This prefix occurs with some intransitive verbs where you can drop the prefix ber-. In some words the prefix ber- is reduced to be-.
| Intransitive Verb | Formal Form | Colloquial Form |
| kerja | Dia bekerja di Bank Danamon. | Dia kerja di Bank Danamon. He works at Bank Danamon. |
| jalan | Dia berjalan sendiri. | Dia jalan sendiri. She walks alone. |
| tanya | Dia bertanya soal apa? | Dia tanya soal apa? What did she ask you about? |
| canda | Kami suka bercanda. | Kami suka becanda. We love to joke around. |
| dua | Hanya kami berdua. | Hanya kami bedua. Just the two of us. |
| darah | Tangannya berdarah. | Tangannya bedarah. Her hand is bleeding. |
Reference: Colloquial Jakartan Indonesian by James Neil Sneddon, 2006
For more information or articles about colloquial, colloquial Indonesian, colloquial Jakartan Indonesian by Dr. Timothy Hassall from ANU, Canberra, Australia, click here.
