disentuh

Disentuh is a verb form in Indonesian and Malay that marks the passive voice of the root sentuh, meaning to touch. It describes something that has been touched or come into contact with by an agent, which may be specified with oleh or omitted when the agent is clear from context. The prefix di- signals the passive, and the root remains sentuh.

Usage and scope: Disentuh can refer to physical contact with objects or people, as in a museum or classroom setting, but it can also appear in formal or descriptive language to indicate that something was touched or affected by an action. In many everyday contexts, the agent is simply understood and not stated.

Nuance and contrast: Indonesian often uses tersentuh or menyentuh to express emotional impact or something that moves a person. Disentuh, by contrast, tends to emphasize the act of touch itself or a state resulting from contact, rather than an emotional response.

Examples:

- Benda itu disentuh oleh penjaga. (The object was touched by the guard.)

- Barang di toko itu tidak boleh disentuh. (Items in the store must not be touched.)

- Karya seni itu disentuh oleh pengunjung selama pameran. (The artwork was touched by visitors during the exhibition.)

See also: In grammatical terms, disentuh is part of the broader Indonesian passive voice formed with di-, and its use complements other forms such as tersentuh (emotionally moved) and menyentuh (to touch or to affect emotionally).