Dekat

Dekat is a common word in Indonesian and Malay meaning near or close in terms of physical distance, time, or familiarity. It functions as an adjective and as an adverb, and it can form a prepositional phrase to indicate proximity to another location or concept. In spatial use, dekat describes how far one thing is from another, as in expressions like rumah itu dekat sekolah (that house is near the school) or lokasinya dekat pusat kota (its location is near the city center).

In everyday grammar, dekat can appear with or without a following preposition. The phrase dekat dengan is frequently used to emphasize proximity to a noun or place, such as kita tinggal dekat metro, or sekolah dekat rumah. Figuratively, dekat also conveys closeness in relationships or familiarity, for example, dia sangat dekat dengan keluarganya (he is very close to his family) or hubungannya dekat (their relationship is close).

Synonyms and related terms vary by language and region. In Malay, berhampiran and rapat can convey similar ideas of closeness, while Indonesian uses berdekatan or rapat to express nearness with subtle nuance. Intensity can be strengthened with adverbs like dekat sekali (very near) or sangat dekat (very close). Dekat is a versatile term in both standard Indonesian and Malay, widely used in everyday speech to express physical proximity, temporal proximity, and relational closeness.