Formal Passive and Impersonal in Indonesian

Overview

Formal passive and impersonal constructions are a hallmark of written Indonesian. They remove the agent entirely, creating sentences that sound objective and authoritative. Patterns like dapat dikatakan (it can be said), perlu diketahui (it should be known), and telah disetujui (has been approved) are standard in academic writing, official documents, and news reporting.

These constructions combine the di- passive with modal verbs (dapat, perlu, harus, telah) to create complex impersonal expressions. They are essential for any Indonesian text that aims for objectivity and formality.

How It Works

Impersonal Passive Patterns

Pattern	Example	English
dapat + di-verb	dapat dikatakan	it can be said
perlu + di-verb	perlu diketahui	it should be known
harus + di-verb	harus diakui	it must be admitted
telah + di-verb	telah disetujui	has been approved
akan + di-verb	akan dilaksanakan	will be implemented
sedang + di-verb	sedang diproses	is being processed

Modal + Passive Combinations

Modal	Meaning	Example
dapat	can/may	Dapat disimpulkan bahwa... (It can be concluded that...)
perlu	need to	Perlu dicatat bahwa... (It needs to be noted that...)
harus	must	Harus diingat bahwa... (It must be remembered that...)
patut	deserve to	Patut disayangkan. (It is regrettable.)
layak	worthy	Layak dipertimbangkan. (Worthy of consideration.)

Common Fixed Expressions

Indonesian	English
Dapat dikatakan bahwa...	It can be said that...
Perlu diketahui bahwa...	It should be known that...
Patut dicatat bahwa...	It is worth noting that...
Telah diputuskan bahwa...	It has been decided that...
Tidak dapat dipungkiri bahwa...	It cannot be denied that...

Examples in Context

Indonesian	English	Note
Dapat dikatakan bahwa...	It can be said that...	Hedging in academic text
Perlu diketahui bahwa...	It should be known that...	Drawing attention
Keputusan ini telah disetujui.	This decision has been approved.	Official confirmation
Menurut apa yang diketahui.	According to what is known.	Formal attribution
Patut disayangkan bahwa proyek itu gagal.	It is regrettable that the project failed.	Value judgment
Harus diakui bahwa ada masalah.	It must be admitted that there are problems.	Concession
Tidak dapat dipungkiri keberhasilannya.	Its success cannot be denied.	Emphasis
Perlu dilakukan penelitian lebih lanjut.	Further research needs to be conducted.	Academic recommendation
Akan dilaksanakan bulan depan.	Will be implemented next month.	Official planning
Sedang diproses oleh pihak terkait.	Being processed by the relevant parties.	Bureaucratic status

Common Mistakes

Using these patterns in casual speech

• Wrong: Dapat dikatakan bahwa saya lapar. in conversation
• Right: Saya lapar. — save impersonal passives for formal writing
• Why: These constructions are formal and academic. Using them in casual speech sounds pompous.

Forgetting bahwa after impersonal expressions

• Wrong: Perlu diketahui ada masalah.
• Right: Perlu diketahui bahwa ada masalah.
• Why: In formal writing, bahwa is expected after these impersonal expressions for completeness.

Overusing passive in creative writing

• Wrong: Using impersonal passives in fiction or personal essays
• Right: Save them for academic, journalistic, or official writing
• Why: Impersonal passives create distance and objectivity, which works against personal or narrative writing.

Usage Notes

These formal passive constructions are the backbone of Indonesian academic and official prose. They create the impersonal, objective tone expected in research papers, government documents, and formal reports. The expression tidak dapat dipungkiri (it cannot be denied) is one of the most frequently used formal phrases. Perlu diketahui functions as a formal "FYI." Understanding and producing these patterns is essential for anyone working in Indonesian professional or academic environments.

Practice Tips

1. Collect impersonal passive expressions from Indonesian academic texts and memorize them as fixed phrases: dapat dikatakan, perlu diketahui, patut dicatat, harus diakui.
2. Practice converting active sentences to formal passive: Kita perlu memperhatikan masalah ini → Masalah ini perlu diperhatikan.

Related Concepts

• Prefix di- (Passive) — the basic passive construction