Passive Prefix 'Di-'
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use the 'di-' prefix to turn active verbs into passive ones, focusing on the object rather than the person doing the action.
- Add 'di-' to the base verb: 'makan' (eat) becomes 'dimakan' (is eaten).
- The object becomes the subject: 'Buku itu dibaca saya' (The book is read by me).
- Use 'oleh' to introduce the agent: 'Surat ini ditulis oleh Budi' (This letter was written by Budi).
Meanings
The 'di-' prefix transforms an active verb into a passive one, shifting the focus of the sentence to the recipient of the action.
Standard Passive
Focusing on the object receiving the action.
“Buku ini dibeli kemarin.”
“Mobil itu dicuci.”
Instructional Passive
Used in manuals or recipes.
“Bawang dipotong kecil-kecil.”
“Tombol ditekan dua kali.”
Negative Passive
Indicating something was not done.
“Pintu tidak dikunci.”
“Surat belum dibaca.”
Passive Verb Formation
| Root Verb | Passive Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| baca | dibaca | is read |
| tulis | ditulis | is written |
| makan | dimakan | is eaten |
| ambil | diambil | is taken |
| cuci | dicuci | is washed |
| kunci | dikunci | is locked |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Object + di-Verb | Buku dibaca. |
| Negative | Object + tidak + di-Verb | Buku tidak dibaca. |
| Agent | Object + di-Verb + oleh + Agent | Buku dibaca oleh saya. |
| Question | Apakah + Object + di-Verb? | Apakah buku dibaca? |
| Perfect | Object + sudah + di-Verb | Buku sudah dibaca. |
| Continuous | Object + sedang + di-Verb | Buku sedang dibaca. |
Formalitätsspektrum
Pintu dibuka oleh petugas. (General)
Pintu dibuka. (General)
Pintunya dibuka. (General)
Pintunya dibukain. (General)
The Passive Flow
Focus
- Objek Object
Agent
- oleh by
Examples by Level
Kue dimakan.
The cake is eaten.
Buku dibaca.
The book is read.
Surat ditulis.
The letter is written.
Pintu dibuka.
The door is opened.
Nasi dimakan oleh adik.
The rice is eaten by my younger sibling.
Mobil itu dicuci ayah.
That car is washed by father.
Tugas dikerjakan sekarang.
The task is being done now.
Pesan dikirim kemarin.
The message was sent yesterday.
Laporan ini harus diselesaikan hari ini.
This report must be finished today.
Bawang dipotong kecil-kecil.
The onions are chopped into small pieces.
Apakah pintu sudah dikunci?
Has the door been locked?
Buku itu tidak dibaca oleh saya.
That book was not read by me.
Keputusan itu diambil setelah diskusi panjang.
The decision was taken after a long discussion.
Proyek tersebut sedang dikembangkan oleh tim.
The project is being developed by the team.
Informasi ini tidak boleh disebarkan.
This information must not be spread.
Bahan-bahan dicampur hingga rata.
The ingredients are mixed until even.
Kebijakan baru tersebut diimplementasikan secara bertahap.
The new policy is being implemented gradually.
Hasil penelitian dipublikasikan di jurnal internasional.
The research results were published in an international journal.
Masalah ini perlu ditangani dengan serius.
This problem needs to be handled seriously.
Peraturan ini ditetapkan oleh pemerintah.
This regulation was established by the government.
Narasi tersebut dibangun berdasarkan fakta sejarah.
The narrative was constructed based on historical facts.
Fenomena ini sering diamati dalam studi sosiologi.
This phenomenon is often observed in sociological studies.
Kritik tersebut disampaikan dengan sangat santun.
The criticism was delivered very politely.
Strategi ini dirancang untuk memaksimalkan efisiensi.
This strategy was designed to maximize efficiency.
Easily Confused
Both indicate passive, but 'di-' is deliberate and 'ter-' is accidental or state-based.
Learners often write 'di' as a separate word for verbs.
Learners use 'di-' for themselves.
