di-
Basic Passive with Di-
The di- prefix creates a passive sentence where the object of an active sentence becomes the subject. It is used when the person doing the action is a 3rd person (he, she, they, or a name).
How It Works
The di- passive is one of the most common structures in Malay, especially in formal writing and storytelling. It focuses on the 'patient' (the thing being acted upon) rather than the 'agent' (the doer).
1. Morphological Rules:
The prefix di- is invariable. It is always written attached to the verb root without a space. For example:
- baca (read) → dibaca (is read)
- ambil (take) → diambil (is taken)
2. The 3rd Person Rule:
In standard Malay, di- is strictly reserved for 3rd-person agents (e.g., Ali, dia, mereka, polis). You should not use it with 1st or 2nd person pronouns like saya or awak. For those, you use the object voice instead.
3. Using 'oleh' (by):
The word oleh (by) is used to introduce the doer. It is optional if the doer immediately follows the verb, but mandatory if there are other words in between.
4. Intentionality:
Using di- implies the action was done on purpose. This contrasts with the ter- prefix, which implies the action happened by accident.
Examples (4)
- Buku itu dibaca oleh Ali.
That book is read by Ali.
Word by Word: Book that [passive]-read by Ali.
Here, the focus is on the book. Since Ali is a 3rd person, the 'di-' prefix is used.
- Pencuri itu sudah ditangkap oleh polis.
The thief has already been caught by the police.
Word by Word: Thief that already [passive]-catch by police.
The 'di-' prefix shows an intentional action performed by the police (3rd person).
- Surat itu ditulisnya pagi tadi.
The letter was written by him/her this morning.
Word by Word: Letter that [passive]-write-by.him morning just.now.
The suffix '-nya' acts as the 3rd-person agent attached directly to the 'di-' verb.
- Nasi lemak itu dimakan dengan cepat.
The nasi lemak was eaten quickly.
Word by Word: Nasi lemak that [passive]-eat with quick.
This is an agentless passive where the focus is entirely on the action and the food.
Common Mistakes
Using di- with 1st or 2nd person pronouns.
Buku itu dibaca oleh saya.Buku itu saya baca.In standard Malay, 'di-' is only for 3rd-person agents. For 'I' or 'you', use the bare verb with the pronoun before it.
Adding a space after the prefix di-.
Baju itu di basuh.Baju itu dibasuh.The passive marker 'di-' is a prefix and must be attached. Only the preposition 'di' (at/in) is written with a space.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand the di- passive, you first need to be comfortable with basic Malay sentence structure (SVO) and how active transitive verbs are formed using the meN- prefix. It is also helpful to distinguish the di- prefix used for verbs from the di preposition used for locations.
- meN-Active Transitive Verbs with MeN-
The di- passive is the direct counterpart to the meN- active prefix; understanding the active transitive form is essential for conceptualizing the passive.
Level 2 - diLocation with Di
Learners must distinguish the di- verbal prefix from the di location preposition to avoid confusion in sentence structure.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- di- / diPassive Prefix Versus Location Preposition
Explains the orthographic difference between the passive prefix and the location preposition.
Level 2 - olehPassive Agent with Oleh
Details how to identify the 'doer' in a passive sentence using 'oleh'.
Level 2 - ter- (tidak sengaja)Unplanned Events with Ter-
Contrasts the intentional passive (di-) with the accidental passive (ter-).
Level 2 - Object voice with saya or aku
The alternative passive structure used when the doer is 'I' (saya/aku).
Level 3
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice di- in Bubblegum
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