[ARCHIVE] 'me-kan' verbs, Tips & Notes, Addendum.

Fnirk1 · Post by **Fnirk1** » Mon Feb 21, 2022 3:05 pm

Originally posted by: Rick392366 https://forum.duolingo.com/comment/31492596

'me-kan' verbs are transitive (needing a direct object in the sentence).
'di-kan' verbs are the passive counterpart.
'me-kan' verbs can have different meanings, depending upon :
(1) suffix '-kan' is sometimes mandatory to form a verb.
(2) syntactical category of the [base word]
(3) specific semantical characteristics.

If [base word] = verb, or adjective and the '-kan' suffix is mandatory to form a verb :
meaning ==> to perform the action as mentioned by the [base word].
meaning ==> to let someone/something become like the [base word].
Examples:
kerja ==> mengerjakan ==> to work on something.
bicara ==> membicarakan ==> to talk about something.
hancur ==> menghancurkan ==> to destroy something.
bebas ==> membebaskan ==> to liberate someone/something.

If [base word] = noun :
meaning ==> to consider/to see object as the [base word].
meaning ==> to let the object become like the [base word].
Examples:
dewa ==> mendewakan ==> to deify someone/something.
akibat ==> mengakibatkan ==> to cause something.

If [base word] = noun that indicates a location.
meaning ==> to put 'the object' at the location of the [base word].
Examples:
penjara ==> memenjarakan==> to put someone in prison.
pojok ==> memojokkan ==> to put something in the corner.
pinggir ==> meminggirkan ==> to move something to the side.

'me-kan' verbs with a 'causative' meaning.
meaning ==> to make something become like the [base word].
==> [base word] is usually an adjective.
Examples:
kuning ==> menguningkan ==> to make something to become yellow.
besar ==> membesarkan ==> to make something to become big.
kecil ==> mengecilkan ==> to make something to become small.
satu ==> menyatukan ==> to let something become one.

'me-kan' verbs with a 'benefactive' meaning.
meaning ==> to do something for somebody else.
Examples:
beli ==> membelikan ==> to buy something for someone else.
cari ==> mencarikan ==> to search something for someone else.
pilih ==> memilihkan ==> to choose something for someone else.
buat ==> membuatkan ==> to make something for someone else.

Although the 'benefactive' form occurs a lot, it's not the only meaning of this 'me-kan' affix.
The 'benefactive' nature of this verb also means that this verb is usually (not always) 'dwitransitif'.
'Dwitransitif' : it has two objects in the sentence.
'Ekatransitif : it has one object in the sentence.

Example dwitransitif:
"Saya membelikan Tini seekor kucing". = "I buy Tini a cat".
The Indonesian sentence is (S-P-O-Pel), the two objects in this sentence:
"Tini" = [O] = direct object (dativ object in German)
"seekor kucing" = [Pel] = indirect object (accusativ object in German)

Example ekatransitif :
'mendengarkan' is an example of an 'ekatransitif' 'me-kan' verb (one object):
'mendengar' = ekatransitif = to hear
'mendengarkan' = ekatransitif = to listen
"Saya mendengar bunyi sirene." = "I hear the sound of the sirene"
"Saya tidak bisa mendengarkan warta berita." = "I cannot listen to the news."

Furthermore, there is a group of verbs where the meaning does not differ significantly, with or without the '-kan' suffix.
Examples:
antar : mengantar - mengantarkan = to bring someone.
balik : \membalik - membalikkan = to bring back something.
cipta : mencipta - menciptakan = to create something.
ganti : mengganti - menggantikan = to exchange something.
palsu : memalsu - memalsukan = to falsify something.

As mentioned in the Tips & Notes, with some 'me-kan' verbs the object is implied and the object is omitted in the sentence.
Examples:

Peraturan ini sangat membingungkan.
This rule is very confusing.

Film ini sangat membosankan.
This movie is very boring.

Kejadian ini sangat menyedihkan.
This event is very sad.

These verbs are causative and have a direct object.
Meaning : the verb causes someone/something (the object) to become the [base word].
The object 'everyone'/ everybody' is implied and omitted in these sentences.
In other words : it causes everyone/everybody to become confused (bingung), bored (bosan), sad (sedih).
These verbs are often translated as an adjective in English.

To summarise:
'me-kan' verbs can be formed using different types of [base words] (noun/verb/adjective/etc).
'me-kan' verbs are transitive (needing an object).
'di-kan' is the passive counterpart.

Here is the conjugation table to convert a [base word] into a 'me-verb' :

Starting letter base word	Conjugation
l, m, n, r, w	Me + base
vowel, g, h	Me + ng
c, d, j	Me + n
b, f, v	Me + m
k	Me + ng - k
t	Me + n - t
s	Me + ny - s
p	Me + m - p
monosyllabic	Me + nge +base

There are more examples in the following Tinycards decks :

'me-kan' , 'me-i' affix in one deck :
https://tinycards.duolingo.com/decks/7X ... -indonesia

'me-' prefix : \nhttps://tinycards.duolingo.com/decks/7XE3GxCr/me-prefix-bahasa-indonesia

'transitive verbs and the passive counterparts' :
https://tinycards.duolingo.com/decks/7W ... -indonesia