Kena Passive
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'kena' to describe passive actions that are unpleasant, accidental, or where the subject is a 'victim' of the action.
- Use 'kena' + base verb for negative events: 'Dia kena tipu' (He was tricked).
- Never add the 'di-' prefix to the verb after 'kena': 'Kena pukul', not 'Kena dipukul'.
- The agent (doer) is optional and follows 'oleh': 'Saya kena marah oleh bos'.
Meanings
A specific passive construction in Indonesian used primarily to indicate that the subject is affected by an unpleasant, accidental, or undesirable action.
Adversative Passive
To express that the subject suffered from an action performed by someone else or an external force.
“Dia kena marah ibunya.”
“Pencuri itu kena tangkap polisi.”
Physical Contact/Impact
To indicate being physically struck or touched by an object or substance.
“Baju saya kena tinta.”
“Kepalanya kena bola.”
Legal/Official Obligations
To indicate being subject to taxes, fines, or official penalties.
“Barang mewah kena pajak tinggi.”
“Dia kena denda karena parkir sembarangan.”
Kena Passive Structure
| Subject | Kena | Base Verb | Agent (Optional) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saya | kena | marah | oleh bos |
| Pencuri | kena | tangkap | polisi |
| Mobil | kena | tabrak | truk |
| Dia | kena | tipu | investasi bodong |
| Kamu | kena | panggil | kepala sekolah |
| Baju | kena | tumpah | kopi |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | S + kena + Verb | Dia kena pecat. |
| Negative | S + tidak + kena + Verb | Dia tidak kena pecat. |
| Question | Apa + S + kena + Verb? | Apa dia kena pecat? |
| With Agent | S + kena + Verb + oleh + Agent | Dia kena pecat oleh bos. |
| Noun Form | S + kena + Noun | Dia kena flu. |
| Passive State | S + kena + Adj/Verb | Dia kena marah. |
フォーマル度スペクトル
Saya menerima teguran dari atasan. (Workplace)
Saya kena marah oleh bos. (Workplace)
Gue kena semprot bos. (Workplace)
Kena omel nih ama bokap (if boss is like a father figure) / Kena gep! (Workplace)
The World of 'Kena'
Accidents
- kena tabrak hit by car
- kena tumpah spilled on
Social/Work
- kena marah scolded
- kena pecat fired
Health
- kena flu got flu
- kena penyakit got a disease
Di- vs Kena
Which Passive to Use?
Is it a bad thing?
Was it an accident?
Common Kena Collocations
Crime
- • kena tangkap
- • kena tipu
- • kena rampok
Work
- • kena pecat
- • kena tegur
- • kena mutasi
Nature
- • kena hujan
- • kena banjir
- • kena panas
Examples by Level
Bola itu kena jendela.
The ball hit the window.
Tangan saya kena pintu.
My hand hit the door.
Sepatu saya kena lumpur.
My shoes got mud on them.
Kopi saya kena meja.
My coffee spilled on the table.
Dia sedang kena flu.
He is currently having the flu.
Jangan main hujan, nanti kena demam.
Don't play in the rain, or you'll get a fever.
Baju putih ini kena saus.
This white shirt got sauce on it.
Mobil kami kena macet.
Our car is caught in traffic.
Adik kena marah ayah tadi pagi.
Little brother got scolded by father this morning.
Hati-hati, jangan sampai kena tipu.
Be careful, don't get tricked.
Pencuri itu kena tangkap warga.
The thief was caught by the residents.
Saya kena gigit nyamuk semalam.
I was bitten by mosquitoes last night.
Banyak karyawan yang kena PHK tahun ini.
Many employees were laid off this year.
Dia kena tegur oleh atasannya karena terlambat.
He was reprimanded by his superior for being late.
Barang impor ini kena bea cukai tambahan.
This imported item is subject to additional customs duties.
Rumahnya kena gusur untuk proyek jalan tol.
His house was demolished for the toll road project.
Kebijakan baru itu membuat rakyat kecil kena imbasnya.
The new policy caused the common people to suffer the impact.
Ia kena batunya setelah sering berbohong.
He got what he deserved (met his karma) after lying often.
Wilayah tersebut kena dampak paling parah dari gempa.
That region suffered the most severe impact from the earthquake.
Jangan sampai argumenmu kena patahkan oleh lawan bicara.
Don't let your argument be refuted by your interlocutor.
Eksistensi budaya lokal kian kena gerus arus globalisasi.
The existence of local culture is increasingly eroded by the tide of globalization.
Ia merasa kena kucilkan dari pergaulan elit tersebut.
He felt ostracized from that elite social circle.
Dalam skema ini, aset perusahaan kena sita oleh negara.
In this scheme, the company's assets were seized by the state.
Wacana tersebut kena mentahkan dalam rapat paripurna.
The discourse was summarily rejected in the plenary session.
Easily Confused
Both can mean 'affected by something.'
Both involve accidents.
Both are passive.
よくある間違い
Saya kena di-pukul.
Saya kena pukul.
Bola di-kena jendela.
Bola kena jendela.
Saya kena puji.
Saya dipuji.
Kena saya marah.
Saya kena marah.
Dia kena memukul.
Dia kena pukul.
Saya kena flu oleh adik.
Saya ketularan flu dari adik.
Mobil kena tabrak oleh saya.
Saya menabrak mobil.
Dia kena ditangkap polisi.
Dia kena tangkap polisi.
Saya kena tipu sangat banyak.
Saya kena tipu banyak sekali.
Hati-hati kena hujan.
