Passive voice with di-

By Speak Indo, from the Speak Indo Indonesian course.

Indonesian has two common passive patterns. Both are normal in speech, not just formal writing.

How it works

Indonesian passive sentences put the affected object or topic first. The pattern depends on the agent: Third-person agent or no stated agent: Object + di-verb + (oleh) + agent • Surat itu ditulis Rina. = Rina wrote that letter. • Makanannya sudah dimasak. = The food has been cooked. First- or second-person agent: Object + saya/kamu + bare verb • Active: Saya membaca buku itu. • Passive: Buku itu sudah saya baca. = I have read that book. • Buku itu kamu beli di mana? = Where did you buy that book? The second pattern is extremely common in everyday conversation. A di-verb followed by oleh saya is possible under marked contrast, but it is not the natural default for 'I read the book'.

Examples

• Surat itu ditulis oleh adik saya.
  The letter was written by my younger sibling.
• Makanan sudah dimasak.
  The food has already been cooked.
• Pintu dibuka perlahan.
  The door was opened slowly.