di- prefix for passive voice: dimakan, ditulis, dibaca. Active vs passive. 'oleh' for agent.
Can form and understand passive sentences using the di- prefix
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
Nasi goreng dimakan oleh Budi.
Fried rice is eaten by Budi.
Surat itu ditulis kemarin.
That letter was written yesterday.
Pintu dibuka oleh ibu.
The door is opened by mother.
Buku itu saya baca tadi malam.
That book, I read (it) last night.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
The di- prefix creates passive voice: dimakan (is eaten), ditulis (is written), dibaca (is read). Formula: Object + di-verb + oleh + agent. Indonesian uses passive MUCH more than English — it's completely natural. For 1st/2nd person, informal passive uses pronoun + base verb: 'Buku itu saya baca' (That book I read). Key: don't confuse 'di' preposition (separate) with 'di-' prefix (attached).
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises
Practice ExercisesWriting passive prefix 'di-' as separate word or preposition 'di' attached to verb
'di rumah' (preposition = separate) vs 'dimakan' (passive prefix = attached). If it's a VERB → attach. If it's a PLACE → separate.
Always using active voice when passive is more natural
Indonesian uses passive MORE than English. When the object/result is more important than the agent, use di-: 'Nasi sudah dimasak' (Rice has been cooked).
Nasi goreng dimakan oleh Budi.
Fried rice is eaten by Budi.
'dimakan' = is eaten (di- + makan). 'oleh' = by (marks the agent). Subject is 'nasi goreng' (the eaten thing).
Surat itu ditulis kemarin.
That letter was written yesterday.
'ditulis' = was written (di- + tulis). 'kemarin' = yesterday (no verb tense change — time word does the job).
Pintu dibuka oleh ibu.
The door is opened by mother.
'dibuka' = is opened (di- + buka). Active version: 'Ibu membuka pintu.' Same meaning, different focus.
Buku itu saya baca tadi malam.
That book, I read (it) last night.
Informal passive for 1st person: pronoun before base verb. 'saya baca' instead of 'dibaca oleh saya'. Very common in daily speech!
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises