Many Indonesian learners get confused between “bersih” and “bersihin.”
Even though they look similar, the meanings and functions are different.

1. BERSIH (adjective)

“Bersih” is an adjective that means clean.

You use it to describe something.

Examples

• Kamar ini bersih.
  This room is clean.
• Tangannya sudah bersih.
  His hands are clean.
• Pantai itu sangat bersih.
  That beach is very clean.

“Bersih” does not mean “to clean.”
It only describes the condition of something.

2. BERSIHIN (verb, informal)

“Bersihin” is an informal verb meaning to clean (something).
It comes from the base word bersih + the informal suffix -in, which creates a causative verb (to make something clean).

In formal Indonesian, the equivalent would be “membersihkan.”

Examples

• Tolong bersihin meja itu.
  Please clean that table.
• Aku mau bersihin kamar dulu.
  I want to clean my room first.
• Bisa tolong bersihin lantai?
  Can you clean the floor?

“Bersihin” is very common in daily speech, but not used in formal writing.

3. Easy Summary

Word	Part of Speech	Meaning	Register
bersih	adjective	clean	neutral–formal–informal
bersihin	verb	to clean (something)	informal
membersihkan	verb	to clean (formal version of “bersihin”)	formal

4. Example Sentences (Side by Side)

1. Kamar ini bersih.
   This room is clean.Aku mau bersihin kamar ini.
   I want to clean this room.
2. Mejanya sudah bersih.
   The table is already clean.Bersihin dulu mejanya.
   Clean the table first.
3. Lantainya kelihatan bersih.
   The floor looks clean.Dia lagi bersihin lantainya.
   She is cleaning the floor.

5. The Formula

A simple way to remember:

• bersih = describes a clean condition
• bersihin = action to make something clean

If it’s a description, use bersih.
If it’s an action, use bersihin.

Practice: Bersih vs Bersihin

Instructions:
Choose the correct word to complete each sentence: bersih (adjective) or bersihin (verb).
Pay attention to whether the sentence describes a condition (bersih) or an action (bersihin).

1. Tolong _______ kamar ini sebelum tamu datang.
2. Sepatuku sudah _______.
3. Bisa kamu _______ meja makan setelah makan?
4. Kolam renang di hotel itu sangat _______.
5. Aku mau _______ dapur dulu.
6. Tangannya belum _______ karena belum cuci tangan.
7. Ibu meminta adik untuk _______ kamarnya.
8. Mobil ayah kelihatan _______ hari ini.
9. Mereka sedang _______ halaman belakang.
10. Rumah itu akhirnya _______ setelah dibersihkan.