Cepat

Cepat is an Indonesian and Malay adjective meaning fast, quick, or rapid. It describes the speed of movement or the speed of an action. In sentences it can function as an adjective, as in mobil itu cepat, or as an adverb modifying a verb, as in dia berlari cepat. The word also appears in fixed phrases such as secepat kilat (as fast as lightning) and cepat-cepat (promptly, urging haste).

Etymology and language context: Cepat is native to Malayic languages, including Indonesian and Malay, and is widely used across both language communities. Related forms appear in various Malayic languages, with its precise historical origins not always specified in standard references.

Usage and grammar: For comparison, Indonesian forms include lebih cepat (faster) and paling cepat (fastest). Antonyms include lambat. Cepat can pair with nouns to describe speed of objects (teknologi yang cepat) or with verbs to describe the manner of action (dia bekerja dengan cepat). It also appears in idiomatic expressions such as cepat kilat or cepat-cepat, used to convey urgency or efficiency in everyday speech.

In culture and communication: Cepat is a common term in media, education, and daily conversation to describe performance, response times, or duration. Its broad applicability makes it a basic descriptor of speed in Indonesian and Malay, useful across formal writing and informal dialogue.