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Welcome to Lesson 48 of the Latinum Institute Modern Indonesian Course. This lesson focuses on melihat and its root form lihat, one of the most essential perception verbs in Indonesian. As a sensory verb ranking among the 50 most frequently used words in the language, mastering “to see” opens pathways to describing observations, experiences, and understanding in everyday Indonesian communication.
The verb lihat demonstrates Indonesian’s elegant system of verbal derivation through prefixes. The base form lihat can stand alone in informal speech, while the prefix me- creates the standard active form melihat. The passive dilihat and the stative terlihat (”visible, apparent”) round out this verb’s core forms. Unlike English, Indonesian verbs do not conjugate for person or number—the same form serves all subjects.
Throughout these 30 examples, you will encounter melihat and lihat in diverse contexts: describing what one sees, expressing opinions (”I see that...”), and forming compound expressions. The interlinear glossing allows immediate comprehension while your mind absorbs natural Indonesian patterns.
Course Index: https://latinum.substack.com/p/index
FAQ: What does “melihat” mean in Indonesian? Melihat (pronounced mə-LI-hat) is the active transitive form of the Indonesian verb meaning “to see, to look at, to watch, to observe.” The root form is lihat. It belongs to the category of perception verbs and is used both for physical sight and metaphorical understanding.
In this lesson you will learn how Indonesian expresses visual perception through the verb melihat/lihat, understand the prefix system that distinguishes active from passive voice, observe how tense is indicated through context and time markers rather than verb conjugation, and encounter authentic usage patterns in both formal and colloquial registers.
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48.1a Saya I melihat see burung bird itu that
48.1b Saya (SA-ya) I melihat (mə-LI-hat) see burung (BU-rung) bird itu (I-tu) that
48.2a Dia he/she melihat sees gunung mountain dari from jendela window
48.2b Dia (DI-a) he/she melihat (mə-LI-hat) sees gunung (GU-nung) mountain dari (DA-ri) from jendela (jen-DE-la) window
48.3a Kami we tidak not melihat see apa-apa anything
48.3b Kami (KA-mi) we tidak (TI-dak) not melihat (mə-LI-hat) see apa-apa (a-pa-A-pa) anything
48.4a Anak child itu that melihat sees ibunya his/her-mother dengan with senang happiness
48.4b Anak (A-nak) child itu (I-tu) that melihat (mə-LI-hat) sees ibunya (i-BU-nya) his/her-mother dengan (DE-ngan) with senang (sə-NANG) happiness
48.5a Kamu you sudah already melihat see film film baru new itu that
48.5b Kamu (KA-mu) you sudah (SU-dah) already melihat (mə-LI-hat) see film (film) film baru (BA-ru) new itu (I-tu) that
48.6a Mereka they sedang currently melihat watching pertandingan match sepak bola football
48.6b Mereka (mə-RE-ka) they sedang (SE-dang) currently melihat (mə-LI-hat) watching pertandingan (pər-tan-DING-an) match sepak bola (SE-pak BO-la) football
48.7a Saya I ingin want melihat to-see laut sea untuk for pertama kali first time
48.7b Saya (SA-ya) I ingin (I-ngin) want melihat (mə-LI-hat) to-see laut (LA-ut) sea untuk (UN-tuk) for pertama kali (pər-TA-ma KA-li) first time
48.8a Apakah QUESTION kamu you melihat see kunci key saya my
48.8b Apakah (a-PA-kah) QUESTION kamu (KA-mu) you melihat (mə-LI-hat) see kunci (KUN-ci) key saya (SA-ya) my
48.9a Bintang stars dapat can dilihat be-seen pada at malam night yang which cerah clear
48.9b Bintang (BIN-tang) stars dapat (DA-pat) can dilihat (di-LI-hat) be-seen pada (PA-da) at malam (MA-lam) night yang (yang) which cerah (CE-rah) clear
48.10a Dari from sini here terlihat is-visible puncak peak gunung mountain itu that
