ni / tu

Colloquial Demonstratives Ni and Tu

Level 3

In spoken Malay, the full words ini and itu are almost always shortened to ni and tu. They follow the noun they describe or act as standalone pronouns.

How It Works

In natural conversation, Malay speakers rarely use the full forms ini and itu. Instead, they use the truncated forms ni and tu.

1. Adnominal Use (After a Noun)
When describing a specific object, place these particles immediately after the noun. In this position, they often function like the English definite article 'the'.

  • Buku ni = This book / The book (here)
  • Orang tu = That person / The person (we were talking about)

2. Pronominal Use (Standalone)
They can start a sentence as the subject, meaning 'This is...' or 'That is...'.

  • Ni mak saya. = This is my mother.
  • Tu apa? = What is that?

3. Discourse Markers
Beyond just pointing at things, ni and tu are used to 'anchor' a topic. If you say 'Budak ni...', you are signaling to the listener that you are about to say something specific or noteworthy about 'this kid'.

4. Register Note
These forms are strictly for Bahasa Melayu Percakapan (Spoken Malay). You should avoid them in formal essays, business letters, or official speeches, where ini and itu are required.

Examples (5)

  1. Mana kunci kereta tu?

    Where are the/those car keys?

    Word by Word: Where key car that?

    Here, 'tu' follows the noun phrase 'kunci kereta' to specify which keys the speaker is looking for.

  2. Ni kawan saya, Ali.

    This is my friend, Ali.

    Word by Word: This friend I, Ali.

    In this sentence, 'ni' acts as a pronoun at the beginning of the sentence.

  3. Mahal betul baju ni!

    This shirt is really expensive!

    Word by Word: Expensive really shirt this!

    Using 'ni' here adds emphasis to the specific item the speaker is reacting to.

  4. Tu lah!

    Exactly! / That's it!

    Word by Word: That [emphasis]!

    A very common idiomatic expression using 'tu' with the particle 'lah' to agree with someone.

  5. Budak ni nak makan apa?

    What does this kid want to eat?

    Word by Word: Kid this want eat what?

    Using 'ni' after 'budak' (child/kid) makes the sentence sound like natural, casual speech.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'ni' and 'tu' in formal writing.

    Saya mahu membeli buku ni.
    Saya mahu membeli buku ini.

    In formal writing or exams, always use the full forms 'ini' and 'itu'. The shortened versions are for speaking.

  • Placing 'ni' before the noun when describing it.

    Saya suka ni rumah.
    Saya suka rumah ni.

    When 'ni' describes a noun (this house), it must come after the noun. Placing it before makes it a pronoun (This is a house).

How It Connects

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ni / tuLevel 3Colloquial Demonstratives Ni and Tu

Learn This First

To understand the colloquial reductions 'ni' and 'tu', learners must first be familiar with the full formal demonstratives 'ini' (this) and 'itu' (that) and how they are positioned after a noun to modify it.

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Words in This Pattern

tutu