He/She is tired.
• Cuaca panas. = The weather is hot.
• Pertandingan itu seri. = The match is tied.

There is a word ialah/adalah, but it is not normally used in a sentence like this.

Masih means still.

It usually comes before the adjective or verb that it modifies. Here it modifies seri:

• masih seri = still tied

Compare:

• Dia masih tidur. = He/She is still sleeping.
• Mereka masih di sini. = They are still here.
• Pertandingan itu masih seri. = The match is still tied.

So the placement is very natural.

Here, seri means tied, drawn, or level in score.

In this sentence, it behaves like a description of the match, so you can think of it as functioning like an adjective:

• Pertandingan itu seri. = The match is tied.

But seri can also be used in noun-like ways, especially in sports contexts:

• Keputusan seri = a draw result
• Mereka mencatat seri 1-1. = They recorded a 1–1 draw

So the important thing for a learner is:

• in Pertandingan itu masih seri, seri means the score is equal.

Usually, yes. In most contexts, seri in this kind of sentence is used for sports, games, or competitions where both sides have the same score.

For example:

• football/soccer
• badminton
• basketball
• chess
• other competitive events

If the context is clearly a contest or match, this sentence sounds natural.

Yes.

Malay itu literally often corresponds to that, but in many everyday sentences it can also function like the when the thing is already known from context.

So Pertandingan itu masih seri could be understood as:

• That match is still tied
• The match is still tied

Which one sounds better in English depends on context.

Sometimes, yes.

If you mean one specific sports match or game, perlawanan is often the more direct choice.

• perlawanan = match/game
• pertandingan = competition/contest/match more generally

So:

• Perlawanan itu masih seri. = very natural for That match is still tied.
• Pertandingan itu masih seri. = also possible, especially in broader competition contexts

A learner should know that both can appear, but perlawanan may sound more specifically like a single game.

You would usually use tidak before seri:

• Pertandingan itu tidak seri. = The match is not tied.

If you want to say it is no longer tied, you can say:

• Pertandingan itu tidak lagi seri. = The match is no longer tied.

And if you want to say it is still not tied, that would be:

• Pertandingan itu masih tidak seri.

But in real sports language, speakers may prefer a more natural phrasing depending on what they want to emphasize.

Malay does not change the verb form the way English does, so time is often shown with time words.

Examples:

• Pertandingan itu masih seri semalam. = The match was still tied yesterday.
• Pertandingan itu masih seri ketika rehat. = The match was still tied at halftime.
• Pertandingan itu akan masih seri... is possible, but less common and often sounds awkward.

For future meaning, Malay speakers often phrase it differently depending on context. For example:

• Mungkin pertandingan itu akan seri. = Maybe the match will end in a draw.

If you specifically mean still in the future, you would usually need a clearer context.

A simple approximate pronunciation is:

• pertandingan → per-tan-ding-an
• itu → ee-too
• masih → mah-seeh
• seri → seh-ree

A fuller rough guide:

• Pertandingan itu masih seri
• per-tan-DING-an ee-too MAH-seeh seh-REE

A few notes:

• Malay pronunciation is usually quite regular.
• r is typically lightly rolled or tapped.
• The e in seri is like e in set for many speakers.
• Stress is not as strong or important as in English.

Yes.

• Pertandingan itu seri. = The match is tied.
• Pertandingan itu masih seri. = The match is still tied.

Adding masih emphasizes that the equal score continues from earlier.

So if you want the idea of continuing up to now, use masih. If you only want the basic statement, you can leave it out.