katakan

Katakan is an Indonesian verb meaning “to say” or “to tell,” primarily used in imperative constructions to instruct someone to convey information to another person. The form katakan functions as a transitive command and is commonly followed by a direct object or a recipient phrase such as padanya or kepada siapa. The particle lah can be attached for emphasis or politeness, as in katakanlah, meaning “please tell” or “let us say.”

In usage, katakan is often placed at the beginning of a clause: Katakan apa yang Anda lihat, or Katakan padanya bahwa Anda akan terlambat. It competes with other verbs expressing speech, such as berkata (to say) in more neutral or narrative contexts. Katakan is favored in direct commands, instructional language, dialogue, and reported speech, while berkat a form (to say) tends to appear in more descriptive or news-like writing.

Morphology and related forms: Katakan is related to kata (word) and berkata (to say). The noun kadan (kataan) means speech or words, while berkata serves as the general verb for speaking. Katakan can appear in various registers from formal to everyday speech, often with additional particles likelah to adjust tone. Common collocations include katakan tidak (say no) and katakan padanya (tell him/her).

In sum, katakan is the imperative, transitive form used to prompt or instruct someone to say something to another person, commonly appearing in both spoken and written Indonesian.