Indonesian di and ke can be independent prepositions or parts of a word. EYD V makes the grammatical difference visible: a preposition is separated from the following word, while a prefix is attached. Thus di rumah means “at home,” but dibaca means “is/was read”; ke rumah means “to the house,” but kedua means “second” or “both,” depending on context.
The forms sound alike in ordinary speech, so listening alone does not tell you where the space goes. Spacing records grammatical function. This page focuses on that orthographic decision and leaves pronunciation, the deeper meanings of derivational affixes, and broader editing choices to their dedicated pages.
Di- attached: the passive prefix
When di- forms a passive verb, attach it directly to the verb base. The result expresses an action received by the subject: dibaca “is/was read,” ditulis “is/was written,” dibuka “is/was opened.” Indonesian does not insert a space at this normal morpheme boundary.
| Structure | Correct spelling | Basic interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| di- + baca | dibaca | is/was read |
| di- + tulis | ditulis | is/was written |
| di- + buka | dibuka | is/was opened |
| di- + perbaiki | diperbaiki | is/was repaired |
Pesan itu sudah dibaca, tetapi belum dibalas.
The message has been read, but it hasn't been answered yet.
Jalan di depan sekolah sedang diperbaiki.
The road in front of the school is being repaired.
In the second sentence, diperbaiki is one passive verb, but the first di in di depan is a separate locative preposition. One sentence can contain both patterns.
Di separate: the locative preposition
The preposition di places something at a location. Write it separately from the noun, pronoun, or locative expression that follows: di rumah “at home,” di Jakarta “in Jakarta,” di sini “here,” di atas meja “on the table.” It usually answers di mana? “where?”
Saya bekerja di rumah setiap hari Jumat.
I work at home every Friday.
Kuncinya ada di atas meja, di samping laptop.
The key is on the table, beside the laptop.
Dokumen itu disimpan di lemari yang terkunci.
The document is kept in a locked cabinet.
The contrast in the last sentence is structural: disimpan is a passive verb and therefore solid, while di lemari is a location and therefore separate. English expresses both relationships with separate words or changes word order, so English-speaking learners often fail to expect an attached Indonesian passive prefix.
Ke separate: direction or destination
The preposition ke marks movement or orientation toward a destination. Write it separately: ke rumah “to the house/home,” ke kantor “to the office,” ke Bandung “to Bandung,” ke sana “there,” ke mana “where to?”
Setelah rapat, saya langsung pulang ke rumah.
After the meeting, I went straight home.
Besok kami naik kereta ke Bandung.
Tomorrow we're taking the train to Bandung.
Kamu mau pergi ke mana setelah makan siang?
Where do you want to go after lunch?
The parallel is simple: locative di identifies a place, while directional ke identifies a destination. Both are independent prepositions and both take a space.
| Question | Answer | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Di mana Rani? | Rani di rumah. | location: separate di |
| Rani pergi ke mana? | Rani pergi ke rumah. | direction: separate ke |
| Apa yang terjadi pada surat itu? | Surat itu dibaca. | passive action: attached di- |
Ke- attached: ordinal and collective numbers
When ke- combines with a number word to form an ordinal, attach it: kedua “second,” ketiga “third,” kesepuluh “tenth.” Attached ke- can also present a numbered set collectively: kedua anak itu “both of those children,” ketiga calon “all three candidates.” The surrounding noun phrase tells you whether the reading is ordinal or collective.
Saya tinggal di lantai kedua, tepat di atas apotek.
I live on the second floor, directly above the pharmacy.
Kedua anak itu sudah tidur.
Both children are already asleep.
Ketiga calon akan mengikuti wawancara besok.
All three candidates will attend an interview tomorrow.
The space test is grammatical, not phonetic. Ke rumah contains the preposition ke plus a destination. Kedua is one derived number word. Do not write kerumah or ke dua for these meanings.
Similar-looking forms that need context
The contrast ke luar versus keluar shows why spaces carry meaning. Ke luar is the preposition ke followed by luar “outside”: it explicitly marks direction. Keluar is the established verb “go out; exit,” written as one word.
Dia pergi ke luar gedung untuk menerima telepon.
She went outside the building to take a phone call.
Dia keluar sebentar untuk menerima telepon.
She stepped out briefly to take a phone call.
These sentences describe nearly the same event, but their structures differ. Do not decide merely by translating both as English “out.” Identify whether ke is actively introducing a destination. Other established solid words, such as kepada and kemari, must be learned as words; they do not overturn the productive rules above.
A two-question editing method
When you encounter di or ke in a draft, use two questions:
- Does the phrase identify a place or destination? If yes, write a space: di dapur, di sekolah, ke pasar, ke luar kota.
- Does the element build a verb or a numbered form? If yes, attach it: dimasak, dikirim, kedua, kelima.
This method is more dependable than memorizing isolated strings because it generalizes to words you have never written. In normal lowercase words, no hyphen is added: dibaca, not di-baca; kedua, not ke-dua. Special boundaries before capitalized forms and acronyms are covered on the affix attachment page.
Common Mistakes
1. Joining locative di to its noun
❌ Saya menunggu dirumah.
Incorrect — locative di must be separated from rumah.
✅ Saya menunggu di rumah.
I'm waiting at home.
2. Separating the passive prefix di-
❌ Buku itu di baca oleh adik saya.
Incorrect — passive di- must attach to baca.
✅ Buku itu dibaca oleh adik saya.
That book was read by my younger sibling.
3. Joining directional ke to its destination
❌ Kami berjalan kerumah nenek.
Incorrect — directional ke is a separate preposition.
✅ Kami berjalan ke rumah nenek.
We walked to Grandma's house.
4. Separating ordinal ke-
❌ Ini kunjungan saya yang ke dua.
Incorrect — the ordinal word kedua is written solid.
✅ Ini kunjungan saya yang kedua.
This is my second visit.
Key Takeaways
- Write passive di- solid: dibaca, ditulis, diperbaiki.
- Write locative di separately: di rumah, di sini, di atas meja.
- Write directional ke separately: ke rumah, ke Bandung, ke mana.
- Write ordinal or collective ke- solid with number words: kedua, ketiga.
- Indonesian ordinary spelling uses no mandatory accent marks; spaces and attachment, not accents, reveal these grammatical functions.
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Start learning Indonesian →Related Topics
- Attaching Prefixes and SuffixesA2 — Write ordinary Indonesian affixes solid with lowercase bases and use boundary hyphens around capitalized or acronym bases.
- Hyphens in ReduplicationA1 — Use a hyphen inside Indonesian full, affixed, and changing-sound reduplication while avoiding informal digit shortcuts.
- di: Static LocationA1 — Use the separate preposition di for static location at, in, or on a place, and distinguish it from destination ke and passive di-.
- ke: Direction and DestinationA1 — Use free ke for movement toward destinations and endpoints, contrasting it with static di and attached ordinal or derivational ke-.
- di-: Formation and AllomorphyA1 — Learn how the invariant passive prefix di- attaches to Indonesian verb bases, how to recover the base, and why it differs from the separate preposition di.
- Confusing di with di-B1 — Repair di spacing by deciding whether di introduces a location or builds a passive verb.