me- prefix for active transitive verbs: nasalization rules (mem-, men-, meng-, meny-)
Can form active transitive verbs using the meN- prefix with correct nasalization
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
Saya membaca buku setiap malam.
I read a book every night.
Dia menulis surat untuk ibunya.
He/She writes a letter for his/her mother.
Kami membeli sayur di pasar.
We buy vegetables at the market.
Mereka mengambil tas dari meja.
They take the bag from the table.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
The meN- prefix creates active transitive verbs. The 'N' changes based on the first letter of the base word: mem- before b/p, men- before t/d, meng- before vowels/k/g/h, meny- before s/c. Important: p, t, k, s drop when prefixed! pukul → memukul, tulis → menulis. In informal speech, the prefix is often dropped entirely.
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises
Practice ExercisesUsing wrong nasal form (e.g., 'mentuli' instead of 'menulis')
Remember: mem- before b/p, men- before t/d, meng- before vowel/k/g/h, meny- before s/c. And p/t/k/s DROP!
Keeping the consonant that should drop (e.g., 'mempukul' instead of 'memukul')
p, t, k, s are replaced by the nasal: pukul → memukul, tulis → menulis, kirim → mengirim, suka → menyukai.
Saya membaca buku setiap malam.
I read a book every night.
'baca' (read) → 'membaca' with meN- prefix. 'b' stays, gets 'mem-'. Formal written style.
Dia menulis surat untuk ibunya.
He/She writes a letter for his/her mother.
'tulis' (write) → 'menulis'. The 't' drops! men- + tulis = menulis (not mentulis). 'ibu' = mother, '-nya' = his/her.
Kami membeli sayur di pasar.
We buy vegetables at the market.
'beli' (buy) → 'membeli'. 'b' stays with 'mem-'. 'sayur' = vegetables. 'di pasar' = at the market.
Mereka mengambil tas dari meja.
They take the bag from the table.
'ambil' (take) starts with vowel → 'mengambil' (meng- before vowels). 'tas' = bag, 'meja' = table.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises