Lewat

Lewat is a word used in Indonesian and Malay with several related meanings. As a preposition or adverb it means “past,” “by,” or “via,” used to indicate a route, location, or means of conveyance. It can also function as a verb stem meaning “to pass by” or “to go past,” in the forms melewati or lewat. In everyday Indonesian, lewat is common in casual speech and often substitutes for the more formal melalui.

Lewat appears in derived forms such as melewati (to pass through or past), melewatkan (to miss or bypass), and lewat (as an imperative: go past). Examples: “Saya lewat rumahmu tadi” (I passed by your house earlier); “Kami lewat jalan tol” (we took the toll road). The direction or route sense aligns with physical movement, as in “Mobil itu melewati persimpangan” (the car passes the intersection). The via sense is common in expressions like “kirim lewat email” (send via email). For formal writing or when emphasizing process, melalui is often preferred over lewat; the latter remains more conversational.

Lewat originates in the Malay-Indonesian word stock shared across the region and is widely understood in Indonesia and Malaysia. It should not be confused with melalui in formal contexts; melewatkan implies missing or bypassing, whereas melewati or lewat simply means to go past or pass through. In practical use, lewat covers a broad range of everyday meanings related to movement, route, and means of communication.