Aspect inside object voice

Level 4

In formal standard object voice, use [Patient] + [Aspect/Modality] + [Actor] + [Verb without meN-]. Put the aspect marker before the actor; colloquial orders can differ.

How It Works

The Object Voice is a standard patient-first construction, especially familiar with first- and second-person actors, but also available with third person. In this construction, the object of an active sentence moves to the front to become the subject of the passive sentence. Unlike the di- passive, the actor is not placed in a 'by-phrase' at the end; instead, it is placed immediately before the verb root. While this construction is ubiquitous in casual speech, strict adherence to the rules below is a hallmark of formal or standard Indonesian.

1. The 'No-Gap' Rule
In formal Indonesian, the most important rule is that nothing can separate the actor and the verb. They function as a single grammatical unit. Therefore, aspect markers (like sudah, belum, sedang, akan), modality markers (like harus, boleh), and negation markers (like tidak, jangan) must precede the actor. Furthermore, the word oleh (by) is strictly prohibited between the actor and the verb. Note that in casual speech, native speakers frequently relax this rule and place the aspect marker between the pronoun and the verb.

2. Verb Form and Pronominal Clitics
The verb must be in its base form, meaning the meN- prefix is removed. However, suffixes like -kan or -i are always kept. Additionally, the actor aku often contracts into the prefix ku-, and the pronoun engkau contracts into the prefix kau-. These proclitics attach directly to the front of the verb root (e.g., sudah kubaca).

3. Pronoun Substitutes
Kinship terms and names used as pronouns (such as Bapak, Ibu, or Budi) are treated exactly like pronouns in this construction. For example, Buku itu sudah Bapak baca (You/Father have already read the book).

4. Dropping the Subject
It is highly common to drop the fronted object (the new subject) entirely if it is clear from context. For instance, instead of saying Buku itu sudah kubaca, a speaker might simply say Sudah kubaca (I already read it).

5. Usage with 3rd Person
While textbooks often focus on 1st and 2nd person, this pattern is also used with dia (he/she) or mereka (they) in modern Indonesian to give the actor more prominence than a standard di- passive would.

Examples (5)

  1. Buku itu sudah saya baca.

    I have already read that book.

    Word by Word: Book that already I read.

    Notice that 'sudah' (already) comes before 'saya' (I). It cannot be placed between 'saya' and 'baca'.

  2. Kopi ini akan kami buatkan.

    We will make this coffee (for you).

    Word by Word: Coffee this will we make-for.

    The aspect marker 'akan' (will) precedes the actor 'kami'. The suffix '-kan' is retained on the base verb 'buat'.

  3. Tugas itu harus Anda selesaikan sekarang.

    You must finish that task now.

    Word by Word: Task that must you finish now.

    The modality marker 'harus' (must) is placed before the polite actor 'Anda'.

  4. Mobil itu belum dia perbaiki.

    He hasn't repaired that car yet.

    Word by Word: Car that not-yet he repair.

    Even with a 3rd person actor 'dia', the marker 'belum' (not yet) must come first in this object voice structure.

  5. Suratnya sedang kuperiksa.

    I am currently checking the letter.

    Word by Word: Letter-the currently I-check.

    When using the proclitic 'ku-', the aspect marker 'sedang' still precedes the actor-verb unit.

Common Mistakes

  • Placing the aspect marker between the actor and the verb in formal contexts.

    Buku itu saya sudah baca.
    Buku itu sudah saya baca.

    In formal Indonesian, the actor and the verb cannot be separated by any other words, so the aspect marker must come before the actor. However, while this is considered a grammatical error in formal writing and speech, placing the aspect marker between the actor and verb (e.g., 'saya sudah baca') is widely used and accepted in casual, everyday Indonesian.

  • Keeping the meN- prefix in a passive construction.

    Buku itu sudah saya membaca.
    Buku itu sudah saya baca.

    The object voice requires the base form of the verb. The active prefix 'meN-' must be dropped.

How It Connects

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Aspect inside object voiceLevel 4

Learn This First

To use aspect inside object voice, you first need to understand the basic object voice word order (where the actor precedes the verb without a prefix). You also need to be familiar with aspectual and modal markers like 'sudah' and 'harus' to understand their specific placement before the actor in this construction.

Words in This Pattern

telahtelah