48.10b Dari (DA-ri) from sini (SI-ni) here terlihat (tər-LI-hat) is-visible puncak (PUN-cak) peak gunung (GU-nung) mountain itu (I-tu) that
48.11a Nenek grandmother melihat sees cucu-cucunya her-grandchildren bermain playing di in taman garden
48.11b Nenek (NE-nek) grandmother melihat (mə-LI-hat) sees cucu-cucunya (CU-cu-CU-cu-nya) her-grandchildren bermain (bər-MA-in) playing di (di) in taman (TA-man) garden
48.12a Polisi police melihat saw pencuri thief itu that melarikan diri fleeing
48.12b Polisi (po-LI-si) police melihat (mə-LI-hat) saw pencuri (pən-CU-ri) thief itu (I-tu) that melarikan diri (mə-la-ri-kan DI-ri) fleeing
48.13a Sekarang now saya I melihat see masalahnya the-problem dengan with jelas clarity
48.13b Sekarang (sə-KA-rang) now saya (SA-ya) I melihat (mə-LI-hat) see masalahnya (ma-sa-LAH-nya) the-problem dengan (DE-ngan) with jelas (JE-las) clarity
48.14a Pemandangan scenery yang which indah beautiful itu that harus must dilihat be-seen langsung directly
48.14b Pemandangan (pə-man-DA-ngan) scenery yang (yang) which indah (IN-dah) beautiful itu (I-tu) that harus (HA-rus) must dilihat (di-LI-hat) be-seen langsung (LANG-sung) directly
48.15a Dia he/she tidak not pernah ever melihat seen salju snow sebelumnya before
48.15b Dia (DI-a) he/she tidak (TI-dak) not pernah (PER-nah) ever melihat (mə-LI-hat) seen salju (SAL-ju) snow sebelumnya (sə-be-LUM-nya) before
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48.1 Saya melihat burung itu. “I see that bird.”
48.2 Dia melihat gunung dari jendela. “He/she sees the mountain from the window.”
48.3 Kami tidak melihat apa-apa. “We don’t see anything.”
48.4 Anak itu melihat ibunya dengan senang. “That child looks at his/her mother happily.”
48.5 Kamu sudah melihat film baru itu? “Have you seen that new film?”
48.6 Mereka sedang melihat pertandingan sepak bola. “They are watching the football match.”
48.7 Saya ingin melihat laut untuk pertama kali. “I want to see the sea for the first time.”
48.8 Apakah kamu melihat kunci saya? “Did you see my key?”
48.9 Bintang dapat dilihat pada malam yang cerah. “The stars can be seen on a clear night.”
48.10 Dari sini terlihat puncak gunung itu. “From here the mountain peak is visible.”
48.11 Nenek melihat cucu-cucunya bermain di taman. “Grandmother watches her grandchildren playing in the garden.”
48.12 Polisi melihat pencuri itu melarikan diri. “The police saw the thief fleeing.”
48.13 Sekarang saya melihat masalahnya dengan jelas. “Now I see the problem clearly.”
48.14 Pemandangan yang indah itu harus dilihat langsung. “That beautiful scenery must be seen in person.”
48.15 Dia tidak pernah melihat salju sebelumnya. “He/she has never seen snow before.”
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48.1 Saya melihat burung itu.
48.2 Dia melihat gunung dari jendela.
48.3 Kami tidak melihat apa-apa.
48.4 Anak itu melihat ibunya dengan senang.
48.5 Kamu sudah melihat film baru itu?
48.6 Mereka sedang melihat pertandingan sepak bola.
48.7 Saya ingin melihat laut untuk pertama kali.
48.8 Apakah kamu melihat kunci saya?
48.9 Bintang dapat dilihat pada malam yang cerah.
48.10 Dari sini terlihat puncak gunung itu.
48.11 Nenek melihat cucu-cucunya bermain di taman.
48.12 Polisi melihat pencuri itu melarikan diri.
48.13 Sekarang saya melihat masalahnya dengan jelas.
48.14 Pemandangan yang indah itu harus dilihat langsung.
48.15 Dia tidak pernah melihat salju sebelumnya.
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These are the grammar rules for melihat (to see).
The Root and Its Derivatives
The root form lihat serves as the foundation for all forms of this perception verb. In informal speech, Indonesians often use the bare root: “Aku lihat dia kemarin” (I saw him yesterday). However, the standard active transitive form adds the prefix me-, creating melihat. Note that when me- attaches to roots beginning with l, the l is retained: me- + lihat = melihat.
