Emas itu cantik.

that

Breakdown of Emas itu cantik.

• cantik: beautiful
• emas: gold

Questions & Answers about Emas itu cantik.

What does itu do in Emas itu cantik?

Itu usually means that, but in sentences like this it often works like a marker that points to a specific thing already known in the conversation.

So Emas itu cantik can mean something like:

• That gold is beautiful
• The gold is beautiful
• Gold, that one, is beautiful

It does not always translate neatly into one single English word. In Malay, itu often helps make the noun phrase feel more definite or specific.

Why is the word order Emas itu cantik and not something like Emas itu adalah cantik?

In Malay, you usually do not need a word for is in simple sentences.

So:

• Emas itu cantik = The gold is beautiful

This is a very normal Malay sentence pattern:

• noun phrase + adjective

The word adalah is not normally used before adjectives in simple everyday sentences like this. Native speakers would usually just say Emas itu cantik.

Is cantik a verb or an adjective here?