A1 · Beginner Chapter 7

Pointing Things Out

3 Total Rules
1 min
Rules in This Chapter Quick Practice

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the art of pointing to things near and far in any Malay conversation.

  • Identify objects close to you using 'ini'.
  • Distinguish distant items using 'itu'.
  • Master the correct word order for pointing words.
Point, name, and claim your world with confidence.

What You'll Learn

Using demonstratives like 'ini' and 'itu'. Learn how to specify which object you are talking about.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to identify nearby objects using 'ini' in simple sentences.
  2. 2
    By the end you will be able to refer to distant objects using 'itu' correctly.
  3. 3
    By the end you will be able to structure noun phrases where the demonstrative follows the noun.

Tips & Tricks (3)

💡

Thumb pointing

Always use your thumb to point when using 'ini' to be polite.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Using 'Ini' (This)
💡

Think 'Far'

Always associate 'itu' with distance. If it's far, use 'itu'.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Using 'Itu' (That)
💡

Use your thumb

When pointing, use your thumb to be polite.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Placement of Demonstratives

Key Vocabulary (7)

buku book meja table kerusi chair kucing cat apa what itu that ini this

Real-World Preview

shopping-bag

At the Night Market (Pasar Malam)

Review Summary

  • ini + [noun] OR [noun] + ini
  • itu + [noun] OR [noun] + itu
  • [Noun] + [Ini/Itu]

Common Mistakes

English speakers often put 'this' before the noun. In Malay, it must come after the noun it modifies.

Wrong: Ini buku meja (This table book)
Correct: Buku ini (This book)

Using 'itu' for something you are holding is confusing. Use 'ini' for anything within reach.

Wrong: Itu buku (pointing to something in hand)
Correct: Ini buku

Avoid over-complicating. You don't need to repeat the demonstrative or always use 'adalah' for simple identification.

Wrong: Ini adalah buku ini
Correct: Ini buku

Next Steps

You're doing great! Mastering 'ini' and 'itu' is a huge step toward navigating daily life in Malaysia or Indonesia.

Walk around your room and name 10 items using 'Noun + Ini'.

Write 5 sentences about things you see outside your window using 'itu'.

Continue to: Describing Your World

Quick Practice (10)

Fill in the blank with 'itu' or 'ini'.

Buku ___ (that) sangat menarik.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: itu
The context implies distance.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Using 'Itu' (That)

Choose the correct sentence.

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Buku ini
Noun + Demonstrative.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Placement of Demonstratives

Fix the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

Ini adalah rumah besar.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Rumah besar ini
Demonstrative at the end.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Placement of Demonstratives

Fill in the blank with 'ini' or 'itu'.

Buku ___ (near).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ini
Near = ini.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Placement of Demonstratives

Fix the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

Ini rumah besar.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Rumah ini besar
Demonstrative follows noun.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Using 'Ini' (This)

Choose the correct sentence.

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Buku ini
Noun + ini is correct.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Using 'Ini' (This)

Identify the negative form.

What is the negative of 'Buku itu'?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Bukan buku itu
Bukan is used for noun phrases.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Using 'Itu' (That)

Fill in the blank.

Buku ___ (this).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ini
Ini means this.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Using 'Ini' (This)

Select the right demonstrative.

___ (This) kereta sangat laju.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ini
Ini = This.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Using 'Ini' (This)

Complete the phrase.

Siapa ___ (this)?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ini
Ini = this.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Using 'Ini' (This)

Score: /10

Common Questions (6)

Yes, you can use 'ini' for people close to you, like 'Kawan ini' (This friend).
No, 'ini' is invariant. It works for both singular and plural.
Yes, 'itu' is invariant. 'Buku-buku itu' works perfectly.
It is neutral and used in all registers.
No, that is grammatically incorrect.
No, it remains 'ini' even for plural nouns.
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The Simple Sentence
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Describing Your World
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