Informal Passive
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
The informal passive uses the 'di-' prefix to shift focus from the doer to the object being acted upon.
- Use 'di-' + verb to describe an action done to an object: 'Buku itu dibaca' (The book is read).
- The agent (doer) follows with 'oleh': 'Buku itu dibaca oleh saya' (The book is read by me).
- In informal speech, 'oleh' is often dropped: 'Buku itu saya baca' (The book, I read).
Meanings
The passive voice in Indonesian is used to emphasize the receiver of an action rather than the performer. It is extremely common in both formal and informal communication.
Standard Passive
Focusing on the object of a transitive verb.
“Surat itu ditulis.”
“Mobil itu dicuci.”
Agentive Passive
Specifying who performed the action using 'oleh'.
“Pesan ini dikirim oleh bos.”
“Rumah itu dibeli oleh mereka.”
Informal Object-Focus
Dropping the 'di-' prefix and placing the agent before the verb.
“Buku ini saya beli.”
“Kopi itu kamu minum?”
Passive Verb Formation
| Active (me-) | Passive (di-) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Membaca | Dibaca | To read / Is read |
| Memakan | Dimakan | To eat / Is eaten |
| Menulis | Ditulis | To write / Is written |
| Mencuci | Dicuci | To wash / Is washed |
| Mengirim | Dikirim | To send / Is sent |
| Membeli | Dibeli | To buy / Is bought |
Informal Object-Focus
| Object | Agent | Verb |
|---|---|---|
| Buku itu | Saya | baca |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Object + di-verb | Buku dibaca. |
| Agentive | Object + di-verb + oleh + Agent | Buku dibaca oleh saya. |
| Negative | Object + tidak + di-verb | Buku tidak dibaca. |
| Question | Apakah + Object + di-verb? | Apakah buku dibaca? |
| Informal | Object + Agent + verb | Buku saya baca. |
| Passive Future | Object + akan + di-verb | Buku akan dibaca. |
| Passive Past | Object + sudah + di-verb | Buku sudah dibaca. |
Formalitätsspektrum
Surat itu ditulis oleh manajer. (Business communication)
Surat itu ditulis manajer. (Business communication)
Suratnya ditulis manajer. (Business communication)
Suratnya dibikin manajer. (Business communication)
Passive Voice Components
Prefix
- di- passive marker
Agent
- oleh by
Focus
- Objek object
Examples by Level
Buku itu dibaca.
The book is read.
Kue itu dimakan.
The cake is eaten.
Mobil itu dicuci.
The car is washed.
Pesan itu dikirim.
The message is sent.
Surat itu ditulis oleh saya.
The letter was written by me.
Apakah kopi itu diminum?
Is the coffee being drunk?
Pekerjaan itu tidak diselesaikan.
The work is not finished.
Rumah itu dibeli oleh mereka.
The house was bought by them.
Buku ini saya beli kemarin.
I bought this book yesterday.
Masalah itu harus segera diselesaikan.
That problem must be solved immediately.
Lagu itu sering dinyanyikan di sini.
That song is often sung here.
Keputusan itu diambil oleh direktur.
The decision was taken by the director.
Data tersebut telah dianalisis oleh tim kami.
The data has been analyzed by our team.
Informasi ini tidak boleh disebarkan.
This information must not be spread.
Proyek ini dikerjakan dengan sangat hati-hati.
This project is worked on very carefully.
Banyak gedung tua dihancurkan tahun lalu.
Many old buildings were destroyed last year.
Kebijakan tersebut diimplementasikan demi kesejahteraan rakyat.
The policy was implemented for the welfare of the people.
Karya sastra ini diterjemahkan ke dalam berbagai bahasa.
This literary work is translated into various languages.
Peraturan ini ditetapkan berdasarkan undang-undang.
This regulation is established based on the law.
Teori tersebut dibantah oleh para ahli.
The theory was refuted by the experts.
Fenomena ini lazim ditemukan dalam dialek lokal.
This phenomenon is commonly found in local dialects.
Hak asasi manusia harus dijunjung tinggi oleh setiap negara.
Human rights must be upheld by every nation.
Konsep ini sering disalahpahami oleh masyarakat awam.
This concept is often misunderstood by the general public.
Keputusan tersebut diambil tanpa melalui pertimbangan matang.
The decision was taken without mature consideration.
Easily Confused
Both are prefixes, but one is intentional and one is accidental.
Häufige Fehler
Saya dibaca buku.
Buku dibaca oleh saya.
Buku itu mebaca.
Buku itu dibaca.
Dia dimakan nasi.
Nasi dimakan oleh dia.
Buku itu di-baca.
Buku itu dibaca.
Buku itu dibaca oleh saya.
Buku itu saya baca.
Dia ditidur.
Dia sedang tidur.
Mobil itu dicuci oleh.
Mobil itu dicuci.
Buku itu termakan.
Buku itu dimakan.
Surat itu ditulis saya.
Surat itu saya tulis.
Dia dimarahi oleh saya.
Dia saya marahi.
Kebijakan itu diimplementasi.
Kebijakan itu diimplementasikan.
Hal ini dibicarakan oleh kita.
Hal ini kita bicarakan.
Dia disuruh pergi oleh saya.
Dia saya suruh pergi.
Sentence Patterns
___ itu ___ oleh ___.
Real World Usage
Pesanan sudah diterima.
Focus on the object
Smart Tips
Use the passive to sound professional.
Aussprache
Di- prefix
Pronounced as 'dee', always unstressed.
Statement
Buku itu dibaca ↘
Neutral information
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Di- is for Done. If it's done to something, use di-.
Visual Association
Imagine a giant 'DI' stamp being pressed onto an object. Every time you see an object being acted upon, visualize that stamp.
Rhyme
When the object is the star, use di- to go far.
Story
Budi has a cake. Budi eats the cake. The cake is sad because it is being eaten. 'Kue itu dimakan Budi.' The cake is now the main character.
Word Web
Herausforderung
Look at 5 items in your room and describe them using the passive voice (e.g., 'Lampu itu dinyalakan').
Kulturelle Hinweise
The passive is used to maintain 'sopan santun' (politeness) by avoiding direct confrontation.
The 'di-' prefix evolved from a preposition meaning 'at' or 'in'.
Conversation Starters
Apa yang sedang dimakan?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
Buku itu ___ (baca) oleh saya.
Score: /1
Ubungsaufgaben
1 exercisesBuku itu ___ (baca) oleh saya.
Score: /1
FAQ (1)
No, only for transitive verbs.
In Other Languages
ser + participio
Spanish changes for gender/number.
être + participe passé
French agrees with the subject.
werden + Partizip II
German has complex case endings.
reru/rareru
Japanese passive often implies suffering.
Internal vowel change
Indonesian uses prefixes.
bei
Chinese 'bei' often implies negative outcomes.
