Memper- Causative
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use `memper-` to mean 'to make something more [adjective]' or 'to treat someone as [noun]'.
- With adjectives: `memper-` + `besar` = to make bigger (no -kan suffix!).
- With nouns: `memper-` + `istri` = to take as a wife.
- With verbs: `memper-` + `oleh` = to obtain (intensifies the action).
Meanings
A versatile prefix used primarily to create causative verbs from adjectives (to make more X) or nouns (to treat as X), often appearing in formal or literary contexts.
Causative Adjective
To cause something to have more of a quality defined by the base adjective.
“Kita harus mempercepat proses ini.”
“Ibu mempercantik ruangan dengan bunga.”
Treat as / Consider as
To treat or regard the object as the noun specified by the base word.
“Dia memperbudak karyawannya.”
“Raja memperistri putri dari negeri seberang.”
Intensive Verb
To perform the action of the base verb more thoroughly or formally.
“Siswa sedang mempelajari sejarah kuno.”
“Saya ingin memperkenalkan diri.”
To make into an issue
Using a noun base to indicate that something is being turned into a specific conceptual state.
“Jangan mempermasalahkan hal sepele.”
“Mereka memperdebatkan teori baru itu.”
Memper- Formation by Word Class
| Base Class | Prefix | Suffix | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adjective | memper- | (none) | To make more [Adj] | memperbesar (make bigger) |
| Noun | memper- | (none) | To treat as [Noun] | memperbudak (enslave) |
| Noun | memper- | -kan | To make into [Noun] | mempermasalahkan (make an issue) |
| Verb | memper- | -i/-kan | Intensive action | mempelajari (study deeply) |
| Number | memper- | (none) | To divide by [Num] | memperdua (divide in two) |
| Passive | diper- | (none) | To be made more [Adj] | diperluas (be expanded) |
Imperative Forms (Shortened)
| Full Form | Imperative (Command) | English |
|---|---|---|
| Mempercepat | Percepat! | Speed it up! |
| Memperbaiki | Perbaiki! | Fix it! |
| Memperkenalkan | Perkenalkan... | Let me introduce... |
| Memperjelas | Perjelas! | Clarify! |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | S + memper- + Base + O | Saya memperkecil foto. |
| Negative | S + tidak + memper- + Base + O | Dia tidak mempermasalahkan itu. |
| Passive | O + diper- + Base + (oleh S) | Foto itu diperkecil oleh saya. |
| Question | Apakah + S + memper- + Base + O? | Apakah kamu mempercayai dia? |
| Imperative | Per- + Base + O! | Perluas wawasanmu! |
| Intensive Verb | memper- + Verb + -i | Kami mempelajari sejarah. |
| Causative Noun | memper- + Noun + -kan | Jangan mempertanyakan itu. |
Espectro de formalidad
Teknisi sedang memperbaiki komputer tersebut. (Technical support)
Dia lagi memperbaiki komputer. (Technical support)
Dia lagi benerin komputer. (Technical support)
Komputernya lagi difix-in. (Technical support)
The Functions of Memper-
Adjectives
- memperbesar make bigger
- memperluas expand
Nouns
- memperbudak enslave
- memperistri marry
Verbs
- mempelajari study
- memperoleh obtain
Memper- vs Me-kan
Is it Memper- or Memper-kan?
Is the base word an Adjective?
Is it a Noun or Verb?
Common Memper- Verbs
Improvement
- • memperbaiki
- • memperkuat
- • memperindah
Social
- • memperkenalkan
- • memperlakukan
- • memperistri
Cognitive
- • mempelajari
- • mempertimbangkan
- • memperhatikan
Examples by Level
Saya mau memperkenalkan teman saya.
I want to introduce my friend.
Ayah memperbaiki sepeda saya.
Father is fixing my bicycle.
Tolong perjelas fotonya.
Please make the photo clearer.
Dia mempelajari bahasa Indonesia.
He is studying Indonesian.
