Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
The 'di-' prefix turns an active sentence into a passive one, shifting focus from the doer to the action's recipient.
- Use 'di-' for third-person subjects: 'Buku itu dibaca oleh Ali' (The book is read by Ali).
- Never use 'di-' with first or second person (I, you, we).
- Always use 'oleh' (by) to introduce the agent if necessary.
Meanings
The 'di-' prefix is used to create passive voice verbs in Malay, typically when the subject is a third-person entity (he, she, it, they, or a noun).
Standard Passive
Focusing on the recipient of an action.
“Makanan itu dimakan.”
“Rumah itu dibina.”
Formal Reporting
Used in news and official documents.
“Keputusan itu diumumkan.”
“Undang-undang itu diluluskan.”
Instructional
Used in recipes or manuals.
“Bawang dipotong.”
“Air dididihkan.”
Passive 'Di-' Formation
| Active Verb | Passive Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| makan | dimakan | is eaten |
| baca | dibaca | is read |
| tulis | ditulis | is written |
| ambil | diambil | is taken |
| buat | dibuat | is made/done |
| panggil | dipanggil | is called |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Object + di-Verb | Buku dibaca. |
| Negative | Object + tidak + di-Verb | Buku tidak dibaca. |
| Question | Adakah + Object + di-Verb? | Adakah buku dibaca? |
| Agentive | Object + di-Verb + oleh + Agent | Buku dibaca oleh Ali. |
| Negative Agentive | Object + tidak + di-Verb + oleh + Agent | Buku tidak dibaca oleh Ali. |
| Passive Question | Object + di-Verb + kah? | Buku dibacakah? |
격식 수준 스펙트럼
Surat itu ditulis oleh beliau. (Communication)
Surat itu ditulis oleh dia. (Communication)
Surat tu dia tulis. (Communication)
Surat tu dia tulis la. (Communication)
The Di- Passive Concept
Usage
- Formal Formal
- Instructional Instructional
Constraint
- Third Person Only Third Person Only
수준별 예문
Buku itu dibaca.
The book is read.
Surat itu ditulis.
The letter is written.
Bola itu ditendang.
The ball is kicked.
Lagu itu dinyanyi.
The song is sung.
Makanan itu dimakan oleh Ali.
The food is eaten by Ali.
Pintu itu ditutup oleh ibu.
The door is closed by mother.
Kerja itu dibuat oleh mereka.
The work is done by them.
Baju itu dicuci oleh kakak.
The clothes are washed by sister.
Keputusan itu diumumkan oleh pihak sekolah.
The decision was announced by the school.
Undang-undang itu diluluskan oleh parlimen.
The law was passed by parliament.
Projek itu dimulakan oleh pasukan kami.
The project was started by our team.
Laporan itu disiapkan oleh setiausaha.
The report was prepared by the secretary.
Langkah-langkah keselamatan perlu dipatuhi oleh semua pekerja.
Safety measures must be followed by all workers.
Data tersebut dianalisis oleh pakar ekonomi.
The data was analyzed by the economist.
Cadangan itu ditolak oleh pihak pengurusan.
The proposal was rejected by management.
Maklumat itu disebarkan oleh media sosial.
The information was spread by social media.
Perjanjian itu ditandatangani oleh kedua-dua pihak.
The agreement was signed by both parties.
Kajian itu dijalankan oleh sekumpulan penyelidik.
The study was conducted by a group of researchers.
Kawasan itu dikawal oleh pihak berkuasa.
The area was controlled by the authorities.
Karya itu diterjemahkan oleh seorang pakar bahasa.
The work was translated by a linguist.
Dasar tersebut dirangka bagi memastikan kesejahteraan rakyat.
The policy was drafted to ensure the welfare of the people.
Fenomena itu dijelaskan melalui teori relativiti.
The phenomenon was explained through the theory of relativity.
Warisan itu dipelihara oleh generasi muda.
The heritage is preserved by the younger generation.
Keputusan itu didorong oleh faktor ekonomi.
The decision was driven by economic factors.
혼동하기 쉬운
Both are passive, but 'di-' is deliberate and 'ter-' is accidental.
Learners use 'di-' when active voice is more natural.
Both can imply a state.
자주 하는 실수
Saya dimakan nasi.
Saya makan nasi.
