mulai + Verb

Beginning an Action

Level 2

The word mulai acts as an auxiliary verb meaning 'to begin' or 'to start.' It is placed directly before the main verb or adjective.

How It Works

The pattern mulai + verb/adjective is the standard way to express starting an activity or entering a new state in Indonesian.

1. Usage with Verbs
When used with a verb, mulai indicates the onset of the action. In formal Indonesian, the following verb usually retains its prefix (like meN- or ber-). In casual conversation, these prefixes are often omitted.
Example: Saya mulai membaca (I'm starting to read).

2. Usage with Adjectives (Change of State)
When followed by an adjective, mulai functions as a phasal auxiliary meaning "starting to be" or "becoming." It describes a transition into a new condition.
Example: Saya mulai lapar (I'm starting to get hungry) or Hari mulai gelap (It's starting to get dark).

3. Events: Mulai vs. Dimulai
Both mulai and the passive dimulai are standard for events. Use mulai for a neutral description of an event beginning (Filmnya mulai). Use dimulai for formal openings or to imply that an agent (like an organizer) is initiating the event (Rapatnya dimulai oleh ketua).

4. Prepositional Usage
Mulai can mean "starting from" or "as of," often paired with dari.
Example: Mulai besok (Starting tomorrow) or Mulai dari sini (Starting from here).

5. Mulai vs. Memulai
Distinguish between the auxiliary mulai and the transitive verb memulai:

  • mulai: Used before another verb/adjective, or as an intransitive verb (Acaranya mulai).
  • memulai: Used when there is a direct noun object but no second verb (Dia memulai pidatonya - He started his speech).

Examples (5)

  1. Kami mulai bekerja pada jam delapan.

    We begin working at eight o'clock.

    Word by Word: We start work at hour eight.

    Here, 'mulai' is followed by the prefixed verb 'bekerja' to show the start of a daily routine.

  2. Mulai besok, saya akan lari pagi.

    Starting tomorrow, I will go for a morning run.

    Word by Word: Start tomorrow, I will run morning.

    In this context, 'mulai' acts as a preposition meaning 'starting from' or 'since'.

  3. Rapatnya akan dimulai sekarang.

    The meeting will be started now.

    Word by Word: Meeting-the will be-started now.

    The passive form 'dimulai' is used when the subject is the event itself (the meeting).

  4. Hujan mulai turun saat kami sampai.

    Rain started to fall when we arrived.

    Word by Word: Rain start descend when we arrive.

    This shows 'mulai' used with a natural phenomenon to indicate the onset of an event.

  5. Saya mulai bosan dengan film ini.

    I am starting to get bored with this movie.

    Word by Word: I start bored with movie this.

    This demonstrates 'mulai' used with an adjective (bosan) to show a change in feeling.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'mulai' as a transitive verb with a noun object in formal contexts.

    Saya mulai tugas itu.
    Saya memulai tugas itu.

    In formal Indonesian, if you are starting a 'thing' (noun) rather than an 'action' (verb), you must use the transitive form 'memulai'.

  • Confusing 'mulai' and 'dimulai' for events.

    Filmnya mulai oleh sutradara.
    Filmnya dimulai oleh sutradara.

    When an event is being started by someone, use the passive form 'dimulai', especially when an agent is mentioned.

  • Thinking the verb must keep its prefix after mulai.

    Different MeaningSaya mulai membaca.
    Saya mulai baca.

    Retain the affixes of standard verbs such as mulai membaca or mulai bekerja. Some verbs are standard in their bare form, as in mulai makan or mulai tidur. Mulai itself does not impose a prefix on every following verb.

How It Connects

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mulai + VerbLevel 2Beginning an Action

Learn This First

To use 'mulai' (to start) correctly, you need to understand basic Indonesian sentence structure and how the language uses auxiliary markers instead of verb conjugations to express the timing of an action.

Words in This Pattern