Voice Distinctions Through Prefixes
Indonesian distinguishes voice through prefixes rather than conjugation. The active voice uses melihat where the subject performs the seeing. The passive voice uses dilihat where the subject is being seen. The prefix ter- creates terlihat, indicating an involuntary or stative condition meaning “visible, apparent, can be seen.” Compare: “Saya melihat gunung” (I see the mountain - active) versus “Gunung itu terlihat dari sini” (The mountain is visible from here - stative).
Tense Expression
Indonesian verbs do not change form to indicate tense. Instead, time is expressed through context or time markers. For past actions, use sudah or telah before the verb: “Saya sudah melihat” (I have seen/I saw). For ongoing actions, use sedang: “Saya sedang melihat” (I am seeing/watching). For future, use akan: “Saya akan melihat” (I will see). Without markers, context determines the time reference.
Reduplication for Emphasis
The form lihat-lihat means “to look around, to browse” without specific focus: “Saya hanya lihat-lihat saja” (I’m just looking around). This casual reduplication is common in markets and shops.
The Derived Noun
Adding the circumfix pe-...-an creates penglihatan, meaning “vision, sight” as a noun: “Penglihatannya sangat baik” (His/her vision is very good).
Common Mistakes
English speakers often want to conjugate Indonesian verbs for person (”I see” vs. “he sees”). Remember that melihat remains unchanged regardless of subject. Another common error is forgetting that the passive construction in Indonesian places the agent after the verb with oleh (by): “Dilihat oleh semua orang” (Seen by everyone). Finally, learners sometimes confuse melihat (to see/look at) with menonton (to watch entertainment) or memandang (to gaze at). While overlapping, menonton specifically means watching performances or shows, and memandang implies longer, more contemplative looking.
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The verb melihat carries deep cultural significance in Indonesian society. The expression “lihat dulu” (let me see first / wait and see) reflects a characteristically Indonesian approach of careful consideration before commitment—a cultural tendency toward deliberation rather than hasty decisions.
In Javanese-influenced Indonesian, eye contact and “seeing” have complex social dimensions. The expression saling melihat (looking at each other) may carry romantic connotations among young people, while excessive direct gazing at elders can be considered disrespectful. The polite imperative silakan lihat (please look/see) is standard in shops and exhibitions.
The passive form dilihat frequently appears in social contexts meaning “to be perceived by others”—reflecting the Indonesian cultural emphasis on social perception and reputation. The phrase “harus dilihat orang” (must be seen by people) captures the importance of public appearance and social standing.
Regional variations exist across the archipelago. In Jakarta’s Betawi dialect, “liat” replaces “lihat” in casual speech. In formal Javanese-influenced Indonesian, memandang (to gaze) may be preferred for respectful looking, while melihat serves general purposes.
The expression melihat ke depan (to look forward/ahead) has become a common idiom for future planning and optimism, frequently used in speeches and motivational contexts. Meanwhile, melihat ke belakang (to look back) carries the sense of reflection on the past.
In Indonesian Islam, the concept of bashar (sight) connects to spiritual seeing, and expressions like “melihat dengan mata hati” (to see with the eyes of the heart) blend Indonesian vocabulary with Sufi-influenced spiritual concepts that permeate the culture.
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The following passage is adapted from the style of Pramoedya Ananta Toer’s Bumi Manusia (This Earth of Mankind, 1980), Indonesia’s most celebrated modern novel. The excerpt demonstrates the verb melihat in literary narrative context.
Aku I melihat saw dunia world yang which baru new terbentang spread-out di at hadapanku my-front. Bukan not dunia world lama old yang which penuh full dengan with kebodohan ignorance dan and kegelapan darkness. Ini this adalah is dunia world modern modern, tempat place di mana where manusia humans dapat can melihat see lebih more jauh far dari than nenek moyang ancestors mereka their. Mata eyes kita our sekarang now melihat see melampaui beyond pulau island, melampaui beyond lautan oceans, sampai until ke to negeri land yang which jauh far.
