Last updated on January 16, 2024
Prefix ber- can be combined with a noun:
Ber + Noun is ‘to have’
The general meaning of prefix ber- is “to have” the thing represented by the noun.
- nama (name) > ber- + nama > bernama (to have the name/to be called)
| Root | In Sentence | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| nama | Ayah saya bernama Didi. | My father’s name is Didi. |
| uban | Rambut ibu saya sudah beruban. | My mother’s hair has grays. |
| debu | Mejanya berdebu. | His desk is dusty(literally ‘have dust’). |
| kulit | Dia berkulit putih | She has fair skin. |
Ber + Noun is ‘to use, to wear, to travel by’
- kuda (horse) > ber- + kuda > berkuda (to travel by horse)
| Root | In Sentence | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| kuda | Ayah saya berkuda setiap hari Minggu. | My father rides a horse every Sunday. |
| topi | Lihatlah orang yang bertopi itu. | Look at that person who wears a hat. |
| mobil | Dia selalu bermobil ke kantor | He always go to the office by car. |
Ber + Noun is ‘produce’
| Root | In Sentence | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| keringat | Cuaca panas membuat saya berkeringat. | The hot weather makes me sweating. |
| telur | Ayam-ayam kami sudah bertelur. | Our hens have laid eggs. |
| bunyi | Pintu rumah kami selalu berbunyi kalau dibuka. | Our house door always make a sound every time we open it. |
Ber + Noun is ‘reciprocal’
It indicates two people stand in the same relationship to each other as specified by the base.
| Root | In Sentence | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| tetangga | Ali dan Tomo bertetangga Didi. | Ali dan Tomo are neighbors. |
| teman | Saya dan Susi sudah berteman lama. | Susi and I have been friends for long. |
| tunangan | Toni dan Nina bertunangan kemarin. | Toni and Nina got engaged (to each other) yesterday. |
| saingan | Dia dan kakaknya selalu bersaing. | He and his older brother always compete with each other. |
Ber + Noun becomes verb, refers to work
The work is regularly performed or done for a living.
Note:
When prefix ber- is added to the root word ternak (farm animal), the ‘r’ is dropped. This is an exception.
| Root | In Sentence | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ternak | Pak Tomo hidup dari beternak*. | Tomo earns his living by engaging in animal farming. |
| dagang | Dia berdagang setiap hari. | He engages in trade everyday. |