Memecah

Memecah is an Indonesian verb meaning to break into pieces, to crack, or to divide something into parts. It is a transitive action that applies to physical objects as well as abstract concepts.

The word is formed from the root pecah, meaning crack or fracture, with the prefix me-. In many cases the prefix assimilates to mem- when the root begins with p, producing memecah. A related form, memecahkan, uses the suffix -kan to indicate the act of breaking something or solving something, as in memecahkan masalah (to solve a problem) or memecahkan rekor (to break a record).

Common collocations and usage include memecah kacang (to crack nuts), memecah batu (to crack stone), and memecah belah (to split or divide, often used in social or political contexts). The verb can take a direct object, for example: saya memecah kaca (I break the glass) or kita memecahkan masalah ini (we solve this problem). The passive voice is dipecahkan, as in: masalah itu telah dipecahkan (the problem has been solved) or kaca itu telah dipecahkan (the glass has been broken).

Memecah belah is a notable idiom indicating division among people or groups, frequently occurring in discussions about politics, society, or communal harmony. In contrast, memecahkan is primarily the act of making something broken or splitting it, while memecahkan emphasizes the result of breaking or solving.

See also: pecah, pecahan, memecah belah.