Ter- Passive
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use the 'ter-' prefix to describe actions that happened accidentally, spontaneously, or were completed without a clear agent.
- Use 'ter-' to indicate an accidental action: 'Terinjak' (accidentally stepped on).
- Use 'ter-' to show a state of completion: 'Tertutup' (closed/shut).
- Use 'ter-' to describe potential: 'Tidak terbaca' (cannot be read).
Meanings
The 'ter-' prefix in Indonesian passive voice indicates that an action occurred unintentionally, unexpectedly, or resulted in a specific state.
Accidental
Action happened by mistake.
“Piring itu terjatuh.”
“Kaki saya terinjak.”
State/Result
The state of an object after an action.
“Pintu itu tertutup.”
“Lampu itu terpasang.”
Potential/Ability
Used in negative to show impossibility.
“Tulisan ini tidak terbaca.”
“Masalah itu tidak terselesaikan.”
Ter- Passive Formation
| Root Verb | Ter- Form | Meaning | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| jatuh | terjatuh | fell accidentally | Accidental |
| buka | terbuka | is open | State |
| tutup | tertutup | is closed | State |
| tinggal | tertinggal | left behind | Accidental |
| injak | terinjak | stepped on | Accidental |
| baca | terbaca | readable | Potential |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Ter- + Root | Pintu itu terbuka. |
| Negative | Tidak + Ter- + Root | Pintu itu tidak terbuka. |
| Question | Apakah + Ter- + Root? | Apakah pintu itu terbuka? |
| Past | Ter- + Root | Dompet saya tertinggal. |
| Potential | Tidak + Ter- + Root | Tulisan itu tidak terbaca. |
| State | Ter- + Root | Lampu itu terpasang. |
Formalitätsspektrum
Pintu tersebut tertutup. (Daily life)
Pintu itu tertutup. (Daily life)
Pintunya tertutup. (Daily life)
Pintunya nutup (non-standard). (Daily life)
Ter- Prefix Functions
Accident
- terjatuh fell
State
- tertutup closed
Potential
- terbaca readable
Di- vs Ter- Passive
Examples by Level
Piring itu terjatuh.
The plate fell (accidentally).
Pintu itu tertutup.
The door is closed.
Buku itu terbuka.
The book is open.
Lampu itu terpasang.
The lamp is installed.
Dompet saya tertinggal di taksi.
My wallet was left behind in the taxi.
Kaki saya terinjak.
My foot was stepped on.
Masalah itu terselesaikan.
The problem is solved.
Kaca itu terpecah.
The glass is broken.
Tulisan ini tidak terbaca.
This writing cannot be read.
Pintu itu tidak terbuka.
The door cannot be opened.
Semua tugas sudah terselesaikan.
All tasks have been completed.
Dia terkejut melihat saya.
He was surprised to see me.
Keputusan itu sudah terambil.
The decision has been taken.
Data tersebut tidak terhitung.
That data cannot be calculated.
Dia terdiam saat mendengar berita itu.
He fell silent upon hearing the news.
Rencana itu tidak terlaksana.
The plan was not executed.
Kejadian itu tidak terduga.
The event was unexpected.
Semua bukti sudah terkumpul.
All evidence has been collected.
Dia terhanyut oleh suasana.
He was carried away by the atmosphere.
Pesan itu tidak tersampaikan.
The message was not conveyed.
Karya itu terabaikan selama bertahun-tahun.
The work was neglected for years.
Dia terperosok ke dalam lubang.
He fell into the hole.
Semangatnya tidak terpatahkan.
His spirit is unbroken.
Fakta itu tidak terbantahkan.
The fact is irrefutable.
Easily Confused
Learners mix up intentional and accidental.
Ter- can mean 'most'.
Both describe states.
Häufige Fehler
Terjatuh oleh saya.
Saya terjatuh.
Di-jatuh.
Terjatuh.
Ter-makan oleh dia.
Termakan.
Ter-buka oleh saya.
Terbuka.
Ter-tinggal oleh saya.
Tertinggal.
Di-tutup pintu itu.
Pintu itu tertutup.
Ter-baca oleh dia.
Tidak terbaca.
Ter-selesaikan oleh tim.
Terselesaikan.
Ter-baik pintu itu.
Pintu itu tertutup.
Ter-laksana oleh kami.
Terlaksana.
Ter-duga oleh semua.
Tidak terduga.
Ter-patahkan oleh semangat.
Tidak terpatahkan.
Ter-kumpul oleh mereka.
Terkumpul.
Ter-hanyut oleh air.
Terhanyut.
Sentence Patterns
___ itu tertinggal di ___.
Pintu itu ___.
Masalah itu tidak ___.
Kejadian itu tidak ___.
Real World Usage
Paspor saya tertinggal.
Kejadian tidak terduga!
Tugas sudah terselesaikan.
Piring terjatuh.
Pintunya tertutup.
Data tidak terhitung.
No Agent
Superlative Confusion
Negative Potential
Politeness
Smart Tips
Use ter- to focus on the event, not the person.
Use ter- for fixed results.
Use tidak + ter-.
Use tertinggal.
Aussprache
Ter- prefix
The 'e' in 'ter-' is a schwa sound (like the 'a' in 'about').
Statement
Pintu itu tertutup ↘
Falling intonation for facts.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Ter- is for 'Ter-rible' accidents.
Visual Association
Imagine a person walking and accidentally tripping over a rug. The rug is 'ter-injak' (stepped on).
Rhyme
When it happens by mistake, use Ter- for goodness sake.
Story
Budi was rushing. He accidentally dropped his phone (terjatuh). He left his bag at the cafe (tertinggal). Now the door is locked (tertutup) and he cannot get in (tidak terbuka).
Word Web
Herausforderung
Look around your room and name 3 things that are in a state (e.g., door is closed, light is on) using 'ter-'.
Kulturelle Hinweise
Using 'ter-' helps avoid blaming others directly, which is culturally polite.
The 'ter-' prefix is an Austronesian inheritance.
Conversation Starters
Apa yang tertinggal di rumah?
Apakah pintu itu tertutup?
Apakah tugas itu sudah terselesaikan?
Apa kejadian yang tidak terduga hari ini?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
Gelas itu ___ (fall).
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Dompet itu tertinggal oleh saya.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
The door cannot be opened.
Answer starts with: Pin...
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Ter- can take an agent.
taksi / tertinggal / tas / saya
Score: /8
Ubungsaufgaben
8 exercisesGelas itu ___ (fall).
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Dompet itu tertinggal oleh saya.
terbaca / tidak / tulisan / ini
The door cannot be opened.
terjatuh - tertutup - terbaca
Ter- can take an agent.
taksi / tertinggal / tas / saya
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
No, `ter-` verbs do not take an agent.
No, it also indicates states or potential.
Use `tidak` + `ter-` verb.
It is used in all registers.
Di- is intentional, ter- is accidental.
Yes, as a superlative prefix.
To describe an accidental stepping incident.
Yes, it describes the state of being open.
In Other Languages
Se-passive
Spanish uses reflexive pronouns.
Passive voice
French doesn't have a direct 'accidental' prefix.
Zustandspassiv
German is more complex syntactically.
Te-form + shimau
Japanese uses a suffix/auxiliary verb.
Passive form
Arabic is highly inflectional.
Bei-passive
Chinese 'bei' usually implies negative impact.
