ditimpa

Ditimpa is an Indonesian verb in the passive voice meaning to be struck by, to be hit by, or to befall (a person or thing), typically in reference to a sudden or undesired event such as a disaster, injury, or misfortune. It is formed from the root timpa with the prefix di-, which marks the passive.

Grammar and usage notes: In Indonesian, ditimpa does not convey tense on its own; tense or time frame is provided by context or time adverbs. The agent causing the event is often introduced with oleh, but it can also be omitted when the focus is on the affected subject. Common constructions include ditimpa by a noun indicating the event or object causing the impact, such as ditimpa reruntuhan bangunan, ditimpa musibah, or ditimpa bencana.

Usage examples: Korban ditimpa reruntuhan bangunan akibat gempa. Warga ditimpa musibah banjir. The phrase can refer to physical impact as well as figurative misfortune, as in ditimpa kemalangan or ditimpa bencana.

Related forms and nuance: A closely related form is tertimpa, which often emphasizes sudden or unforeseen occurrence of misfortune falling upon someone. While ditimpa highlights the passive experience of being affected, menimpa generally means to cause someone to experience something, and tidak timpa would be a nonstandard or less common construction.

See also: timpa (root verb), tertimpa, musibah, bencana.