"Gula itu manis."

Translation: Sugar is sweet.

[lucysmith94]

Should "gula itu manis" not translate to "that sugar is sweet"?

[duolingotfek]

It's a matter of context

That sugar is sweet : that particular sugar is sweet

Sugar is sweet: generally, sugar is sweet. Any sugar

For both context, the translation would be: Gula itu manis.

So, maybe you want to keep in mind, that the word "itu" is not used only to describe something out of reach, but also to point out general truth.

Bumi itu bulat
(Earth is round)

Garam itu asin
(Salt is salty)

Olahraga itu baik untuk kesehatan
(Exercising is good for health)

[Origin5world5_]

Could 'itu' then mean something the like of the Spanish equivalent of 'ser'? In Spanish there are two ways of saying that something 'is'; 'estar' is to describe a changeable situation, an emotion etc, and 'ser' is to describe unchangeable truths.

[PhonyBelon]

I agree

[c3trash]

What role does itu play in this sentence? I thought itu meant that. So, wouldn't this be That sugar is sweet.

[Lims41]

Would "gula manis" also be acceptable?

[duolingotfek]

"Gula manis" is translated into "sweet sugar".

[ibs707524]

So frustrating

[KevalDhoki1]

Again, computer error