Aku (A-ku) I melihat (mə-LI-hat) saw dunia (DU-nia) world yang (yang) which baru (BA-ru) new terbentang (tər-bən-TANG) spread-out di (di) at hadapanku (ha-da-PAN-ku) my-front. Bukan (BU-kan) not dunia (DU-nia) world lama (LA-ma) old yang (yang) which penuh (PE-nuh) full dengan (DE-ngan) with kebodohan (kə-bo-DOH-an) ignorance dan (dan) and kegelapan (kə-gə-LAP-an) darkness. Ini (I-ni) this adalah (a-DA-lah) is dunia (DU-nia) world modern (MO-dern) modern, tempat (TEM-pat) place di mana (di MA-na) where manusia (ma-NU-sia) humans dapat (DA-pat) can melihat (mə-LI-hat) see lebih (LE-bih) more jauh (JA-uh) far dari (DA-ri) than nenek moyang (NE-nek MO-yang) ancestors mereka (mə-RE-ka) their. Mata (MA-ta) eyes kita (KI-ta) our sekarang (sə-KA-rang) now melihat (mə-LI-hat) see melampaui (mə-lam-PA-ui) beyond pulau (PU-lau) island, melampaui (mə-lam-PA-ui) beyond lautan (la-UT-an) oceans, sampai (SAM-pai) until ke (ke) to negeri (nə-GE-ri) land yang (yang) which jauh (JA-uh) far.
Aku melihat dunia yang baru terbentang di hadapanku. Bukan dunia lama yang penuh dengan kebodohan dan kegelapan. Ini adalah dunia modern, tempat di mana manusia dapat melihat lebih jauh dari nenek moyang mereka. Mata kita sekarang melihat melampaui pulau, melampaui lautan, sampai ke negeri yang jauh.
“I saw a new world spread out before me. Not the old world full of ignorance and darkness. This is the modern world, a place where humans can see further than their ancestors. Our eyes now see beyond the island, beyond the oceans, all the way to distant lands.”
Aku melihat dunia yang baru terbentang di hadapanku. Bukan dunia lama yang penuh dengan kebodohan dan kegelapan. Ini adalah dunia modern, tempat di mana manusia dapat melihat lebih jauh dari nenek moyang mereka. Mata kita sekarang melihat melampaui pulau, melampaui lautan, sampai ke negeri yang jauh.
This passage demonstrates melihat in its metaphorical sense of perceiving or understanding the world, extending beyond physical sight. The phrase terbentang di hadapanku uses the passive ter- prefix to show something spread out before the speaker, complementing the active melihat. The construction dapat melihat (can see) shows the modal auxiliary pattern. Note melampaui (beyond/surpassing), built from the root lampau (past/beyond) with me- and -i affixes. The repeated melihat and mata (eyes) create thematic unity around the concept of vision and perception that characterizes Pramoedya’s modernist prose.
Source: Passage in the style of Pramoedya Ananta Toer, reflecting themes from Bumi Manusia (Hasta Mitra, 1980).
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The following dialogue depicts a family gathering where relatives share photographs and memories, showcasing natural conversational use of melihat and lihat in informal family settings.
48.16a Ibu mother, coba try lihat look foto photo ini this
48.16b Ibu (I-bu) mother, coba (CO-ba) try lihat (LI-hat) look foto (FO-to) photo ini (I-ni) this
48.17a Wah wow, siapa who yang that kamu you lihat see di in foto photo itu that
48.17b Wah (wah) wow, siapa (SI-a-pa) who yang (yang) that kamu (KA-mu) you lihat (LI-hat) see di (di) in foto (FO-to) photo itu (I-tu) that
48.18a Aku I melihat see Nenek grandmother waktu when masih still muda young
48.18b Aku (A-ku) I melihat (mə-LI-hat) see Nenek (NE-nek) grandmother waktu (WAK-tu) when masih (MA-sih) still muda (MU-da) young
48.19a Kalian you-all harus must melihat see album album keluarga family yang which lama old ini this
48.19b Kalian (ka-LI-an) you-all harus (HA-rus) must melihat (mə-LI-hat) see album (AL-bum) album keluarga (kə-lu-AR-ga) family yang (yang) which lama (LA-ma) old ini (I-ni) this
48.20a Ayah father sedang currently melihat looking-at foto photos pernikahan wedding dengan with Ibu mother
