Root-initial s replacement

Level 3

meN- + s (vowel) → meny- (e.g., sapu → menyapu)

How It Works

The prefix meN- is the primary marker for the active voice in Indonesian. When attaching to roots starting with the letter s, learners follow the KTSP Rule (peluluhan) to become proficient in formal grammar.

1. The Standard Rule (s + vowel)
If the root starts with s followed by a vowel (a, i, u, e, o), the prefix takes the allomorph meny- and the s is dropped.

  • sapu (broom) → menyapu (to sweep)
  • sewa (rent) → menyewa (to rent)
  • susun (arrange) → menyusun (to arrange)

2. The Exception: Digraph 'sy'
For roots starting with the digraph sy, the s is retained and the prefix becomes men-.

  • syukur → mensyukuri
  • syarat → mensyaratkan

3. The Exception: Consonant Clusters
If the s is followed by another consonant (common in loanwords like stabil), the s is retained, and the prefix becomes men-.

  • stabil → menstabilkan

4. The Exception: Monosyllables
If the root is only one syllable long, the prefix becomes menge- and the s is kept.

  • set → mengeset

5. Register Note
In formal writing, this rule is mandatory. However, in colloquial speech, the prefix is often dropped entirely (e.g., Saya sapu lantai).

Examples (4)

  1. Ibu sedang menyapu halaman rumah.

    Mother is sweeping the house yard.

    Word by Word: Mother [progressive marker] sweep yard house.

    The root 'sapu' (broom/sweep) starts with 's' followed by a vowel, so it becomes 'menyapu'.

  2. Perusahaan itu menyewa kantor baru di pusat kota.

    That company is renting a new office in the city center.

    Word by Word: Company that rent office new at center city.

    The root 'sewa' (rent) changes to 'menyewa' in the active voice.

  3. Dia mencoba menyusun buku-buku itu berdasarkan abjad.

    He is trying to arrange those books alphabetically.

    Word by Word: He try arrange books that based-on alphabet.

    The root 'susun' (arrange) becomes 'menyusun' following the s → ny rule.

  4. Pemerintah berusaha menyukseskan program vaksinasi.

    The government is striving to make the vaccination program a success.

    Word by Word: Government strive make-success program vaccination.

    Even for loanwords like 'sukses', if the 's' is followed by a vowel, it should change to 'ny' in formal Indonesian.

Common Mistakes

  • Retaining the 's' after the prefix.

    Saya sedang mensikat gigi.
    Saya sedang menyikat gigi.

    Learners often mistakenly use the 'men-' form and keep the 's'. For roots like 'sikat', the 's' must be replaced by the 'meny-' allomorph.

  • Applying the 'ny' rule to consonant clusters.

    Dia menyetabilkan kamera itu.
    Dia menstabilkan kamera itu.

    If 's' is followed by a consonant (like 'st' in 'stabil'), the 's' does not melt. It stays as 'menstabilkan'.

  • Replacing the 's' in roots starting with 'sy'.

    Kita harus menyukuri nikmat ini.
    Kita harus mensyukuri nikmat ini.

    Roots starting with the digraph 'sy' (like 'syukur') do not follow the replacement rule. The prefix becomes 'men-' and the 's' is retained.

How It Connects

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

Root-initial s replacementLevel 3

Learn This First

To understand why the initial 's' of a root disappears and changes to 'meny-', you must first understand the general function of the 'meN-' prefix in forming active transitive verbs and be familiar with the 'meny-' allomorph form.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

meng-