Hati-hati kehujanan.
Rencana itu kena batalkan.
Rencana itu dibatalkan.
Dia kena kucilkan oleh mereka.
Ia dikucilkan oleh mereka.
Sentence Patterns
Saya tidak mau ___ kena ___.
Hati-hati, nanti kamu kena ___.
Gara-gara ___ , dia kena ___ oleh ___.
Sepertinya rencana kita kena ___ karena ___.
Real World Usage
Aduh, akun gue kena suspend!
Tiga Pejabat Kena OTT KPK Malam Ini.
Si Budi kena semprot bos gara-gara telat.
Anak saya sepertinya kena alergi udang.
Hindari jalan Sudirman, lagi kena macet total.
Hati-hati, tindakan ini bisa kena pasal berlapis.
The 'Base' Rule
Avoid Positivity
Jakarta Style
Agent 'Oleh'
Smart Tips
Reach for 'kena' instead of 'di-'. It immediately signals to the listener that you are the victim of an unfortunate event.
Use 'kena' for victims and 'di-' for the actions of the authorities to create a clear distinction.
Immediately delete the prefix. 'Kena' loves base verbs and hates prefixes.
Always use 'kena' + the name of the illness. It's the most natural way to say you 'caught' something.
発音
Kena Stress
The stress is on the last syllable 'na', but it's very light.
Glottal Stop
If the following verb starts with a vowel (rare), there's a slight glottal stop.
Rising-Falling
Aduh, kena macet! (Rising on 'Aduh', falling on 'macet')
Expressing frustration or annoyance.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Kena = Karma. It's usually about something bad coming your way.
Visual Association
Imagine a person standing under a small rain cloud while everyone else is in the sun. That person is 'kena hujan'.
Rhyme
Kena tipu, kena marah, nasib buruk bikin susah.
Story
Budi was having a bad day. First, he 'kena macet' on the way to work. Then, he 'kena marah' by his boss. Finally, his shirt 'kena tumpah' coffee. Poor Budi!
Word Web
チャレンジ
Write three sentences about a 'bad day' you once had using the 'kena' passive for each misfortune.
文化メモ
In Jakarta, 'kena' is used much more frequently than in other regions, often replacing 'di-' even in cases that aren't strictly negative.
Speakers with Javanese background might use 'kena' similarly to the Javanese 'keno', which has a very strong adversative feel.
Indonesian tabloids love the word 'kena' because it sounds more dramatic and victim-oriented than the neutral 'di-'.
The word 'kena' is an Austronesian root meaning 'to hit a target' or 'to be applicable.'
Conversation Starters
Pernahkah kamu kena tipu saat belanja online?
Apa yang terjadi kalau kamu kena marah bos di kantor?
Ceritakan pengalamanmu saat kena macet paling parah.
Menurutmu, kenapa banyak orang kena PHK belakangan ini?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
Pencuri itu ___ polisi kemarin.
Find and fix the mistake:
Saya kena dimarah oleh ibu.
Jangan parkir di sini, nanti ___ denda.
Dia ditipu oleh temannya.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
You can use 'kena' for positive events like 'kena puji' (being praised).
A: Kenapa wajahmu sedih? B: Tadi di jalan aku ___.
Sort: A. Kena marah, B. Kena dimarah, C. Kena memarah
Score: /8
練習問題
8 exercisesPencuri itu ___ polisi kemarin.
Find and fix the mistake:
Saya kena dimarah oleh ibu.
Jangan parkir di sini, nanti ___ denda.
Dia ditipu oleh temannya.
1. Kena pecat, 2. Kena macet, 3. Kena tipu
You can use 'kena' for positive events like 'kena puji' (being praised).
A: Kenapa wajahmu sedih? B: Tadi di jalan aku ___.
Sort: A. Kena marah, B. Kena dimarah, C. Kena memarah
Score: /8
よくある質問 (8)
Yes, but it's less common. Usually, it's with verbs or nouns. For example, `kena marah` (marah can be a verb or adj).
They are similar, but `terkena` is more formal and often used for physical contact (e.g., `terkena sinar matahari`). `Kena` is more common for social/adversative passives.
Because `kena` already functions as a passive marker. Adding `di-` is like saying 'was was cheated' in English. It's redundant.
Yes, especially in news reporting and legal contexts (e.g., `kena sanksi`), but it is more frequent in casual speech.
Absolutely. `Mobil kena tabrak pohon` (The car was hit by a tree).
In 95% of cases, yes. Occasionally it means 'to hit a target' (neutral), but as a passive structure, it's adversative.
`Kena hujan` is 'hit by rain' (action). `Kehujanan` is 'caught in the rain' (state/circumstance). Both are negative.
Yes. `Kamu akan kena marah kalau telat` (You will get scolded if you're late).
In Other Languages
迷惑の受身 (Meiwaku no ukemi)
In Japanese, it's a verb suffix; in Indonesian, it's a separate word 'kena'.
被 (bèi)
Chinese 'bèi' is now the standard passive, whereas 'kena' is a specific alternative to 'di-'.
Se faire + infinitive
French implies a bit more 'involvement' of the subject, whereas 'kena' is purely about being the recipient.
Pasiva con 'ser' vs 'quedar'
Spanish uses reflexive 'se' for many accidental passives, which functions differently from 'kena'.
Kriegen-Passiv
German 'kriegen' is often positive or neutral, while 'kena' is predominantly negative.
Passive Voice (Internal)
Arabic is purely morphological; Indonesian uses a lexical marker ('kena').
