Object voice with saya or aku
In formal Malay, when the actor is the 1st person (saya, aku, kita/kami) or 2nd person (anda, kamu), you must use the Object Voice. Unlike the di- passive used for the 3rd person, this form removes the meN- prefix and places the pronoun directly before the verb.
How It Works
The Object Voice (Pasif Diri Pertama & Kedua) is mandatory in formal Malay for 1st and 2nd person actors.
Key rules to become proficient in this form:
- Remove meN- only: You must strip the meN- prefix, but you must retain suffixes and the per- prefix. For example, membacakan becomes bacakan, and memperbaiki becomes perbaiki.
- No 'di-' or 'oleh': Never use the di- passive prefix or the word oleh for 1st/2nd person. 'Buku itu dibaca oleh saya' is considered incorrect; it must be 'Buku itu saya baca'.
- Inseparability: No words can come between the pronoun and the verb. Aspect markers like sudah or akan must be placed before the pronoun (e.g., sudah saya baca).
- Proclitics: The pronouns aku and engkau often shorten to ku- and kau- and attach directly to the verb (e.g., kubaca, kaudengar). Note that kamu does not have a standard proclitic form.
Examples (5)
- Buku itu sudah saya baca.
That book has been read by me.
Word by Word: Book that already I read.
Notice that 'saya' comes before the root 'baca', and the aspect marker 'sudah' comes before 'saya'.
- Kerja sekolah ini kami siapkan semalam.
This homework was completed by us yesterday.
Word by Word: Work school this we complete yesterday.
The root 'siapkan' is used without a 'meN-' prefix because the actor is 'kami' (we).
- Nasi lemak itu akan aku makan nanti.
That nasi lemak will be eaten by me later.
Word by Word: Rice fat that will I eat later.
In this object voice construction, 'aku' is placed directly before the root 'makan'.
- Surat itu telah kuhantar pagi tadi.
That letter was sent by me this morning.
Word by Word: Letter that already I-send morning just-now.
Here, the shortened form 'ku-' is attached directly to the root 'hantar'.
- Keputusan itu kita buat bersama-sama.
That decision was made by us together.
Word by Word: Decision that we make together.
Using the inclusive 'kita' with the root 'buat' to show collective action in the passive voice.
Common Mistakes
Using the 'di-' prefix with a first-person actor.
Buku itu dibaca oleh saya.Buku itu saya baca.In Standard Malay, the 'di-' prefix is strictly reserved for 3rd-person actors (he, she, they, or names). For 'I' or 'we', you must use the object voice.
Inserting words between the pronoun and the verb root.
Buku itu saya sudah baca.Buku itu sudah saya baca.The pronoun and the root verb are inseparable. Aspect markers like 'sudah' must be placed before the pronoun.
Keeping the 'meN-' prefix in a passive sentence.
Buku itu saya membaca.Buku itu saya baca.The 'meN-' prefix indicates active voice. When the object is moved to the front, the prefix must be dropped to form the object voice.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand the first-person object voice, you need to be familiar with the first-person pronoun 'saya', how to mark a noun as definite using 'itu', and how aspect markers like 'sudah' function, as they occupy a specific position in this non-canonical word order.
- sayaNeutral First-person Saya
The first-person pronoun 'saya' is a core component of this specific object voice construction.
Level 1 - Noun + ituThat After the Noun
The object voice typically requires a definite object, often marked by 'itu', to be placed at the beginning of the sentence.
Level 1 - sudah + VerbCompleted or Attained State with Sudah
Aspect markers like 'sudah' are placed before the pronoun in this construction, and understanding their basic usage is necessary for correct word order.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- Object voice with kamu or anda
This follows the exact same rules as the first-person version, using pronouns like 'anda' or 'kamu' with a bare verb root.
Level 3 - di-Basic Passive with Di-
This is the passive form used for 3rd-person actors, which contrasts with the prefix-less object voice used for 1st and 2nd persons.
Level 2 - meN-Active Transitive Verbs with MeN-
The active voice prefix that must be removed when converting a sentence into the object voice.
Level 2 - akuFamiliar First-person Aku
The familiar first-person pronoun which often shortens to 'ku-' in this construction.
Level 1 - kita / kamiInclusive and Exclusive We
Both 'we' pronouns use this object voice construction when they are the actors in a passive sentence.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice Object voice with saya or aku in Bubblegum
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