Lumayan

Lumayan is an informal word used in Indonesian and Malay to express a moderate degree or a satisfactory level. It functions as an adverb or a predicative adjective and is roughly equivalent to "quite," "pretty," or "decent" in English. The term is common in casual speech and online communication, where speakers want to nuance a statement without claiming strong enthusiasm.

Grammatical use: It typically precedes adjectives or adverbs (lumayan cepat, lumayan mahal) or can stand alone to describe a situation, as in "Harga lumayan" or "Film itu lumayan." It can also modify a noun in some contexts, conveying a general sense of sufficiency or adequacy.

Register and nuance: Lumayan signals moderate approval or tolerance; it is weaker than "bagus" and stronger than more negative terms in many contexts. It is not standard in formal writing, where more precise adjectives are preferred.

Etymology and regional use: The exact origin is unclear, but lumayan is widely used across Indonesia and Malaysia in slang and everyday language. It is common in media, conversation, and social media. In translation, it can be rendered as "quite," "pretty," "not bad," or "fairly."

Examples:

- Harga tiketnya lumayan mahal. (The ticket price is quite expensive.)

- Film itu lumayan seru. (That film is pretty entertaining.)

- Lumayan, bisa dipakai. (It’s decent enough to use.)