Ambilkan

Ambilkan is a verb form used in Indonesian and Malay that means to fetch or bring something for someone. It is derived from the verb ambil (to take) with the causative suffix -kan, which signals that the action is performed for another person or on behalf of someone.

In usage, ambilkan functions as a request or command to have someone else obtain an item for the speaker or a specified recipient. Commonly, it appears in polite or everyday speech with signals of courtesy such as tolong or lah: for example, “Tolong ambilkan segelas air” or “Ambilkan buku itu untuk saya.” The structure typically places the item after ambilkan, followed by an indication of the beneficiary, either explicitly with untuk saya or implicitly understood.

Grammatically, ambilkan marks a ditransitive or benefactive action: the subject is the person who will perform the taking, the direct object is the item to be taken, and the indirect beneficiary is the person for whom the item is fetched. The form can be softened with alasan, or emphasized with diakhiri -lah as in “Ambilkanlah buku itu untuk adik.” It is widely understood in both formal and informal contexts, though in formal situations people may opt for more complete phrasing such as “Tolong ambilkan buku itu untuk saya.”

Etymology and related forms: ambilkan is built from ambil plus -kan, a common Indonesian suffix that creates causative or benefactive verbs. Related forms include beri-kan (to give for), bagi-kan (to hand to), and similar constructions in Malay.