Orang itu menggunakan akal.

Orang can mean either person or people, depending on context.

In Orang itu menggunakan akal, it is understood as person because:

• it is followed by itu, which points to a specific referent
• the sentence structure suggests one identifiable person, not people in general

So here orang itu means that person or sometimes the person.

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

So:

• orang itu = that person
• buku ini = this book

This is a very common word order in Malay:

• noun + ini/itu

So even though English says that person, Malay says person that.

It can mean either, depending on context.

Literally, itu often corresponds to that. But in natural translation, orang itu can also function like the person, especially when the speaker is referring to someone already known in the conversation.

So:

• orang itu = that person
• sometimes more naturally in English: the person

Malay does not use articles like the or a/an in the same way English does.

Menggunakan means to use.

It comes from the root guna, which means use or benefit.
The form menggunakan is a verb built from that root.

A simple way to think of it:

• guna = use
• menggunakan = to use / to make use of

In this sentence, menggunakan akal means to use one’s intellect/reason.

Guna is the root word, while menggunakan is a full verb form.

In everyday Malay, especially spoken Malay, people may sometimes say guna by itself:

• Orang itu guna akal

But menggunakan is more standard and more formal in writing or careful speech:

• Orang itu menggunakan akal

So both may be understood, but menggunakan is the grammatically fuller form.

Not exactly.

Akal usually refers to:

• intellect
• reason
• good judgment
• common sense

It is closer to mind or reasoning ability than to the physical brain.

So menggunakan akal is more like:

• use reason
• think sensibly
• use one’s intellect

It does not usually mean using the physical brain in a biological sense.

Yes, it is understandable and natural enough. It means something like:

• to use reason
• to think properly
• to apply one’s mind

Malay often uses akal in expressions related to intelligence, judgment, and rational thinking.

Depending on context, a speaker might also use other expressions, but menggunakan akal is perfectly clear and meaningful.

The sentence follows the normal Malay word order:

• Orang itu = subject
• menggunakan = verb
• akal = object

So it is:

Subject + Verb + Object

That is the same basic order as in English:

• That person uses reason
• Orang itu menggunakan akal

Malay does not usually use articles the way English does.

English requires words like:

• a
• an
• the

Malay normally does not.

So:

• orang can mean a person, person, or people, depending on context
• orang itu helps specify the noun, often making it like that person or the person

Malay relies more on context and words like ini and itu than on articles.

You can negate it with tidak:

Orang itu tidak menggunakan akal.

This means:

• That person does not use reason
• The person is not using their intellect

Use tidak to negate verbs and adjectives in Malay.

In casual speech, speakers might shorten it to:

Orang tu guna akal.

Changes:

• itu often becomes tu in speech
• menggunakan may be shortened to guna

So:

• formal/standard: Orang itu menggunakan akal.
• casual/spoken: Orang tu guna akal.

Both are understandable, but the second sounds more conversational.

A helpful approximation is:

menggunakan → meng-goo-na-kan

More roughly by syllable:

• me-
• nggu-
• na-
• kan

A more careful breakdown is:

• me-ng-gu-na-kan

A few pronunciation notes:

• ng is like the sound at the end of English sing
• u is usually like oo in food
• Malay spelling is generally quite regular

So the whole sentence is pronounced roughly like:

o-rang ee-too meng-goo-na-kan a-kal

Yes, if the context allows it.

You could say:

Dia menggunakan akal.

That means:

• He/She uses reason

The difference is:

• orang itu = that person / the person
• dia = he/she

So orang itu is a noun phrase, while dia is a pronoun. Both can be subjects, but they are used in slightly different situations.