48.20b Ayah (A-yah) father sedang (SE-dang) currently melihat (mə-LI-hat) looking-at foto (FO-to) photos pernikahan (pər-ni-KAH-an) wedding dengan (DE-ngan) with Ibu (I-bu) mother
48.21a Lihat look, ini this kakek grandfather dan and nenekmu your-grandmother di in Bandung Bandung
48.21b Lihat (LI-hat) look, ini (I-ni) this kakek (KA-kek) grandfather dan (dan) and nenekmu (ne-NEK-mu) your-grandmother di (di) in Bandung (BAN-dung) Bandung
48.22a Anak-anak children, mau want tidak not melihat see video video liburan vacation kita our
48.22b Anak-anak (a-nak-A-nak) children, mau (MA-u) want tidak (TI-dak) not melihat (mə-LI-hat) see video (VI-de-o) video liburan (li-BUR-an) vacation kita (KI-ta) our
48.23a Saya I belum not-yet pernah ever melihat seen foto photo ini this sebelumnya before
48.23b Saya (SA-ya) I belum (BE-lum) not-yet pernah (PER-nah) ever melihat (mə-LI-hat) seen foto (FO-to) photo ini (I-ni) this sebelumnya (sə-be-LUM-nya) before
48.24a Kamu you mirip resemble sekali very-much dengan with orang person yang that kita we lihat see di in foto photo ini this
48.24b Kamu (KA-mu) you mirip (MI-rip) resemble sekali (sə-KA-li) very-much dengan (DE-ngan) with orang (O-rang) person yang (yang) that kita (KI-ta) we lihat (LI-hat) see di (di) in foto (FO-to) photo ini (I-ni) this
48.25a Boleh may saya I melihat see lebih more dekat close
48.25b Boleh (BO-leh) may saya (SA-ya) I melihat (mə-LI-hat) see lebih (LE-bih) more dekat (DE-kat) close
48.26a Setiap every kali time melihat seeing foto photos ini these, Ibu mother selalu always tersenyum smiles
48.26b Setiap (sə-TI-ap) every kali (KA-li) time melihat (mə-LI-hat) seeing foto (FO-to) photos ini (I-ni) these, Ibu (I-bu) mother selalu (sə-LA-lu) always tersenyum (tər-sə-NYUM) smiles
48.27a Dari from foto photo ini this, kita we bisa can melihat see betapa how bahagianya happy mereka they
48.27b Dari (DA-ri) from foto (FO-to) photo ini (I-ni) this, kita (KI-ta) we bisa (BI-sa) can melihat (mə-LI-hat) see betapa (bə-TA-pa) how bahagianya (ba-ha-GI-a-nya) happy mereka (mə-RE-ka) they
48.28a Adik younger-sibling ingin wants melihat to-see foto photos waktu when dia he/she masih still bayi baby
48.28b Adik (A-dik) younger-sibling ingin (I-ngin) wants melihat (mə-LI-hat) to-see foto (FO-to) photos waktu (WAK-tu) when dia (DI-a) he/she masih (MA-sih) still bayi (BA-yi) baby
48.29a Mari let’s kita we lihat look bersama-sama together kenangan memories indah beautiful ini these
48.29b Mari (MA-ri) let’s kita (KI-ta) we lihat (LI-hat) look bersama-sama (bər-sa-ma-SA-ma) together kenangan (kə-NA-ngan) memories indah (IN-dah) beautiful ini (I-ni) these
48.30a Senang happy sekali very bisa can melihat see seluruh entire keluarga family berkumpul gathering seperti like ini this
48.30b Senang (sə-NANG) happy sekali (sə-KA-li) very bisa (BI-sa) can melihat (mə-LI-hat) see seluruh (sə-LU-ruh) entire keluarga (kə-lu-AR-ga) family berkumpul (bər-KUM-pul) gathering seperti (sə-PER-ti) like ini (I-ni) this
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48.16 Ibu, coba lihat foto ini! “Mom, look at this photo!”
48.17 Wah, siapa yang kamu lihat di foto itu? “Wow, who do you see in that photo?”
48.18 Aku melihat Nenek waktu masih muda. “I see Grandmother when she was still young.”
48.19 Kalian harus melihat album keluarga yang lama ini. “You all must see this old family album.”
48.20 Ayah sedang melihat foto pernikahan dengan Ibu. “Father is looking at the wedding photos with Mother.”
48.21 Lihat, ini kakek dan nenekmu di Bandung. “Look, this is your grandfather and grandmother in Bandung.”
48.22 Anak-anak, mau tidak melihat video liburan kita? “Children, do you want to see our vacation video?”
48.23 Saya belum pernah melihat foto ini sebelumnya. “I have never seen this photo before.”
48.24 Kamu mirip sekali dengan orang yang kita lihat di foto ini. “You look so much like the person we see in this photo.”
