Indonesian Verbs and Affixes

• Indonesian verbs express actions, events, or states of being
• Verbs do not conjugate for tense, number, or person
• Affixes and time markers indicate tense and aspect in Indonesian verbs

Verb Affixes

• Affixes modify verbs and create different meanings
• Common prefixes: me-, di-, ber-, ter-, pe-, per-
• Common suffixes: -kan, -i
• Circumfixes: ke-an, pe-an, per-an, ber-an

Me- prefix

• Indicates an active transitive verb
• Requires an object
• Menulis (to write) from tulis (write)

Changes to Root Words When Using Me-

• Root words starting with l, m, n, ny, ng, r, w, y: me- remains unchanged, e.g., melukis (to paint) from lukis
• Root words starting with t: changes to men-, e.g., menulis (to write) from tulis
• Root words starting with s: changes to meny-, e.g., menyapu (to sweep) from sapu
• Root words starting with p: changes to mem-, e.g., memukul (to hit) from pukul
• Root words starting with b: changes to mem-, e.g., membawa (to carry) from bawa
• Root words starting with d: changes to men-, e.g., mendengar (to hear) from dengar
• Root words starting with k: changes to meng-, e.g., mengikat (to tie) from ikat
• Root words starting with a vowel: changes to meng-, e.g., mengambil (to take) from ambil
• Exceptions exist and and some words do not take the me- prefix

Di- prefix

• Creates passive verbs
• Ditulis (written) is the passive form of menulis (to write)

Ber- prefix

• Indicates intransitive verbs or actions done to oneself
• Berjalan (to walk) from jalan (road, way)
• Indicates possession, but is not as common: beruang (to have a bear) from uang (money)

Ter- prefix

• Indicates unintentional actions, the ability to do something, or a superlative degree
• Terjatuh (to fall accidentally) from jatuh (to fall)
• Terbaik (best) from baik (good)

Pe- and Per- prefixes

• Forms nouns indicating a person who performs an action, or an instrument
• Pelukis (painter) from lukis (to paint)
• Peraturan (regulation) from atur (to arrange)

-Kan suffix

• Adds a causative or benefactive meaning to the verb
• Memasakkan (to cook for someone) from masak (to cook)

-I suffix

• Indicates location or repeated action
• Menyirami (to water something) from siram (to water)

Sentence Examples with Verbs

• Saya menulis surat. (I am writing a letter.) Menulis is the active verb.
• Surat itu ditulis oleh saya. (The letter is written by me.) Ditulis is the passive verb
• Dia berjalan ke sekolah. (He is walking to school.) Berjalan is the intransitive verb.
• Buku itu terjatuh dari meja. (The book fell from the table accidentally.) Terjatuh is the unintentional action verb
• Ibu memasakkan nasi untuk adik. (Mother cooks rice for my younger sibling.) Memasakkan is the causative verb
• Petani menyirami tanaman setiap hari. (The farmer waters the plants every day.) Menyirami indicates a repeated action

Indonesian Nouns

• Indonesian nouns refer to persons, places, things, or ideas
• Nouns are not inflected for number or gender
• Plurality is indicated by repetition or a quantifier

Types of Nouns

• Common Nouns: Generic names for things, e.g., buku (book), meja (table)
• Proper Nouns: Specific names, e.g., Jakarta, Budi
• Abstract Nouns: Ideas or concepts, e.g., kebahagiaan (happiness), kebebasan (freedom)
• Collective Nouns: Refer to a group, e.g., keluarga (family), bangsa (nation)

Forming Plural Nouns

• Repetition: Repeating the noun indicates plurality
• Buku-buku (books)
• Anak-anak (children)
• Using Quantifiers: Words indicating quantity precede the noun
• Beberapa buku (some books)
• Banyak orang (many people)

Examples of Nouns in Sentences

• Saya membaca buku. (I am reading a book.) Buku is a common noun.
• Jakarta adalah ibu kota Indonesia. (Jakarta is the capital city of Indonesia.) Jakarta is a proper noun.
• Kebahagiaan itu sederhana. (Happiness is simple.) Kebahagiaan is an abstract noun.
• Keluarga saya pergi berlibur. (My family went on vacation.) Keluarga is a collective noun.
• Saya membeli beberapa buku di toko. (I bought some books at the store.) Buku is a common noun used with a quantifier.
• Anak-anak bermain di taman. (The children are playing in the park.) Anak-anak is a plural noun formed by repetition.

Noun Affixes

• Affixes can modify nouns

Ke-an Circumfix

• Forms abstract nouns
• Kemerdekaan (independence) from merdeka (independent)
• Kebahagiaan (happiness) from bahagia (happy)

Pe-an and Per-an Circumfixes

• Forms nouns indicating a process or place
• Pendidikan (education) from didik (to educate)
• Perumahan (housing complex) from rumah (house)

Peng- prefix

• Less frequently used to modify nouns
• Rules similar to meng- for verbs
• Since it always precedes a vowel it is less common
• Pengacara (lawyer) from acara (event, case)