Awak dibaca buku.
Awak baca buku.
Buku dibaca Ali.
Buku dibaca oleh Ali.
Dia di-makan nasi.
Nasi dimakan oleh dia.
Nasi dimakan saya.
Nasi dimakan oleh saya.
Dia tidak dimakan nasi.
Nasi tidak dimakan oleh dia.
Buku itu di-baca.
Buku itu dibaca.
Keputusan itu dibuat pengurus.
Keputusan itu dibuat oleh pengurus.
Projek itu dimulakan kami.
Projek itu dimulakan oleh kami.
Adakah buku itu dibaca oleh saya?
Adakah saya membaca buku itu?
Data itu dianalisis pakar.
Data itu dianalisis oleh pakar.
Perjanjian itu ditandatangani kedua pihak.
Perjanjian itu ditandatangani oleh kedua-dua pihak.
문장 패턴
___ itu dibaca oleh ___.
Adakah ___ itu ___ oleh ___?
___ tidak ___ oleh ___.
___ itu perlu ___ oleh ___.
Real World Usage
Bawang dipotong.
Keputusan itu diumumkan.
Laporan itu disiapkan.
Akaun saya disekat.
Tempahan dibuat dalam talian.
Butang ditekan.
Focus on the object
No first person
Use 'oleh'
Natural flow
Smart Tips
Always use 'oleh' to introduce the agent.
Use 'di-' for every step.
Use passive voice to avoid naming the person.
Identify the object first.
발음
Di- prefix
Pronounced as 'dee', like the 'ee' in 'see'.
Statement
Buku itu dibaca ↘
Falling intonation for facts.
암기하기
기억법
Di- is for the 'Done' action. If it's done to something, use 'di-'.
시각적 연상
Imagine a giant 'DI' stamp being pressed onto an object. The object becomes the center of attention.
Rhyme
When the object is the star, use 'di-' near and far.
Story
Ali is cooking. He puts the onion on the table. The onion is cut by Ali. 'Bawang dipotong oleh Ali.'
Word Web
챌린지
Write 3 sentences about your morning routine using 'di-'.
문화 노트
Used in all formal settings, especially government and education.
Often dropped in favor of active voice, but 'di-' remains for emphasis.
Very similar, but 'di-' is used even more frequently.
The 'di-' prefix is a Proto-Austronesian inheritance, common in many regional languages.
대화 시작하기
Apa yang dibuat oleh Ali?
Bagaimana laporan itu disiapkan?
Adakah projek itu dimulakan?
Adakah keputusan itu dipersetujui?
일기 주제
Test Yourself
Buku itu ___ (baca) oleh Ali.
Which sentence is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Awak dibaca buku itu.
Ali menulis surat.
Can you use 'di-' with 'saya'?
A: Siapa buat laporan ini? B: Laporan ini ___ oleh pengurus.
Arrange: oleh / dimakan / nasi / Ali
Ali makan nasi.
Score: /8
연습 문제
8 exercisesBuku itu ___ (baca) oleh Ali.
Which sentence is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Awak dibaca buku itu.
Ali menulis surat.
Can you use 'di-' with 'saya'?
A: Siapa buat laporan ini? B: Laporan ini ___ oleh pengurus.
Arrange: oleh / dimakan / nasi / Ali
Ali makan nasi.
Score: /8
자주 묻는 질문 (8)
No, 'di-' is strictly for third-person subjects.
It is necessary in formal writing when the agent is mentioned.
'Di-' is for deliberate actions, 'ter-' is for accidents.
Yes, by adding 'kah' or using question words.
It is used in both formal and neutral contexts.
Add 'tidak' before the verb.
Yes, 'di-' is tense-neutral.
It is the standard way to focus on the object.
Scaffolded Practice
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2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Passive voice (be + past participle)
Malay 'di-' is restricted to third-person subjects.
Passive voice (ser + participio)
Spanish uses an auxiliary verb; Malay uses a prefix.
Passive voice (être + participe passé)
French requires an auxiliary verb.
Passive voice (werden + Partizip II)
German is more complex with case endings.
Passive voice (-reru/-rareru)
Prefix vs. suffix.
Bei- construction
Chinese 'bei' is a prepositional marker; Malay 'di-' is a verbal prefix.
