Passive voice with prefix ter-

The prefix ter- forms passive verbs that are either a) stative, b) accidental, or c) abilitative. It is also used to form the superlative (terbaru – yang paling baru, the newest). Here we will not discuss the superlative, but focus on the verb forming prefix ter-.

a) stative verbs

These verbs refer to a state of affairs. As there is no action involved there cannot be an actor.

Kecepatan terbatas.
Speed is limited. | Limited speed.

In this sentence emphasis is not on who or what limits the speed. This contrasts with:

Kecepatan dibatasi.
Speed was limited.

where the act was done deliberately or intentionally.

b) accidental verbs

The prefix -ter often expresses that an action occurs unintentionally. The accidental quality of these words is sometimes an additional quality as most accidental verbs are also stative and as such there is no focus on the actor. Often only the context determines whether a ter- verb is solely stative or also accidental.

Rumah itu terbakar.
The house burnt down.

This sentence can simply refer to the fact that the house burnt down (stative), but it can also imply that the fire was caused by an accident or by a natural cause such as struck by a lightening. As there is no emphasis on the actor arson can be ruled out.

This contrasts sharply with di- verbs where the action is usually performed intentionally:

Rumah itu dibakar.
The house was set ablaze.

c) abilitative verbs

Abilitative ter- verbs differ from stative ter- verbs in that they can have an actor. It is more common to encounter abilitative verbs in the negative, either with tidak, or, preferably, with tak. Also, while stative and accidental ter- verbs loose suffixes -kan and -i, abilitative ter- verbs don’t.

Sherlock Holmes: Misteri yang tak terpecahkan.
Unsolvable mystery. (Indonesian title of A Slight Trick of the Mind.)

Here, terpecahkan is based on memecahkan (to solve). Suffix -kan is retained.

Abilitative ter- verbs are more frequently found in formal Indonesian. In informal speech, a di- verb preceded by bisa or dapat (can) is very frequently used, and tidak is favoured over tak.

Misteri yang tidak dapat dipecahkan.
Unsolvable mystery.

In many cases the context decides wether a ter- verb is stative, accidental or abilitative. In the first sentence below terbawa is abilitative, in the second it is accidental. Note that in both cases the actor is indicated by oleh. With the di- passive oleh (by) is always optional. With abilitative ter- verbs oleh is always required when the actor is included.

Apa paket-paket itu terbawa oleh kamu sendiri ?
Were you able to carry those parcels by yourself

Maaf, paket Anda terbawa oleh saya.
Sorry , I took your parcels by mistake.