Piring kotor harus dicuci.

must

Breakdown of Piring kotor harus dicuci.

• kotor: dirty
• dicuci: to be washed
• piring: the dish

Questions & Answers about Piring kotor harus dicuci.

What does harus mean in this sentence, and how is it used?

harus means “must” or “have to.” It expresses necessity or obligation. In Indonesian syntax, harus always precedes the main verb or verb phrase, regardless of whether that verb is active or passive.
Examples:

• harus membuat (must make)
• harus dicuci (must be washed)

Why is the verb dicuci used instead of mencuci?

dicuci is the passive form of cuci (to wash). The prefix di- marks that the action is done to the subject (the plates), not by the subject. If you wanted the sentence in active voice (plate washer as the subject), you’d use mencuci.

• Passive: Piring kotor harus dicuci. (Dirty plates must be washed.)
• Active: Saya harus mencuci piring kotor. (I must wash the dirty plates.)

Is this sentence in the passive voice? How can you tell?

Yes. Indicators:
• The verb has the di- prefix (dicuci).
• There’s no explicit agent doing the washing.
• The “object” (piring kotor) comes before the verb.
Structure: [Object] + harus + di-verb = passive necessity.

Why is there no subject like “I” or “they” in ?