I see that some verbs in Indonesian doesn't need to have a prefix and other need me- or sometimes meng- or men- or mem- or ber- or be- , this is confusing !!!

Question

Switch · Answer

That's a good question to ask. Even Indonesian speakers won't be able to answer it. It is true that sometimes verbs need prefixes, sometimes they don't, and sometimes they need or don't need prefixes. These rules go way back. We are able to use these rules because since childhood we've been listening to them all the time. There is no other way beside practicing with Indonesian speakers and getting you used to it.

Stejedot · Answer

well indonesian prefix and suffix are sometimes confusing if indonesian is not the speaker's mothertongue, so the speaker have to be very familiar with the language first

it has the same logic of why the plural noun of apple is apples but berry is berries

i know it's difficult, for i've taught a lot of foreigner indonesian and the toughest part of all was prefix and suffix and some additional words like : kok, itu, etc

Stejedot · Answer

@GeorgiusAlv: mas tapi kan ada "saya lagi mengerjakan sesuatu" "i'm working on something" jadi bingung jelasinnya ini

anggimega · Answer

interesting case 😂

yovitarati · Answer

@AbdurrahmanAshraf:

if the initial are the consonants like m, n, r, 
you should change the
 basic form into ’me-’

ex: 
1. makan → memakan
2. nari→ menari
3. rasa → merasa

if the initial starts with s, you should change the basic form into ’meny-’ but remember to erase the intial s

ex: 
1. sapu → menyapu
2. sikat → menyikat
3. sapa → menyapa

if the initial starts from a, i, u, e, o (vocal) you must change the basic form into ’meng-’

ex
1. adu → mengadu
2. ikat → mengikat
3. ukur→ mengukur
4. ekor → mengekor
5. orbit→ mengorbit

and many more.. you can search in google about the grammar of Indonesian. Indonesian is not  as difficult as other language to learn, just do more practise.. good luck

yovitarati · Answer

@GeorgiusAlv: 😃 menjawab sebisanya..

yovitarati · Answer

@GeorgiusAlv: kalau dari grammar pasti beda2... penjelasan untuk grammar kita itu gampang, krn kita ga punya past tense kayak bhs lain. Hanya ribetnya di awalan dan akhiran yang susah dipahami 😂😄

yovitarati · Answer

@Switch: sebenernya sih semua bahasa, ada rumusnya.. jd bukan secara natural terjadi.. hehe.. butuh tidaknya imbuhan, awalan dan akhiran menyesuaikan konteks kalimat. gak hanya latihan sj, tp pertama2 harus tau dasarnya.. Tdnya saya pikir berbahasa itu terjadi secara natural.. tp semenjak kuliah sastra,jd tau kalau bahasa punya pola dan rumus2 tertentu.. 😃

ziaaurani · Answer

hahaha mem- or men- or meng- it's like a -ing in english. for example baca = mem-baca (membaca) in english is (read = reading)
dapat (men-dapat-kan = mendapatkan)
in english is (get = getting)
tari = me-nari (menari)
and in english is (dance = dancing)
something like that

ziaaurani · Answer

@GeorgiusAlv: ya tapi untuk lebih mudah, kasih contoh seperti itukan gak masalah. lagian indonesia juga tidak punya present continous and simplr present. bahasa indonesia itu kayak satu jalan aja

ziaaurani · Answer

@AbdurrahmanAshraf: it's not for all verbs you can add me or men or meng or ber. do you still confuse?

ziaaurani · Answer

okay, i do mistake. hahaha because i'm still study

ziaaurani · Answer

@AbdurrahmanAshraf: You must study hard so that can understand. okay?

ziaaurani · Answer

@AbdurrahmanAshraf: @GeorgiusAlv: we are the same still learning.

ziaaurani · Answer

@AbdurrahmanAshraf @GeorgiusAlv if you add i the last word so it's be meniduri hahaha

ziaaurani · Answer

@AbdurrahmanAshraf: so where do you come from dude?

ziaaurani · Answer

@AbdurrahmanAshraf: yeah something like that. so can we chatting on line or the others app?

ziaaurani · Answer

@GeorgiusAlv: so can we chatting on line or the others app? so that's why we can learning together

ziaaurani · Answer

i have add you

GeorgiusAlv · Answer

any example for word/sentence that you are confused?

