ber-

See also: Appendix:Variations of "ber"

Indonesian

Etymology

Inherited from Malay ber-, from Classical Malay ber-, from Old Malay bar-,

• from earlier Old Malay mar-, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *maR-.
• comparable to Proto-Austroasiatic *p-, *pC- (“causative prefix”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bər/

Prefix

ber- (verb base)

1. (intransitive) -ing, used to form the continuative aspect of some verbs

   ‎ber- + ‎pikir (“to think”) → ‎berpikir (“thinking”)

   ‎ber- + ‎renang (“to swim”) → ‎berenang (“swimming”)

2. (intransitive) used to form dynamic verb of some transitive verbs

   ‎ber- + ‎ubah (“to change”) → ‎berubah (“to change (to become something different)”)

3. (intransitive, reflexive) to do something to the self.

   ‎ber- + ‎hias (“dressing”) → ‎berhias (“self-dressing”)

ber- (noun base)

1. to have; -ed, -d

   ‎ber- + ‎atap (“roof”) → ‎beratap (“roofed”)

   ‎ber- + ‎baju (“clothes”) → ‎berbaju (“clothed”)

   ‎ber- + ‎adik (“younger sibling”) → ‎beradik (“profess as someone younger sibling”)

2. to produce [base]

   ‎ber- + ‎telur (“egg”) → ‎bertelur (“to produce egg”)

3. to use [base], to wear [base], to travel by [base]

   ‎ber- + ‎sepatu (“shoes”) → ‎bersepatu (“to wear shoes”)

4. to work, to engage in the [base].

   ‎ber- + ‎tani (“farming”) → ‎bertani (“to farm”)

5. (intransitive, reciprocal) to do [base] in reciprocal situation.

   ‎ber- + ‎tinju (“boxing, hit”) → ‎bertinju (“to hit each other”)

   ‎ber- + ‎teman (“friend”) → ‎berteman (“to be friends with each other”)

6. (intransitive) duration and length

   ‎ber- + ‎jam (“hour”) → ‎berjam-jam (“hours”)

   ‎ber- + ‎meter (“metre”) → ‎bermeter-meter (“metres”)

ber- (adjective base)

1. (intransitive, stative) used to form stative verbs

   ‎ber- + ‎gembira (“happy”) → ‎bergembira (“to be in happiness (to rejoice)”)

   ‎ber- + ‎sedih (“sad”) → ‎bersedih (“to be in sadness”)

ber- (numeral base)

1. multiple

   ‎ber- + ‎tiga (“three”) → ‎bertiga (“triple”)

2. together in a group of [base]

   ‎ber- + ‎tiga (“three”) → ‎bertiga (“in group of three”)

3. (acting) in a number of groups of [base] at a time

   ‎ber- + ‎tiga (“three”) → ‎bertiga-tiga (“three at a time, three by three”)

Alternative forms

• be- used in word with initial /r/ or word with final /-ər.C-/ in first syllable
• bel- only used in the word ajar and unjur

Derived terms

• ber- -an
• ber- -kan

 

Indonesian terms prefixed with ber-

Further reading

• “ber-” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

Malay

Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *maR-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bər/

Prefix

ber- (verb base)

1. (intransitive) -ing, used to form the continuative aspect of some verbs

   ‎ber- + ‎fikir (“to think”) → ‎berfikir (“thinking”)

   ‎ber- + ‎renang (“to swim”) → ‎berenang (“swimming”)

2. (intransitive) used to form dynamic verb of some transitive verbs

   ‎ber- + ‎ubah (“to change”) → ‎berubah (“to change (to become something different)”)

3. (intransitive, reflexive) to do something to the self.

   ‎ber- + ‎hias (“dressing”) → ‎berhias (“self-dressing”)

4. (intransitive) alternative form of di-.

   ‎ber- + ‎terima (“to accept”) → ‎berterima (“to be accepted”)

ber- (noun base)

1. to have; -ed, -d

   ‎ber- + ‎atap (“roof”) → ‎beratap (“roofed”)

   ‎ber- + ‎baju (“clothes”) → ‎berbaju (“clothed”)

   ‎ber- + ‎adik (“younger sibling”) → ‎beradik (“profess as someone younger sibling”)

2. to produce [base]

   ‎ber- + ‎telur (“egg”) → ‎bertelur (“to produce egg”)

3. to use [base], to wear [base], to travel by [base]

   ‎ber- + ‎kasut (“shoes”) → ‎berkasut (“to wear shoes”)

4. to work, to engage in the [base].

   ‎ber- + ‎tani (“farming”) → ‎bertani (“to farm”)

5. (intransitive, reciprocal) to do [base] in reciprocal situation.

   ‎ber- + ‎lawan (“fighting”) → ‎berlawan (“to fight each other”)

   ‎ber- + ‎kawan (“friend”) → ‎berkawan (“to be friends with each other”)

ber- (adjective base)

1. (intransitive, stative) used to form stative verbs

   ‎ber- + ‎gembira (“happy”) → ‎bergembira (“to be in happiness (to rejoice)”)

   ‎ber- + ‎sedih (“sad”) → ‎bersedih (“to be in sadness”)

ber- (numeral base)

1. multiple

   ‎ber- + ‎tiga (“three”) → ‎bertiga (“triple”)

Alternative forms

• be- used in words with initial /r/ in the first syllable and kerja
• bel- only used in the words ajar and unjur

Derived terms

• ber- -an
• ber- -kan

 

Malay terms prefixed with ber-

Descendants

• Indonesian: ber-
• North Moluccan Malay: ba-

Further reading

• “ber-” in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu | Malay Literary Reference Centre, Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017.