An ayat pasif puts the thing acted on at the front. The object becomes the subjek, the verb takes the di- form, and the doer follows after “oleh”.
This lesson builds on identifying sentence patterns in the syntax section.
What are the four conversion steps?
- Find the subjek (pelaku), the verb and the object.
- Move the object to the front as the new subjek.
- Change the verb from meN- to di-.
- Put the pelaku after the verb, usually with “oleh”.
Only a transitive verb followed by an object can take this route.
Worked example
Active: “Pengawas mengutip sampah di padang.”
| Step | Result |
|---|---|
| Parts | Pelaku: pengawas. Verb: mengutip. Object: sampah |
| New subjek | Sampah |
| Verb | dikutip |
| Pelaku after verb | oleh pengawas |
Passive: “Sampah dikutip oleh pengawas di padang.” The information is unchanged, and only the emphasis has moved to the rubbish.
To go from passive back to active, reverse the steps: move the pelaku to the front, change di- to meN-, and place the object after the verb.
First-person pasif
When the pelaku is “saya”, “kami”, “kita” or “awak”, the verb does not take di-. The pelaku comes directly before the bare verb.
- Active: “Saya menulis laporan itu.”
- Incorrect: “Laporan itu ditulis saya”, which mixes di- with a first-person pelaku.
- Correct pasif diri pertama: “Laporan itu saya tulis.”
The verb loses the meN- prefix entirely, and the prefix di- is not added. Exam questions on this point test the difference directly.
The mistake that costs marks
The slip is to keep the meN- verb in the passive, writing “Sampah mengutip oleh pengawas”. The sentence looks like a pasif but the verb is still active.
The repair is to check the verb last. After moving the nouns, say the verb aloud and ask whether it has di- (third person) or no prefix (first or second person).
Check yourself
Convert to pasif: (a) “Nenek memasak sup ayam.” (b) “Kami membersihkan dewan itu.”
Answer
(a) “Sup ayam dimasak oleh nenek.” The object moves to the front, memasak becomes dimasak and the pelaku follows with oleh.
(b) “Dewan itu kami bersihkan.” The pelaku is first person, so there is no di-, and the verb loses the meN- prefix, giving “bersihkan”.
What to study next
With voice under control, move to joining sentences. Continue with combining simple sentences without changing meaning, and use the syntax practice set to test both skills.
For a teacher to convert your own sentences with you, see online one-to-one Bahasa Melayu tuition.