Most Indonesian writing mistakes come from a handful of repeat offenders — the di- prefix, standard vs nonstandard words, and affix spelling — and even native speakers make them. Indonesian is a wonderfully regular language, but formal writing has rules that everyday speech ignores. Here are the most common slips and how to fix them.
1. “di-” prefix vs “di” preposition
The biggest one. As a prefix (passive verb), di- attaches to the word: dimakan, ditulis, dibawa. As a preposition (place), di is separate: di rumah, di sini, di Jakarta.
Wrong: di makan, dirumah Right: dimakan, di rumah
The test: if it’s a place, separate it; if it’s a verb, join it.
2. Standard vs nonstandard words (baku vs nonbaku)
Everyday Indonesian is full of nonstandard spellings that don’t belong in formal writing:
- praktek → praktik
- resiko → risiko
- jadual → jadwal
- nopember → November
- aktifitas → aktivitas
- antri → antre
When in doubt, check against the KBBI (the official dictionary).
3. Affix spelling
Affixes trip up writers constantly:
- mensukseskan → menyukseskan (the me- prefix changes the root’s first letter)
- merubah → mengubah (the root is ubah, not rubah)
- di tandatangani → ditandatangani
4. “ke-” preposition vs prefix
Same logic as di-: ke sekolah (to school, separate) but kedua, ketua (joined).
5. Punctuation and capitalization
- Capitalize the first letter after a period, and proper nouns and titles.
- Indonesian uses a comma before tetapi, melainkan, and sedangkan.
- Numbers: Indonesian uses a comma for decimals (3,14) and a period for thousands (1.000).
How to catch them all
These are exactly the errors a context-aware grammar tool catches that a simple spell-checker misses. After drafting, run your Indonesian text through the grammar checker — it works fully in Bahasa Indonesia, flagging di- errors, nonstandard words, and affix slips. For polishing the phrasing itself, the paraphraser and readability checker also work natively in Indonesian.
Indonesian rewards careful writers. Fix these few repeat offenders and your formal writing will read clean, correct, and professional.
AI-powered — please review results before use.