itu
Itu Meaning That
In Malay, itu is a distal demonstrative. When used as a pronoun, it stands alone to represent a thing, person, or idea that is far from the speaker.
How It Works
The word itu is one of the most versatile words in Malay. As a pronoun, it functions in several ways:
- Pointing (Distal): It refers to something physically away from the speaker, including things near the listener (unlike ini, which refers to something close to the speaker). It can also refer to the past, such as waktu itu (that time).
- Sentence Subject: It can start a sentence to identify something, such as Itu kucing (That is a cat). Note that Malay often uses noun predicates without needing a word for 'is'.
- Definiteness: While Malay doesn't have a direct equivalent to 'the', itu is often used after a noun to mark it as a specific, known object (e.g., buku itu - the/that book).
- Emphatic Form (itulah): By adding the particle -lah, you create itulah, which adds emphasis to mean 'that is exactly' or 'that is the one'.
- Anaphoric Reference: It can refer back to a whole idea or situation mentioned previously.
- Casual Speech: In daily conversation, it is almost always shortened to tu.
Unlike English, itu does not change for plural nouns; it remains the same whether you are pointing to one thing or many.
Examples (5)
- Itu rumah saya.
That is my house.
Word by Word: That house my.
Here, 'itu' acts as the subject of the sentence, pointing to a house in the distance.
- Itu kawan saya, Ali.
That is my friend, Ali.
Word by Word: That friend my, Ali.
You can use 'itu' to identify people who are standing further away.
- Apa itu?
What is that?
Word by Word: What that?
A very common question using 'itu' as a standalone pronoun.
- Itu tidak betul.
That is not right.
Word by Word: That not right.
In this case, 'itu' refers to an abstract idea or a statement made by someone else.
- Tu kereta abang saya.
That's my brother's car.
Word by Word: That car brother my.
This uses the colloquial shortened form 'tu', which is very common in spoken Malay.
Common Mistakes
Placing 'itu' before the noun to mean 'that [noun]'.
Itu buku sangat mahal.Buku itu sangat mahal.In Malay, if you want to say 'that book', the demonstrative must follow the noun. 'Itu buku' means 'That is a book'.
Using 'itu' to translate the conjunction 'that' (e.g., 'I know that...').
Saya tahu itu dia lapar.Saya tahu bahawa dia lapar.To connect two clauses (like 'I know that...'), you must use the conjunction bahawa, not the demonstrative 'itu'.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To use 'itu' as a standalone pronoun, learners first need to be familiar with its role as a determiner following a noun. Additionally, because 'itu' often functions as the subject in simple sentences without a verb, understanding Malay's zero-copula predicate structure and the parallel usage of 'ini' is necessary.
- Noun + ituThat After the Noun
Understanding 'itu' as a demonstrative determiner is the foundation for using it as a standalone pronoun.
Level 1 - iniIni Meaning This
Learning 'ini' as a pronoun provides the parallel conceptual framework for how demonstratives function as subjects or objects in Malay.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- Nouns can be simple predicates
Explains why sentences like 'Itu rumah' don't need a word for 'is'.
Level 1 - ni / tuColloquial Demonstratives Ni and Tu
Covers the colloquial shortened versions of 'ini' and 'itu' used in daily speech.
Level 3 - bahawaContent Clauses with Bahawa
The correct word for the conjunction 'that' in complex sentences.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice itu in Bubblegum
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