berganti

Berganti is an Indonesian verb formed from ber- plus ganti, meaning to change, to be replaced, or to take the place of another. It is used to describe a change in state that occurs over time or a substitution that happens without the subject actively performing the replacement. The sense can cover seasonal changes, rotations of personnel, or changing clothes and roles.

Etymology and grammar

The word derives from the root ganti (replacement, change) with the intransitive prefix ber-, indicating a state or ongoing process. Berganti typically describes a change that happens by itself or through a turn-taking arrangement, rather than a deliberate action performed on an object. For actions where someone actively substitutes one thing for another, the transitive mengganti is normally preferred.

Usage and examples

- Musim berganti dari kemarau ke hujan. (The seasons change from dry to rainy.)

- Petugas berganti setiap dua jam. (The personnel rotate/replace every two hours.)

- Dia berganti pakaian sebelum menghadiri acara. (He changed clothes before attending the event.)

- Wajah kota itu berganti seiring pembangunan dan perubahan era. (The city’s face changes with development and changing times.)

Distinctions

Berganti emphasizes the process of change or replacement as a state or general occurrence, while mengganti highlights the act of substituting one specific item for another (transitive and agentic). For example, Anda mengganti batrei (You replace the battery) rather than Anda berganti batrei.

See also

mengganti, pergantian, ganti, ganti rugi.