Relaying Information
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use passive reporting verbs like 'diketahui' or 'dikatakan' to relay information without needing to specify exactly who said it.
- Use 'di-' prefix on reporting verbs: 'Dikatakan bahwa dia akan datang.' (It is said that he will come.)
- Use 'bahwa' to connect the main clause to the reported information.
- Keep the subject impersonal or general to maintain a formal, objective tone.
Meanings
This structure allows speakers to report information, rumors, or facts without identifying the original source. It is essential for formal writing, news reporting, and objective storytelling.
General Reporting
Reporting facts or common knowledge.
“Dikatakan bahwa bumi itu bulat.”
“Dipercaya bahwa dia orang jujur.”
Rumor/Hearsay
Sharing information that is not verified.
“Dikabarkan bahwa mereka akan bercerai.”
“Dengar-dengar bahwa kantor akan pindah.”
Passive Reporting Verb Formation
| Active Verb | Passive Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| mengatakan | dikatakan | is said |
| melaporkan | dilaporkan | is reported |
| mengetahui | diketahui | is known |
| mengabarkan | dikabarkan | is rumored |
| mempercayai | dipercaya | is believed |
| menyebut | disebut | is mentioned |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Passive Verb + bahwa + Clause | Dikatakan bahwa dia jujur. |
| Negative | Tidak + Passive Verb + bahwa + Clause | Tidak dikatakan bahwa dia jujur. |
| Question | Apakah + Passive Verb + bahwa + Clause? | Apakah dikatakan bahwa dia jujur? |
| Past Tense | Passive Verb + bahwa + Clause (telah/sudah) | Dikatakan bahwa dia sudah pergi. |
| Future Tense | Passive Verb + bahwa + Clause (akan) | Dikatakan bahwa dia akan pergi. |
| Rumor | Disebut-sebut + bahwa + Clause | Disebut-sebut bahwa dia akan menang. |
طيف الرسمية
Dikatakan bahwa beliau kaya. (Gossip)
Dikatakan bahwa dia kaya. (Gossip)
Katanya dia kaya. (Gossip)
Denger-denger dia kaya. (Gossip)
Passive Reporting Flow
Reporting
- dikatakan is said
- dilaporkan is reported
Knowledge
- diketahui is known
- dipercaya is believed
Active vs Passive Reporting
Examples by Level
Dikatakan bahwa dia baik.
It is said that he is good.
Diketahui bahwa ini benar.
It is known that this is true.
Dikatakan bahwa hari ini panas.
It is said that today is hot.
Diketahui bahwa dia guru.
It is known that he is a teacher.
Tidak dilaporkan bahwa ada masalah.
It is not reported that there is a problem.
Apakah dikatakan bahwa dia datang?
Is it said that he is coming?
Dikabarkan bahwa dia akan pindah.
It is rumored that he will move.
Dilaporkan bahwa jalan itu tutup.
It is reported that the road is closed.
Dikatakan bahwa proyek ini akan selesai bulan depan.
It is said that this project will be finished next month.
Diketahui bahwa kebijakan baru ini sangat efektif.
It is known that this new policy is very effective.
Disebut-sebut bahwa dia adalah kandidat terbaik.
It is often mentioned that he is the best candidate.
Dipercaya bahwa tradisi ini sudah ada sejak lama.
It is believed that this tradition has existed for a long time.
Dilaporkan bahwa terjadi peningkatan signifikan dalam penjualan.
It is reported that there was a significant increase in sales.
Dikatakan bahwa perubahan iklim berdampak pada ekonomi global.
It is said that climate change impacts the global economy.
Diketahui bahwa perusahaan tersebut sedang melakukan restrukturisasi.
It is known that the company is undergoing restructuring.
Dianggap bahwa keputusan ini diambil secara sepihak.
It is considered that this decision was taken unilaterally.
Disebut-sebut bahwa ada ketegangan di antara kedua pihak.
It is rumored that there is tension between the two parties.
Dilaporkan bahwa temuan tersebut telah diverifikasi oleh tim ahli.
It is reported that the findings have been verified by a team of experts.
Dikatakan bahwa narasi ini mencerminkan realitas sosial saat ini.
It is said that this narrative reflects current social reality.
Diketahui bahwa mekanisme ini memerlukan penyesuaian lebih lanjut.
It is known that this mechanism requires further adjustment.
Dipercaya bahwa artefak ini berasal dari abad ke-12.
It is believed that this artifact dates back to the 12th century.
Disebut-sebut bahwa kebijakan tersebut merupakan bentuk kompromi politik.
It is often mentioned that the policy is a form of political compromise.
Dilaporkan bahwa terdapat anomali dalam data tersebut.
It is reported that there is an anomaly in the data.
Dikatakan bahwa kebenaran sering kali bersifat subjektif.
It is said that truth is often subjective.
Easily Confused
Learners mix up the focus of the sentence.
Learners use quotes with passive reporting.
Learners confuse 'di-' as passive with 'di-' as causative.
أخطاء شائعة
Kata bahwa dia datang.
Dikatakan bahwa dia datang.
Dikatakan dia datang.
Dikatakan bahwa dia datang.
Mengatakan bahwa dia datang.
Dikatakan bahwa dia datang.
Dikatakan dia adalah datang.
Dikatakan bahwa dia datang.
