berucap

Berucap is an Indonesian verb formed with the prefix ber- attached to the root ucapa, meaning to utter or to say. The term describes the act of speaking or delivering spoken words, often in a public, formal, or ceremonial context. As a base verb, berucap conveys the action of speaking rather than the content of what is said.

Etymology and grammar: ucapa or ucap is the root meaning to utter or to pronounce. The prefix ber- marks a verbal action performed by the subject. Indonesian verbs do not inflect for person, so berucap remains the same across subjects. Time and aspect are indicated with adverbs or other auxiliary words (for example, sedang berucap, telah berucap, akan berucap) rather than through verb conjugation.

Usage and nuance: berucap is typically used when emphasizing the act of delivering speech, especially in formal, institutional, or public settings. It is less common in everyday informal speech, where verbs such as berbicara or berkata might be more natural. In contrast, mengucapkan focuses more on the content or the act of pronouncing a specific phrase, while ucapan is a noun meaning a speech or utterance, and pengucapan refers to pronunciation or enunciation.

Examples: Ketua majelis berucap di hadapan para peserta. Presiden berucap dengan nada yang tenang. Ia berucap di depan publik mengenai rencana pembangunan.

See also: ucapan, mengucapkan, pengucapan, berbicara, berkata.