Words can be simple or complex. A simple word consists solely of a base or root word, which can not be broken down into smaller units. A base carries the essential meaning of a word.
Primary verbs are either intransitive or transitive. Some intransitive verbs are also simple. They have no affix. Examples:
bangun – wake up
hidup – live
gagal – fail
mandi – bath
However, a word can also consist of a base with one or more affixes. There are three types of affix in Indonesian: prefixes, suffixes and circumfixes or confixes. A prefix is attached before the base, a suffix comes after the base and a circumfix or confix contains two parts, one occurring before the base and one after.
Indonesian prefixes are me-, ber-, ter-, di-, pe-, se-, ke-.