48.25 Boleh saya melihat lebih dekat? “May I see it more closely?”
48.26 Setiap kali melihat foto ini, Ibu selalu tersenyum. “Every time she sees these photos, Mother always smiles.”
48.27 Dari foto ini, kita bisa melihat betapa bahagianya mereka. “From this photo, we can see how happy they were.”
48.28 Adik ingin melihat foto waktu dia masih bayi. “Younger sibling wants to see photos of when he/she was still a baby.”
48.29 Mari kita lihat bersama-sama kenangan indah ini. “Let’s look at these beautiful memories together.”
48.30 Senang sekali bisa melihat seluruh keluarga berkumpul seperti ini. “I’m so happy to see the entire family gathering like this.”
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48.16 Ibu, coba lihat foto ini!
48.17 Wah, siapa yang kamu lihat di foto itu?
48.18 Aku melihat Nenek waktu masih muda.
48.19 Kalian harus melihat album keluarga yang lama ini.
48.20 Ayah sedang melihat foto pernikahan dengan Ibu.
48.21 Lihat, ini kakek dan nenekmu di Bandung.
48.22 Anak-anak, mau tidak melihat video liburan kita?
48.23 Saya belum pernah melihat foto ini sebelumnya.
48.24 Kamu mirip sekali dengan orang yang kita lihat di foto ini.
48.25 Boleh saya melihat lebih dekat?
48.26 Setiap kali melihat foto ini, Ibu selalu tersenyum.
48.27 Dari foto ini, kita bisa melihat betapa bahagianya mereka.
48.28 Adik ingin melihat foto waktu dia masih bayi.
48.29 Mari kita lihat bersama-sama kenangan indah ini.
48.30 Senang sekali bisa melihat seluruh keluarga berkumpul seperti ini.
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This family dialogue demonstrates several important patterns with melihat/lihat:
Informal Imperative: The casual command “Coba lihat!” (Try to look! / Look!) uses the bare root lihat rather than the fuller melihat. This is standard in spoken Indonesian among family members. Similarly, “Lihat, ini kakek...” shows how lihat functions as an attention-getter.
Question Formation: “Siapa yang kamu lihat?” shows the relative pronoun yang creating “the one whom you see.” The question word comes first, followed by the relative clause construction.
Family Terms Without Articles: Indonesian uses kinship terms like Ibu, Ayah, Nenek, Kakek, and Adik without articles, often capitalizing them when used as forms of address rather than mere nouns.
Pronouns in Family Context: Note the inclusive kita (we, including listener) versus exclusive kami (we, excluding listener). In “liburan kita,” the speaker includes the children in “our vacation.”
Modal Combinations: “Bisa melihat” (can see), “mau melihat” (want to see), “ingin melihat” (want to see - slightly more formal), and “boleh melihat” (may see / permitted to see) show how modal verbs precede melihat without any changes to either verb.
Temporal Expressions: “Belum pernah melihat” (have not yet ever seen) combines belum (not yet) with pernah (ever) before the verb, creating “never yet seen” with an implication that seeing might still occur.
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Key Sounds in This Lesson
The Indonesian e has two pronunciations. The schwa /ə/ (like English “a” in “about”) appears in unstressed syllables: melihat is pronounced /mə-LI-hat/, not /me-LI-hat/. The full e /e/ (like English “bed”) appears in some words, often marked in dictionaries.
The consonant h is always pronounced in Indonesian, unlike in some English words. In lihat /LI-hat/, the final h should be audible as a light breath.
The ng sound /ŋ/ (as in English “sing”) appears in words like dengan /DE-ŋan/. Indonesian also has ny /ɲ/ (like Spanish “ñ”) in words like tersenyum.
IPA Transcriptions
melihat: /məˈlihat/ lihat: /ˈlihat/ dilihat: /diˈlihat/ terlihat: /tərˈlihat/ penglihatan: /pəŋliˈhatan/
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Lesson 48 Complete
✓ Indonesian Lesson 48 (melihat - to see) complete.
Nexal Code: INDO-048-MELIHAT-LIHAT-PERCEPTION-VERB
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