di-...-i

Passive Locative or Target Form

Level 4

The di-...-i pattern is the passive version of meN-...-i. It focuses on the recipient or location of an action rather than the object being moved.

How It Works

The di-...-i passive is used in several specific contexts:

  • Locative Focus: It emphasizes that the subject is the place where the action happens. For example, in Rumah itu didatangi polisi (The house was visited by police), the house is the stationary target.
  • Repetitive Action: It can imply that an action was done many times or with many objects, such as Pencuri itu dilempari batu (The thief was pelted with stones).
  • Causative Application: It can mean 'to apply' something to the subject, like Roti diminyaki (The bread was oiled).

Morphology and Valency:
The suffix -i is attached directly to the root. If the root ends in a vowel, they sit next to each other (e.g., temu becomes ditemui). Do not identify every final i as a suffix. In diisi and dikunci, it belongs to the roots isi and kunci. Standard verbs such as diberi also do not add a second written i; learn the whole form rather than inventing an additional suffix. Grammatically, the -i suffix forces a verb to become transitive, even if the root is originally intransitive (e.g., duduk 'to sit' becomes diduduki 'to be sat on').

Register:
This is a standard construction also used in conversation. Jakarta-influenced colloquial alternatives often use the -in suffix (e.g., ditemui becomes ditemuin). Note that in casual speech, -in is homonymous, as it replaces both -i and -kan.

Examples (4)

  1. Kursi ini tidak boleh diduduki.

    This chair must not be sat on.

    Word by Word: Chair this not may be-sat-on.

    Duduk becomes diduduki: the chair is the place occupied by sitting and is the passive subject.

  2. Lantai dibasahi oleh petugas setiap pagi.

    The floor is wetted by the worker every morning.

    Word by Word: Floor be-wetted by worker every morning.

    Basah becomes dibasahi. The passive subject lantai is the surface to which wetness is applied.

  3. Pencuri itu dilempari batu oleh warga.

    The thief was pelted with stones by the residents.

    Word by Word: Thief that be-thrown-at-i stone by residents.

    The -i suffix indicates a repetitive action (throwing multiple stones) directed at the thief.

  4. Dia dikirimi surat setiap minggu.

    He is sent a letter every week.

    Word by Word: He be-sent-i letter every week.

    Using -i focuses on 'Dia' (the recipient). If we focused on the letter, we would use -kan.

Common Mistakes

  • Confusing di-...-i with di-...-kan.

    Surat itu dikirimi kepada saya.
    Surat itu dikirimkan kepada saya.

    Use di-...-kan when the subject is the thing being moved (the letter). Use di-...-i when the subject is the recipient (e.g., Saya dikirimi surat).

  • Adding a space after the 'di-' prefix.

    Buku itu di tulis olehnya.
    Buku itu ditulis olehnya.

    The passive prefix 'di-' must be joined to the verb. Only the preposition di (meaning 'at') is written with a space.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

di-...-iLevel 4Passive Locative or Target Form

Learn This First

To understand the di-...-i passive, you first need to be familiar with the basic Indonesian passive construction (di-) and how the -i suffix changes the focus of a verb to a location or target. This pattern specifically passivizes active verbs that already use the -i suffix.

Words in This Pattern

di--i