The ter- prefix

By Speak Indo, from the Speak Indo Indonesian course.

ter- can mark an unintentional event, a resulting state, ability, or a superlative. The exact meaning is lexical and contextual.

How it works

ter- has several common jobs: 1. Unintentional or uncontrolled event: • tidur (sleep) → tertidur (fall asleep, often unintentionally) • bawa (carry) → terbawa (get carried along, be taken accidentally) 2. State or result: • tutup (close) → tertutup (closed, shut) • buka (open) → terbuka (open) 3. Ability or perception in some verbs: • lihat (see) → terlihat (visible, can be seen) • dengar (hear) → terdengar (audible, sounds) 4. Superlative: • besar (big) → terbesar (biggest) • baik (good) → terbaik (best) Do not assume every ter- verb is accidental or completed. Learn its usual meaning in context.

Examples

• Pintu terbuka karena angin.
  The door opened because of the wind.
• Saya terjatuh di tangga.
  I accidentally fell on the stairs.
• Restoran ini yang terbaik di kota.
  This restaurant is the best in town.