menjumpai

Menjumpai is an Indonesian transitive verb meaning to encounter, to come across, or to meet someone or something, usually in the course of an action or unexpectedly. It describes the act of coming upon a person, object, or situation rather than actively seeking it.

Etymology and form: the word is formed with the prefix me- applied to the base jumpai, itself related to the root jumpa meaning to meet or find. The prefix changes in spelling to accommodate phonological rules, yielding menjumpai. Like many Indonesian verbs with me- prefixes, it governs a direct object.

Usage and nuance: menjumpai is commonly used for both concrete and abstract encounters. Examples include meeting people you did not plan to see, or encountering problems or obstacles. For instance, saya menjumpai seorang teman lama di toko buku (I ran into an old friend at the bookstore) or perjalanan itu menjumpai banyak rintangan (the journey encountered many obstacles). The term can be used in literal and figurative senses, such as menjumpai kesulitan or menjumpai kritik.

Grammar notes: menjumpai is a active, transitive verb and typically takes a direct object. It can appear in various tenses with auxiliary markers, such as telah menjumpai for the past or akan menjumpai for the future. Passive constructions are possible with dijumpai, though they are less common in everyday speech.

See also: jumpa, menemukan, bertemu, temu. Antonyms depending on context include menghindari or mengelak, which imply avoiding encounters rather than experiencing them.