oleh

Passive Agent with Oleh

Level 2

In Indonesian passive sentences (usually starting with di-), the word oleh acts like the English 'by' to show who performed the action.

How It Works

The preposition oleh is the standard marker for the agent (the 'doer') in passive constructions.

1. Passive Types:

  • di- passive: Used for standard third-person passives (e.g., dimakan oleh kucing).
  • ter- passive: Used for accidental or potential passives (e.g., terbawa oleh saya).

2. When to use it:

  • Optional: If the agent immediately follows the verb, oleh is often optional (e.g., Buku itu dibaca (oleh) Budi). See passive agent without oleh.
  • Mandatory: If there is an adverb or other words between the verb and the agent, oleh must be used.
  • Complex Agents: If the agent is a long phrase, oleh helps clarify where the agent begins.
  • Stylistic Emphasis: While the agent phrase usually follows the verb, it can occasionally be moved for emphasis in narrative writing.

3. Agent vs. Instrument:
It is important to distinguish between the 'doer' and the 'tool'. Use oleh for the agent (e.g., Pintu dibuka oleh satpam), but use dengan for the instrument or tool (e.g., Pintu dibuka dengan kunci).

4. Person Restrictions:
With a simple first- or second-person pronoun, the ordinary object-focused pattern is the object voice (e.g., Buku itu saya baca). This is not a universal ban on first- or second-person agents after oleh. Standard grammar explicitly accepts coordinated agents, as in Tugas itu harus diselesaikan oleh kamu dan saya. Contemporary written corpora also contain simple first- and second-person agents with di-; context and emphasis affect the choice. The ter- example above, terbawa oleh saya, is another reason not to treat oleh itself as restricted to the third person.

5. The Clitic -nya:
Oleh frequently combines with the third-person suffix to form olehnya ('by him/her/it/them'). However, if the suffix -nya is attached directly to the verb (e.g., dibelinya), you should not use oleh as well.

Examples (5)

  1. Surat itu ditulis oleh sekretaris.

    The letter was written by the secretary.

    Word by Word: Letter that be-written by secretary.

    A standard passive sentence where 'oleh' introduces the agent 'sekretaris'.

  2. Pohon itu ditebang oleh orang-orang yang tinggal di sebelah rumah kami.

    The tree was cut down by the people who live next to our house.

    Word by Word: Tree that be-cut-down by people-people who live at side house our.

    Here, 'oleh' is used because the agent is a long, complex noun phrase.

  3. Rumah itu diperbaiki dengan segera oleh tukang kayu.

    The house was repaired immediately by the carpenter.

    Word by Word: House that be-repaired with immediate by worker wood.

    Because the adverb 'dengan segera' (immediately) separates the verb from the agent, 'oleh' is mandatory.

  4. Masalah ini harus diselesaikan olehnya.

    This problem must be solved by him/her.

    Word by Word: Problem this must be-solved by-him/her.

    Demonstrates the common contraction 'olehnya' (oleh + -nya).

  5. Pintu itu terbuka oleh angin.

    The door was opened by the wind.

    Word by Word: Door that be-opened-accidentally by wind.

    Oleh is also used to mark the agent in ter- passive constructions.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'oleh' in an Object Voice (Type 2) passive construction.

    Buku itu saya baca oleh.
    Buku itu saya baca.

    In the object voice (where the pronoun comes before the verb), 'oleh' is never used. 'Oleh' is only for 'di-' or 'ter-' passive constructions.

  • Omitting 'oleh' when the agent is separated from the verb.

    Buku itu dibaca kemarin Budi.
    Buku itu dibaca kemarin oleh Budi.

    If an adverb like 'kemarin' (yesterday) comes between the verb and the agent, you must use 'oleh' to link the agent to the sentence.

  • Redundant use of 'oleh' when the agent suffix -nya is already attached to the verb.

    Buku itu dibacanya olehnya.
    Buku itu dibacanya.

    When the suffix -nya is attached directly to a passive verb (e.g., dibacanya), it already represents the agent. Adding 'olehnya' is redundant and grammatically incorrect.

How It Connects

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olehLevel 2Passive Agent with Oleh

Learn This First

To understand the use of 'oleh' as a passive agent marker, you must first be familiar with the basic passive construction using the 'di-' prefix. Since 'oleh' introduces the agent (the 'doer') in a passive sentence, knowing how Indonesian reorders subjects and objects in the passive voice is essential.

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