Passive Prefix 'di-'

01

Active vs. Passive Construction

In an active sentence using the me- prefix, the doer comes first. In a passive sentence using di-, the object comes first.

• Active: Doer + Verb (me-) + Receiver
• Passive: Receiver + Verb (di-) + oleh + Doer

• Dia menulis surat itu.

  He writes that letter.

• Surat itu ditulis oleh dia.

  That letter is written by him.

02

Using 'Oleh' (By)

The word oleh means "by" and is used to indicate who performed the action.

• If the doer is separated from the verb, oleh is required.
• If the doer immediately follows the verb, oleh is optional and often omitted in casual speech.

• Makanan ini dimasak oleh ibu saya.

  This food was cooked by my mother.

• Bola dilempar Andi.

  The ball was thrown by Andi.

03

Agentless Passive

The di- prefix is particularly useful when the person doing the action is unknown, unimportant, or obvious from context. In these cases, you do not need to include the agent or oleh at all.

• Rumah ini dijual.

  This house is for sale (is sold).

• Dompet saya dicuri.

  My wallet was stolen.

04

The Third Person Rule

In standard formal grammar, the di- form is strictly used when the agent is a third person (he, she, they, a name, or a noun). If the agent is the first person (I/we) or second person (you), a different passive structure without di- is typically used.

• Kucing itu diberi makan oleh mereka.

  The cat was fed by them.

• Masalah ini harus diselesaikan oleh pemerintah.

  This problem must be solved by the government.

05

Spelling: Prefix vs. Preposition

It is important to distinguish between di- as a passive prefix and di as a preposition meaning "at" or "in".

• Prefix: Attached directly to the verb with no space (e.g., dimakan - eaten).
• Preposition: Written as a separate word before a place (e.g., di rumah - at home).

• Baju itu dicuci di sungai.

  That shirt was washed in the river.