Using 'Itu' (That)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'itu' to point to things that are far away from you, placing it after the noun it describes.
- Place 'itu' after the noun: 'Buku itu' (That book).
- Use 'itu' for objects or people at a distance.
- It does not change for plural or singular nouns.
Meanings
A distal demonstrative used to identify an object, person, or place that is physically or conceptually distant from the speaker.
Physical distance
Pointing to an object far from the speaker.
“Rumah itu besar.”
“Orang itu kawan saya.”
Demonstrative Structure
| Noun | Demonstrative | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Buku | itu | That book |
| Meja | itu | That table |
| Orang | itu | That person |
| Rumah | itu | That house |
| Kereta | itu | That car |
| Kucing | itu | That cat |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Noun + Itu | Buku itu |
| Negative | Bukan + Noun + Itu | Bukan buku itu |
| Question | Noun + Itu + kah? | Buku itukah? |
| Plural | Noun + Itu | Buku-buku itu |
| Possessive | Noun + Itu + Saya | Buku itu saya |
| Descriptive | Noun + Itu + Adjective | Buku itu besar |
フォーマル度スペクトル
Rumah itu besar. (General description)
Rumah itu besar. (General description)
Rumah itu besar. (General description)
Rumah tu besar. (General description)
Demonstrative Map
Far
- Itu That
Near
- Ini This
Examples by Level
Kucing itu comel.
That cat is cute.
Rumah itu besar.
That house is big.
Kereta itu merah.
That car is red.
Orang itu tinggi.
That person is tall.
Bukan buku itu yang saya mahu.
It is not that book that I want.
Adakah bangunan itu pejabat?
Is that building an office?
Saya tidak suka baju itu.
I do not like that shirt.
Siapa lelaki itu?
Who is that man?
Keputusan itu dibuat oleh pengurus.
That decision was made by the manager.
Masalah itu sudah selesai.
That problem is already solved.
Idea itu sangat menarik.
That idea is very interesting.
Kejadian itu berlaku semalam.
That event happened yesterday.
Strategi itu memerlukan perancangan teliti.
That strategy requires careful planning.
Fenomena itu jarang dilihat.
That phenomenon is rarely seen.
Kenyataan itu menimbulkan kontroversi.
That statement caused controversy.
Projek itu tertangguh selama sebulan.
That project was delayed for a month.
Implikasi daripada tindakan itu sangat besar.
The implications of that action are significant.
Paradigma itu telah berubah sepenuhnya.
That paradigm has changed completely.
Naratif itu mencerminkan realiti sosial.
That narrative reflects social reality.
Konsensus itu dicapai selepas perbincangan panjang.
That consensus was reached after long discussion.
Manifestasi itu merupakan cerminan budaya.
That manifestation is a reflection of culture.
Dilema itu menuntut penyelesaian segera.
That dilemma demands an immediate solution.
Retorik itu tidak lagi relevan.
That rhetoric is no longer relevant.
Evolusi itu berlaku secara berperingkat.
That evolution occurred in stages.
Easily Confused
Learners swap them because English 'this/that' is often used interchangeably.
Learners think 'itu' means 'is'.
Learners use -nya as a determiner.
よくある間違い
Itu buku
Buku itu
Itu-itu buku
Buku itu
Buku ini (for far object)
Buku itu
Buku-buku itu-itu
Buku-buku itu
Itu adalah buku
Itu buku
Buku itu-nya
Buku itu
Bukan itu buku
Bukan buku itu
Itu yang buku
Buku itu
Buku-buku itu-nya
Buku-buku itu
Itu-lah buku
Buku itulah
Sentence Patterns
___ itu sangat cantik.
Adakah ___ itu mahal?
Saya tidak suka ___ itu.
___ itu adalah pilihan terbaik.
Real World Usage
Saya mahu baju itu.
Gambar itu cantik!
Bangunan itu apa?
Laporan itu sudah siap.
Makanan itu belum sampai.
Tengok tu!
Think 'Far'
Word Order
Colloquialism
Politeness
Smart Tips
Always put the noun first.
Use 'tu' for 'itu'.
Use 'bukan' for nouns.
Add '-kah' for emphasis.
発音
Itu
Pronounced 'ee-too'.
Statement
Buku itu. ↘
Falling intonation for facts.
Question
Buku itukah? ↗
Rising intonation for questions.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Itu is for 'It's over there'.
Visual Association
Imagine pointing at a mountain in the distance. Your finger stretches out and says 'Itu!'
Rhyme
Something near is 'ini', something far is 'itu', now you know what to do!
Story
Ali is in a park. He points to a bird in a tree far away. 'Burung itu!' he shouts. Then he looks at the flower in his hand. 'Bunga ini,' he whispers.
Word Web
チャレンジ
Point at 5 things across the room and label them '... itu' in Malay.
文化メモ
Used universally in schools and media.
Often shortened to 'tu'.
Used with honorifics.
Derived from Proto-Austronesian roots for distal demonstratives.
Conversation Starters
Apa itu?
Siapa orang itu?
Kenapa awak pilih baju itu?
Bagaimana pendapat anda tentang idea itu?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
Buku ___ (that) sangat menarik.
Find and fix the mistake:
Itu rumah besar.
Which is correct?
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
That cat is cute.
Answer starts with: Kuc...
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Buku / mahal / itu
What is the negative of 'Buku itu'?
Score: /8
練習問題
8 exercisesBuku ___ (that) sangat menarik.
Find and fix the mistake:
Itu rumah besar.
Which is correct?
itu / besar / rumah
That cat is cute.
That house / This house
Buku / mahal / itu
What is the negative of 'Buku itu'?
Score: /8
よくある質問 (8)
Yes, 'itu' is invariant. 'Buku-buku itu' works perfectly.
It is neutral and used in all registers.
It is just a common contraction in spoken Malay.
Yes, 'Orang itu' means 'that person'.
'Itu' is a determiner (that thing), 'sana' is a location (over there).
Yes, as a pronoun meaning 'That is...'.
No, Malay has no grammatical gender.
You don't change 'itu', you just pluralize the noun if necessary.
In Other Languages
aquel/ese
Malay is gender-neutral and invariant.
ce...-là
Malay uses a simple suffix-like placement.
jener
Malay has no declensions.
sono/ano
Malay places it after the noun.
dhalika
Malay is gender-neutral.
nà
Malay places it after the noun.