GeorgiusAlv · Answer

@ziaaurani: tapi kalo bentuknya -ing nanti artinya berubah jadi present continous, padahal imbuhan me men atau meng itu bentuknya simple present

GeorgiusAlv · Answer

ahhh okee for tidur in this case indonesian usuall doesnt use menidur.. it directly tidur 😉

GeorgiusAlv · Answer

menidur sounds weird 😂😂😂

GeorgiusAlv · Answer

i dont know either.. but in use we always say "saya tidur".. tidur always stand alone without prefix me or men or meng..

GeorgiusAlv · Answer

pergi also

GeorgiusAlv · Answer

@ziaaurani: simple present : saya pergi (I go)
present continous : saya sedang pergi (I am going)😉😉😉

GeorgiusAlv · Answer

In that case of tidur thing, you don't use prefix 😂😂😂

GeorgiusAlv · Answer

Saya juga belajar hahahah 😂😂😂

GeorgiusAlv · Answer

@AbdurrahmanAshraf: we always use "Saya tidur" not "Saya menidur" 😆😆😆

GeorgiusAlv · Answer

@AbdurrahmanAshraf: i said it earlier buddy.. you dont have to add prefix..

GeorgiusAlv · Answer

Perhaps the good word of using prefix me- is "Saya menidurkan badan saya"

GeorgiusAlv · Answer

If you use menidurkan you need an object

GeorgiusAlv · Answer

It sounds like transitif and intransitif

GeorgiusAlv · Answer

If you use only tidur you dont need add object, but if you use menidurkan then you need the object. in this case is your body

GeorgiusAlv · Answer

here

GeorgiusAlv · Answer

@ziaaurani: my line id?? sure.. 😂😂😂 gervin47

GeorgiusAlv · Answer

In English sleep is Intransitive Verb.. because English doesnt have any prefix for active verb without changing the active verb

GeorgiusAlv · Answer

transitive verb

GeorgiusAlv · Answer

@AbdurrahmanAshraf: bekerja or mengerjakan

GeorgiusAlv · Answer

but bekerja and mengerjakan have different meanings

GeorgiusAlv · Answer

bekerja in english is working, but if you say mengerjakan in english  is doing

GeorgiusAlv · Answer

@Stejedot: nah itu dia.. saya juga bingung mau jelasinnya wkwkwkwk

GeorgiusAlv · Answer

I am doing something or I am working something?

GeorgiusAlv · Answer

😂😂😂

GeorgiusAlv · Answer

@yovitarati: this is what he wants.. thank you.. 👏👏👏

GeorgiusAlv · Answer

Cara belajar kita sama mereka mungkin beda ya? 😂😂😂

I see that some verbs in Indonesian doesn't need to have a prefix and other need me- or sometimes meng- or men- or mem- or ber- or be- , this is confusing !!! Sehen Sie eine Übersetzung

any example for word/sentence that you are confused?

hahaha mem- or men- or meng- it's like a -ing in english. for example baca = mem-baca (membaca) in english is (read = reading)dapat (men-dapat-kan = mendapatkan)in english is (get = getting)tari = me-nari (menari)and in english is (dance = dancing)something like that

@ziaaurani: tapi kalo bentuknya -ing nanti artinya berubah jadi present continous, padahal imbuhan me men atau meng itu bentuknya simple present

ahhh okee for tidur in this case indonesian usuall doesnt use menidur.. it directly tidur 😉

menidur sounds weird 😂😂😂

i dont know either.. but in use we always say "saya tidur".. tidur always stand alone without prefix me or men or meng..

pergi also

😂😂😂

@yovitarati: this is what he wants.. thank you.. 👏👏👏

@GeorgiusAlv: 😃 menjawab sebisanya..

Cara belajar kita sama mereka mungkin beda ya? 😂😂😂

@GeorgiusAlv: kalau dari grammar pasti beda2... penjelasan untuk grammar kita itu gampang, krn kita ga punya past tense kayak bhs lain. Hanya ribetnya di awalan dan akhiran yang susah dipahami 😂😄

interesting case 😂

Stellen Sie Muttersprachlern kostenlos fragen

I see that some verbs in Indonesian doesn't need to have a prefix and other need me- or sometimes meng- or men- or mem- or ber- or be- , this is confusing !!!

hahaha mem- or men- or meng- it's like a -ing in english. for example baca = mem-baca (membaca) in english is (read = reading)
dapat (men-dapat-kan = mendapatkan)
in english is (get = getting)
tari = me-nari (menari)
and in english is (dance = dancing)
something like that