Häufige Fehler
Saya dimakan nasi
Nasi dimakan saya
Di makan nasi
Dimakan nasi
Nasi dimakan oleh saya
Nasi dimakan saya
Nasi di makan
Nasi dimakan
Buku itu di baca
Buku itu dibaca
Saya dibaca buku
Buku dibaca saya
Buku itu tidak di baca
Buku itu tidak dibaca
Pintu itu ter-buka (when someone opened it)
Pintu itu dibuka
Surat itu ditulis oleh saya kemarin
Surat itu saya tulis kemarin
Bahan-bahan di campur
Bahan-bahan dicampur
Penelitian ini di lakukan oleh kami
Penelitian ini kami lakukan
Sentence Patterns
___ dimakan oleh ___.
Apakah ___ sudah ___?
___ sedang ___ oleh tim.
Keputusan ___ setelah ___.
Real World Usage
Bawang dipotong.
Presiden disambut.
Laporan dikirim.
Foto diambil.
Tombol ditekan.
Tiket dipesan.
Prefix vs. Preposition
Don't use with 'saya'
Use for recipes
Politeness
Smart Tips
Use the passive voice to maintain an objective tone.
Use the passive to focus on the task, not the person.
Use passive to keep the object as the subject.
Use the passive when you don't know who did it.
Aussprache
Prefix 'di-'
Pronounced like 'dee' in 'deep'.
Statement
Buku dibaca. ↘
Falling intonation for facts.
Question
Buku dibaca? ↗
Rising intonation for questions.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of 'di-' as a 'door'—it opens the way for the object to come first.
Visual Association
Imagine a chef (the agent) standing behind a plate of food (the object). The food is the star, so the chef is pushed to the back with the word 'oleh'.
Rhyme
Prefix 'di-' makes it passive, put the object first to be massive.
Story
Budi writes a letter. The letter is lonely. It wants to be the star. So, it puts on a 'di-' hat and becomes 'ditulis'. Now, Budi is just the person who holds the pen.
Word Web
Herausforderung
Look at 3 objects in your room and write a passive sentence for each (e.g., 'Lampu dinyalakan').
Kulturelle Hinweise
The passive is preferred in formal settings to sound polite and objective.
Similar usage, though 'di-' is more strictly used in formal writing.
Often uses passive constructions to show respect to the listener.
The 'di-' prefix evolved from a demonstrative pronoun in Proto-Austronesian.
Conversation Starters
Apa yang sedang dimasak?
Apakah tugas ini sudah dikerjakan?
Bagaimana laporan itu diselesaikan?
Mengapa keputusan itu diambil?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
Buku itu ___ oleh Budi.
Which sentence is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Surat itu di tulis oleh dia.
Ayah mencuci mobil.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
oleh / dimakan / nasi / adik
Bawang ___.
Pintu ___ oleh dia.
Score: /8
Ubungsaufgaben
8 exercisesBuku itu ___ oleh Budi.
Which sentence is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Surat itu di tulis oleh dia.
Ayah mencuci mobil.
Match: makan, tulis, ambil.
oleh / dimakan / nasi / adik
Bawang ___.
Pintu ___ oleh dia.
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
Yes, when attached to a verb, it creates a passive construction.
No, use the 'ku-' passive for first person.
It is often omitted when the agent is a pronoun or clearly understood.
Place 'tidak' or 'belum' before the 'di-' verb.
Yes, but often with the suffix '-in' (e.g., 'dibukain').
'Di-' is deliberate; 'ter-' is accidental or state-based.
Most transitive verbs can be made passive.
That is the preposition 'at'. It is not a prefix.
In Other Languages
ser + participio
Indonesian is a prefix-based system, Spanish is auxiliary-based.
être + participe passé
Indonesian doesn't change for gender or number.
werden + Partizip II
German has complex conjugation; Indonesian is invariant.
-reru/-rareru
Prefix vs. Suffix.
Passive voice (vowel changes)
Morphological change vs. affixation.
bei (被)
Particle vs. Prefix.