Kita harus memperbesar ruangan ini.
We must enlarge this room.
Ibu mempercantik kue itu.
Mother is beautifying that cake.
Jangan mempercepat mobilnya!
Don't speed up the car!
Dia memperkecil volume radio.
He turned down (made smaller) the radio volume.
Perusahaan memperluas pasar ke luar negeri.
The company is expanding the market abroad.
Dia memperlakukan saya dengan baik.
He treats me well.
Kita perlu memperdalam ilmu agama.
We need to deepen our religious knowledge.
Polisi memperketat penjagaan di bandara.
Police are tightening security at the airport.
Pemerintah mempermasalahkan izin bangunan itu.
The government is making an issue of that building permit.
Jangan memperalat orang lain demi uang.
Don't use (instrumentalize) others for the sake of money.
Teori ini memperkuat argumen saya.
This theory strengthens my argument.
Dia diperistri oleh seorang bangsawan.
She was taken as a wife by a nobleman.
Krisis ini memperparah kondisi ekonomi.
This crisis worsened (made more severe) the economic condition.
Kita harus mempertimbangkan segala risiko.
We must consider all risks.
Penulis itu mempertautkan dua tema berbeda.
The writer linked two different themes.
Ia memperhambakan hidupnya pada seni.
He enslaved (devoted) his life to art.
Undang-undang ini mempertegas sanksi pidana.
This law clarifies/strengthens criminal sanctions.
Ia memperoleh hidayah setelah pengembaraan itu.
He obtained divine guidance after that journey.
Janganlah kita memperkeruh suasana yang sudah panas.
Let us not muddy (worsen) an already heated atmosphere.
Pujangga itu memperindah syairnya dengan rima.
The poet beautified his poem with rhymes.
Easily Confused
Both can mean 'to make something X'. Learners often mix them up.
Both start with 'memp-'.
Both mean 'to study'.
Errores comunes
Saya memperbesarkan foto.
Saya memperbesar foto.
Dia memebesar foto.
Dia memperbesar foto.
Saya perbaiki sepeda.
Saya memperbaiki sepeda.
Dia memperajar bahasa.
Dia mempelajari bahasa.
Jangan memperkecilkan saya.
Jangan memperkecil saya.
Mobil itu dipercepatkan.
Mobil itu dipercepat.
Saya memperkenal dia.
Saya memperkenalkan dia.
Dia memperistrikan gadis itu.
Dia memperistri gadis itu.
Kita harus mempermudahkannya.
Kita harus mempermudahnya.
Saya memperolehi buku itu.
Saya memperoleh buku itu.
Ia memperhambakan kepada uang.
Ia memperhambakan diri kepada uang.
Masalah itu diperlebarkan.
Masalah itu diperlebar.
Sentence Patterns
Kita harus ___ (memper- + adjective) ___ (object).
Jangan ___ (memper- + noun) ___ (person).
Saya ingin ___ (memperkenalkan) ___ (person) kepada ___ (person).
Hal itu ___ (memper- + adjective) situasi.
Real World Usage
Kita perlu memperkuat kerjasama tim.
Bisa perjelas lokasinya?
Saya ingin memperdalam keahlian saya di sini.
Penelitian ini memperluas teori sebelumnya.
Pemerintah memperketat aturan mudik.
Mempercantik hidangan dengan hiasan.
The Adjective Shortcut
Avoid Over-formalizing
The Passive Power
Mempelajari Exception
Smart Tips
Use 'mempercepat'. It sounds much more professional than 'bikin cepat'.
Stop yourself before adding '-kan'. 'Memperbesar' is enough!
Always use 'memperkenalkan'. It's the standard polite form.
Remember it's just the passive of 'memper-'. Treat it like any other passive verb.
Pronunciación
The 'r' in memper-
The 'r' should be slightly trilled, but in fast speech, it often blends into the next consonant.
Stress
Indonesian stress is generally on the penultimate syllable, but prefixes like memper- are never stressed.
