berhenti + Verb

Stopping an Activity

Level 2

berhenti + [verb] = to stop doing [activity].
Example: berhenti makan (stop eating).

How It Works

In Malay, the pattern berhenti + verb is the standard way to express the end of an action.

1. Grammatical Structure
The word berhenti comes from the root henti and the ber- prefix. It is an intransitive verb, meaning the subject itself stops. The verb that follows can be in its base form or have a prefix.

2. Nuance of 'Quitting'
While it often means a physical stop (like stopping walking), it is also the standard way to say 'to quit' a job or a habit:

  • berhenti kerja (to quit a job)
  • berhenti merokok (to quit smoking)

3. Formal vs. Informal
In formal writing, you might see berhenti daripada (stop from), but in daily speech and standard prose, the direct berhenti + verb is most common. In very casual speech, berhenti is often shortened to brenti.

4. Important Distinction
Do not use berhenti if you are stopping an object (like stopping a car or a machine). For that, you need the transitive form menghentikan.

Examples (4)

  1. Sila berhenti bercakap semasa guru sedang mengajar.

    Please stop talking while the teacher is teaching.

    Word by Word: Please stop talk while teacher progressive-aspect teaching.

    Here, 'berhenti' is followed by 'bercakap' (to talk) to give a polite command using sila.

  2. Dia sudah berhenti merokok sejak tahun lepas.

    He has stopped smoking since last year.

    Word by Word: He already stop smoke since year last.

    This uses sudah to show a completed change in habit (quitting).

  3. Hujan akhirnya berhenti turun pada waktu senja.

    The rain finally stopped falling at dusk.

    Word by Word: Rain finally stop fall at time dusk.

    In Malay, we say 'stop falling' (berhenti turun) to describe the rain stopping.

  4. Abang saya mahu berhenti kerja bulan depan.

    My older brother wants to quit his job next month.

    Word by Word: Older-brother my want stop work month front.

    Using mahu to express the intention to quit a job.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'berhenti' transitively to stop an object.

    Saya berhenti kereta di tepi jalan.
    Saya menghentikan kereta di tepi jalan.

    'Berhenti' is intransitive (the subject stops). To stop an object like a car, you must use the transitive form 'menghentikan'.

  • 'Dia berhenti untuk merokok' is correct, but it means he stopped in order to smoke.

    Different MeaningDia berhenti untuk merokok.
    Dia berhenti merokok.

    'Berhenti untuk merokok' means 'He stopped [what he was doing] in order to smoke.' To say he quit smoking, use 'berhenti merokok' directly.

How It Connects

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

berhenti + VerbLevel 2Stopping an Activity

Learn This First

To understand 'berhenti + verb', you need to be familiar with how Malay verbs are formed using the 'ber-' prefix. It is also helpful to understand the basic SVO sentence structure and how aspectual verbs (like 'mula' or 'berhenti') are placed directly before the main verb to modify the status of an action.

Words in This Pattern

berhenti