mempertanggungjawabkan
To Justify or Account for
Mempertanggungjawabkan is a formal, transitive verb used to describe the act of giving an account, justifying, or taking full responsibility for a specific action or result.
How It Works
The verb mempertanggungjawabkan represents one of the most morphologically complex structures in Indonesian. Understanding it requires looking at three key areas:
1. Morphology and Spelling
The root is the compound noun tanggung jawab. When a compound word receives both a prefix and a suffix simultaneously (a circumfix like memper-...-kan), the space between the two words is removed. The prefix memper- is a combination of meN- and per-. The initial 't' of the root is preserved because it follows the 'r' in per-, rather than being at the immediate prefix-root boundary where nasalization occurs.
2. Transitivity vs. Intransitivity
Learners must distinguish this from bertanggung jawab:
- bertanggung jawab is intransitive. You are 'responsible' (usually followed by the preposition atas).
- mempertanggungjawabkan is transitive. You 'account for' or 'justify' something (followed directly by the object).
3. Usage and Passive Form
This word is highly formal, standard in legal and bureaucratic settings. In these contexts, the passive form dipertanggungjawabkan is extremely common, especially in accountability reports (Laporan Pertanggungjawaban), where the focus is on the actions or funds being accounted for rather than the person doing the accounting.
Examples (4)
- Manajer itu harus mempertanggungjawabkan penggunaan anggaran proyek.
That manager must account for the use of the project budget.
Word by Word: Manager that must account-for use budget project.
Here, the verb is followed directly by the object 'penggunaan anggaran' (the use of the budget).
- Setiap pemimpin wajib mempertanggungjawabkan kebijakannya kepada rakyat.
Every leader is obliged to justify their policies to the people.
Word by Word: Every leader obliged account-for policy-their to people.
In a political context, it refers to the moral and legal obligation to explain one's decisions.
- Dia tidak bisa mempertanggungjawabkan perbuatannya di pengadilan.
He could not justify his actions in court.
Word by Word: He not can account-for deed-his in court.
In legal contexts, this implies failing to provide a valid explanation for a crime or error.
- Panitia telah mempertanggungjawabkan hasil kerja mereka.
The committee has accounted for the results of their work.
Word by Word: Committee already account-for result work their.
This indicates the completion of a formal reporting process.
Common Mistakes
Writing the word with a space.
Dia harus memper tanggung jawabkan laporannya.Dia harus mempertanggungjawabkan laporannya.When a compound word (tanggung jawab) gets both a prefix and a suffix, the space must be removed.
Using a preposition after the verb.
Pemerintah mempertanggungjawabkan atas dana tersebut.Pemerintah mempertanggungjawabkan dana tersebut.For the thing accounted for, this verb takes a direct object: mempertanggungjawabkan dana tersebut. Do not insert atas before that object. Other prepositional phrases can follow for different roles, such as kepada rakyat in an example above.
Incorrect nasalization.
memertanggungjawabkanmempertanggungjawabkanThe incorrect form loses the p of per-, not the root-initial t. Keep both in memper-tanggung-jawab-kan: nasal replacement does not remove p from the per- component.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand 'mempertanggungjawabkan', a learner must first be familiar with the complex circumfix 'memper-...-kan', which is used to form causative or intensive transitive verbs. Additionally, knowledge of how the 'meN-' prefix triggers nasalization (specifically the 't' to 'n' replacement in 'tanggung') and how compound nouns like 'tanggung jawab' (responsibility) are structured is essential.
- memper-...-kanComplex Memper-...-kan Verbs
The verb 'mempertanggungjawabkan' is a specific lexicalized instance of the complex memper-...-kan circumfix applied to a compound base.
Level 4 - Root-initial t replacement
Understanding how the nasal prefix interacts with the initial 't' in 'tanggung' is necessary for the correct formation of the active verb.
Level 3 - Possession by juxtaposition
The base 'tanggung jawab' is a compound noun formed by juxtaposition, which is a prerequisite for understanding the complex verb derived from it.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- pertanggungjawabanAccountability Nominalization
The noun form (accountability/responsibility report) derived from the same root.
Level 5 - dipertanggungjawabkanPassive Accountability Form
The passive form of the verb, used when the object is the focus of the sentence.
Level 5 - ber-Basic Activity Verbs with Ber-
The root 'tanggung jawab' often takes the 'ber-' prefix to form the intransitive 'to be responsible'.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
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