Rising on Imperatives
Percepat! ↗
Conveys urgency in a command.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Remember: 'Memper-' is like a 'Power-up' button for adjectives—it makes them 'more'.
Visual Association
Imagine a magnifying glass over a word. When you put 'memper-' in front of 'besar' (big), the magnifying glass makes it look even bigger.
Rhyme
Memper- plus adjective, keep it lean. No '-kan' at the end, if you know what I mean!
Story
A king wanted to 'memperistri' (marry) a princess. To impress her, he had to 'memperbaiki' (fix) his castle and 'memperluas' (expand) his kingdom. He spent his days 'mempelajari' (studying) poetry to 'mempercantik' (beautify) his speech.
Word Web
Desafío
Write 3 sentences about how you would improve your city using 'memper-' verbs (e.g., memperluas taman, memperbaiki jalan).
Notas culturales
Using 'memper-' correctly is a sign of high education and 'Bahasa Indonesia yang baik dan benar'.
In Jakarta, 'memper-' is often replaced by 'bikin' + adjective or the suffix '-in'.
In old stories, 'memper-' is used for royal actions, like 'memperhamba' (to take as a slave/servant).
Derived from the Old Malay prefix 'ma-par-', which combined the active 'ma-' with the causative/intensive 'par-'.
Conversation Starters
Bagaimana cara kita memperbaiki sistem pendidikan?
Bisa perkenalkan diri Anda dalam bahasa Indonesia?
Apa yang kamu lakukan untuk mempercantik rumahmu?
Mengapa kita tidak boleh memperalat teman?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
Kita harus ___ (memper-) foto ini agar terlihat jelas.
Choose the correct sentence:
Find and fix the mistake:
Saya ingin memperkenal teman saya.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Passive of 'memperbaiki':
A: 'Bisa tolong ___ (clarify) penjelasan Anda?' B: 'Tentu.'
Pick the odd one out:
Score: /8
Ejercicios de practica
8 exercisesKita harus ___ (memper-) foto ini agar terlihat jelas.
Choose the correct sentence:
Find and fix the mistake:
Saya ingin memperkenal teman saya.
masalah - diperbesar - itu - media - oleh
1. Dalam, 2. Istri, 3. Budak
Passive of 'memperbaiki':
A: 'Bisa tolong ___ (clarify) penjelasan Anda?' B: 'Tentu.'
Pick the odd one out:
Score: /8
Preguntas frecuentes (8)
This is a unique morphophonemic exception in Indonesian. The 'r' changes to 'l' only for this specific root.
Yes, almost any adjective can take 'memper-' to mean 'to make more [adj]'.
Mostly, yes. In casual speech, people prefer 'bikin' or 'me-kan'. However, words like 'memperbaiki' are common everywhere.
'Memperbesar' usually means making something *more* big (increasing degree), while 'membesarkan' can mean making something big or raising a child.
Only with adjectives. With nouns and verbs, it often keeps '-kan' or '-i' (e.g., 'memperkenalkan', 'mempelajari').
Change 'memper-' to 'diper-'. For example, 'memperbaiki' becomes 'diperbaiki'.
Yes, like 'memperdua' (to divide into two) or 'mempertiga' (to divide into three).
'Memperoleh' is much more formal and often implies a more active effort to obtain something.
In Other Languages
en- ... -ar / hacer más
Indonesian 'memper-' is more productive and systematic across adjectives.
rendre + adjective
Indonesian uses a prefix; French uses an auxiliary verb.
ver- prefix
German 'ver-' has many other meanings, while 'memper-' is more focused on causative/intensive.
〜させる (saseru)
Japanese uses suffixes or auxiliary constructions; Indonesian uses prefixes.
Form II (Fa''ala)
Arabic uses internal root changes; Indonesian uses external prefixes.
使 (shǐ) / 加 (jiā)
Chinese is isolating and uses separate words; Indonesian is agglutinative.