Tidak dikatakan bahwa dia datang.
Tidak dikatakan bahwa dia akan datang.
Dilapor bahwa dia sakit.
Dilaporkan bahwa dia sakit.
Dikatakan bahwa adalah dia sakit.
Dikatakan bahwa dia sakit.
Dikatakan jika dia datang.
Dikatakan bahwa dia datang.
Diketahui bahwa dia sedang pergi.
Diketahui bahwa dia telah pergi.
Dikatakan bahwa mereka adalah menikah.
Dikatakan bahwa mereka menikah.
Disebut-sebut bahwa dia menang.
Disebut-sebut bahwa dia akan menang.
Dilaporkan bahwa temuan ini adalah benar.
Dilaporkan bahwa temuan ini benar.
Dikatakan bahwa dia telah mengatakan.
Dikatakan bahwa dia telah berkata.
Sentence Patterns
Dikatakan bahwa ___ akan ___.
Dilaporkan bahwa ___ terjadi di ___.
Diketahui bahwa ___ memerlukan ___.
Disebut-sebut bahwa ___ adalah ___.
Real World Usage
Dilaporkan bahwa cuaca buruk akan melanda.
Diketahui bahwa target belum tercapai.
Disebut-sebut bahwa dia akan pindah.
Dikatakan bahwa teori ini valid.
Dipercaya bahwa tempat ini angker.
Diketahui bahwa perusahaan ini inovatif.
Use 'bahwa'
Avoid 'adalah'
Vary your verbs
Formal tone
Smart Tips
Use 'dilaporkan' instead of 'dikatakan' to sound more professional.
Use 'disebut-sebut' to add a sense of ongoing discussion.
Always default to 'dikatakan' to stay safe and objective.
Always start with 'Apakah' to clearly mark the sentence as a question.
النطق
Passive 'di-'
The 'di-' prefix is always unstressed and attached to the verb.
Reporting clause
Di-ka-TA-kan ↗ bahwa... ↘
Rising intonation on the verb, falling on the reported clause.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of the 'di-' as a 'distance' marker. It keeps the speaker at a distance from the information.
Visual Association
Imagine a newspaper floating in the air with no one holding it. The headline says 'Dikatakan...' (It is said...).
Rhyme
Di-kata, di-lapor, di-tahu, Bahwa-nya jangan lupa, itu yang perlu.
Story
A mysterious letter arrives at the office. It says 'Dikatakan bahwa...' (It is said that...). Everyone wonders who wrote it, but the passive voice hides the author. The mystery grows as more reports arrive.
Word Web
تحدٍّ
Write three sentences about current events using 'Dikatakan bahwa', 'Dilaporkan bahwa', and 'Diketahui bahwa'.
ملاحظات ثقافية
Passive reporting is the standard for news, emphasizing objectivity and authority.
The use of passive voice is highly valued in Javanese culture to maintain social harmony.
Informal passive forms like 'disebut-sebut' are common for sharing trending topics.
The passive 'di-' prefix is a classic Austronesian feature, present in many languages of the region.
Conversation Starters
Apakah dikatakan bahwa besok akan hujan?
Apa yang dilaporkan tentang proyek baru itu?
Apakah diketahui bahwa dia akan datang ke acara ini?
Bagaimana tanggapan publik? Apakah disebut-sebut bahwa kebijakan ini akan diubah?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
___ bahwa dia orang baik.
Which sentence is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Kata bahwa dia akan pergi.
Orang melaporkan bahwa ada masalah.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
___ bahwa dia adalah kandidat terbaik.
Tidak ___ bahwa ada korban jiwa.
Orang percaya bahwa dia jujur.
Score: /8
تمارين تطبيقية
8 exercises___ bahwa dia orang baik.
Which sentence is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Kata bahwa dia akan pergi.
Orang melaporkan bahwa ada masalah.
Match: 1. Dikatakan, 2. Dilaporkan, 3. Diketahui.
___ bahwa dia adalah kandidat terbaik.
Tidak ___ bahwa ada korban jiwa.
Orang percaya bahwa dia jujur.
Score: /8
الأسئلة الشائعة (8)
It acts as a connector between the reporting verb and the information. Without it, the sentence feels incomplete.
It's a bit formal, but you can use it to share rumors or news. For very casual talk, 'katanya' is better.
They are similar in meaning, but 'dikatakan' is formal and 'katanya' is informal.
Most reporting verbs follow the 'di-' rule. If you are unsure, stick to the most common ones like 'dikatakan' or 'dilaporkan'.
Yes, just add 'Apakah' at the beginning. 'Apakah dikatakan bahwa...?'
It's redundant. Indonesian doesn't need 'to be' in the same way English does.
Yes, it's the standard way to report news objectively.
Yes, just add 'telah' or 'sudah' in the reported clause.
In Other Languages
Se dice que...
Spanish uses a reflexive pronoun, while Indonesian uses a prefix.
On dit que...
French uses a pronoun, whereas Indonesian uses a verb prefix.
Man sagt, dass...
German requires a subordinate clause structure with 'dass'.
to iwarete iru
Japanese places the reporting verb at the end of the sentence.
yuqal anna...
Arabic passive voice is formed by internal vowel changes.
jù shuō...
Chinese does not use a passive verb prefix for this.
