Indonesian Prefix di- (Formula and Example)

Prefix plays important role in Bahasa Indonesia as it forms most of the words. Indonesian root words are mostly combined with prefix to create different meaning. Some people think that the use of prefix, suffix, and infix can be quite tricky. However, if you have better understanding of the words, there should be no problem. In this post, we are going to discuss about Indonesian Prefix di- which is widely used in everyday conversation.

Prefix di- in general has two different purposes; first, to indicate passive voice and second, to serve as preposition. Prefix di- are written differently to distinguish it between prefix and preposition. Take a look at below explanation.

1. Indonesian Prefix di- + Verbs

Prefix di- in general indicate passive form of an active passive me- verb. Prefix di- widely pairs with verbs and it is written in one word with the root words. Also, prefix di- can directly combine with root words without having spelling changes. Also learn high frequency word in Bahasa Indonesia.

Root words	Prefix di+ root	Meaning	Sentence example
Makan	Dimakan	To be eaten	Buah mangga itu dimakan oleh ulat The mango is eaten by a caterpillar
Buang	Dibuang	To be thrown out	Sampah itu dibuang ke sungai oleh Amin The trash is thrown out to the river by Amin.
Masak	dimasak	To be cooked	Ikan itu dimasak oleh ibu The fish is cooked by mother
Cuci	Dicuci	To be washed	Piring itu dicuci oleh Andi The plate is washed by Andi
Tulis	Ditulis	to be written	Surat itu ditulis Anna The letter is witten by Anna
Jual	Dijual	To be sold	Rumah itu dijual untuk membayar hutang The house is sold to pay back debt
Baca	Dibaca	To be read	Buku itu dibaca Ana saat liburan The book is read by Anna on holiday

Also learn about Learn Indonesian me- Prefix (Formula and Examples) 

2. Indonesian Prefix di- + noun

Prefix di- also combines with noun, especially concrete nouns to describe tools or equipment. It is also used to describe something which is recently made or created. Also learn more about Indonesian adjectives.

Root words	Prefix di-+ root	Sentence example	Meaning
Gunting	Digunting	Kertas itu digunting oleh adikku The paper is cut out by my sister	‘Digunting’ indicates tool
Paku	Dipaku	Meja itu dipaku oleh ayah The table is nailed by father	‘Dipaku’ indicates tool.
Sapu	Disapu	Lantainya disapu oleh ibu The floor is swept by mother	‘Disapu’ indicates tool
Tumis	Ditumis	Sayuran itu akan ditumis segera The vegetables will be sautéed soon	‘Ditumis’  indicates a way to make something different
Urap	Diurap	Sayuran itu diurap menjadi satu The vegetable is mixed into one dish	‘Diurap’ indicates a way to make something different

Also learn about Indonesian Prefix ter- (Formula and Examples) 

3. Indonesian Prefix di- as preposition

Besides serves as prefix, di- also serves as preposition to indicate location. In English, di- as preposition also means ‘at’. Di- as preposition is written separately from the root words. Also learn Indonesian descriptive words.

Root word	di- + root word	Meaning
Rumah	Di rumah	At home
Sekolah	Di sekolah	At school
Taman	di taman	At park
Meja	Di meja	On the table

Prefix di- as preposition can directly be used to indicate places including cities and directions. The difference between prefix di- as prefix and preposition is the writing system. Prefix di- as preposition should be written separately from the root words. But in conversation, there is not much difference of prefix di-. Also learn more about types of adjunct in Indonesian.